Last Saturday’s Saints game at the Superdome was not the only hard-fought, exciting contest that took place in New Orleans. Less than a mile away, the Lady Wolfpack squared off against the No. 23 Xavier University Gold Nuggets.
But after toppling No. 25 Mobile 75-71 behind psychology freshman Trenell Smith’s 20 points, they couldn’t engineer back-to-back upsets, as they fell short 75-70 to Xavier in another overtime marathon.
After the game, head coach DoBee Plaisance said, “As a group, we have been very strong and resilient. They’re going to feel it tomorrow, because they are warriors. We went to war tonight, and we have to move on. Come Monday, we will be focused on Dillard.”
For the second straight game, the ‘Pack was led by the outstanding play of psychology freshmen twins Trenell and Trenese Smith. They took and hit big three-pointers and free throws down the stretch, played tough pressure defense and repeatedly attacked the paint.
Trenese poured in 29 points on 17-of-15 shooting, 22 of them coming in their crucial second half comeback. She also collected six boards and three steals.
Trenell finished with 16 points, seven boards, four assists and two blocks.
Plaisance said, “These two freshmen have had to mature faster in their roles than any other players I have had here. They have played some of the best players in the country, and they have stepped up. The best is still to come from these two.”
Though they faced a 44-29 deficit at the half, the ‘Pack came out firing in the second half, scoring 11 of the first 15 points.
They tied the game up and took the lead with 4:39 to play.
They had a two-point lead with 14 seconds left, but Xavier’s Erica Turnbull hit a put-back as time expired, sending the game into OT. In the extra session, the ‘Pack lost Trenese Smith; senior leader Kiely Schork, mass communication senior; and key contributors Dani Holland, criminal justice graduate; and Christine Mainguy, management junior, to fouls.
Whether it was the furious pace of the game, the lost key players or the amount of energy they expended coming back in the second half, the ‘Pack fell just short.
They showed great poise and determination in the extremely hostile crowd. They also refused to quit, which is becoming a trend with this team.
Plaisance remained optimistic after the game.
“Though the Xavier game didn’t have the outcome we wanted, both games (this week) proved that if we bring our ‘A’ game, 98 percent of the time, we’ll be just fine. We have what it takes to be in Jackson, Miss., (regionals) in March.”
Some of the more memorable moments from the game:
The Good – Trenell Smith. In the second half, she drove past her defender on the baseline and was met by two rotating Xavier post players. She faked a pass, fooled both defenders and deftly put it in off the glass.
The Bad – The high school-like refs. They missed calls, didn’t know which way the possession arrow was pointing, and made numerous questionable calls against both teams. Their ineptitude climaxed with a jump ball late in the game, where they literally had no clue which way the possession arrow was going. They had to ask the scorer’s table, who didn’t know either, so Xavier was arbitrarily given the ball.
The Hilarious – The crowd’s behavior. Their referee abuse was legendary. If you appreciate referee humiliation, you would have loved this. The Maroon regrets it can’t report some of the things that were shouted, but it was outstanding.The Lady Wolfpack’s next game is at Delgado’s Wilkerson Center against Dillard at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Daniel Alvarez can be reached at [email protected].
