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Hegarty Going Gray with Green Team
by Doug Krikorian, Long Beach Press-Telegram
November 14, 2006
Before the Long Beach State women's basketball team's home opener Sunday
afternoon against Santa Clara University, 49ers coach Mary Hegarty shook
her head gently and said, "I'm getting a lot of gray hairs."
I'm sure she picked up a few more after she observed her troops throw
passes that seemed aimed for Bellflower Boulevard, dribble the basketball
as though it were covered with burning charcoals, throw up wayward shots
that not even Kobe Bryant would attempt, and allow Santa Clara's top shooters
so many open looks that you wondered if the 49er players mistakenly thought
they were engaging in a game of HORSE.
"We're young ... very young," said a visibly distraught Hegarty
after the 49ers' 76-67 implosion against the Broncos. "This is hard
to take. I never like losing. I know I have to be patient. I know my players
are trying hard and giving it their best effort during the games. But
we're going to have to work harder in our practices during the week to
correct our mistakes."
"More gray hairs?" I said, trying to inject a bit of levity.
Mary Hegarty managed a wan smile.
"Oh, definitely," she replied.
Actually, the 49ers, who have 13 new players on the roster and had only
one returning starter, point guard Karina Figueroa, in the lineup Sunday,
might have been able to beat a Santa Clara team that returned all its
starters from last season's West Coast Conference regular-season champions.
They might have had Mary Hegarty, whose club a year ago was the co-Big
West title holders and finally ended its 11-year, 28-game losing streak
against UC Santa Barbara, smiling afterward rather than frowning.
They might have had the intimate gathering at the Walter Pyramid that
included the 49er band, the 49er cheerleaders, the 49er Dance Team and
49er athletic director Vic Cegles departing the premises in a cheerful
mood had only they not self-destructed with their 24 turnovers, including
16 in a first half in which fell behind by 11 points, 37-26.
One of the hallowed traits of a Mary Hegarty-coached team is that its
players never stop hustling and battling - and the 49ers even drew within
two points, 42-40, early in the second half before becoming unraveled
by their dribbling, passing and defensive inadequacies.
Still, notwithstanding such antics, there were bright spots for the 49ers
that bode well for the future.
They're not timid about pursuing rebounds, as they pulled down 49 to a
mere 25 for the Broncos.
It's rare for a team in basketball to lose when it holds such a commanding
edge in this area, but it was rare Sunday when the 49ers could operate
their motion offense without a player throwing a lousy pass, or being
assessed for double dribbling.
"We did a good job on the boards," acknowledged Hegarty, starting
her fourth season in Long Beach. "We were aggressive. You like to
always see that in your team."
Hegarty gave extensive work to nine players, and several acquitted themselves
admirably amid the sea of turnovers.
Kaiti O'Brien, the 6-1 sophomore from Fresno, wound up with 12 rebounds
to go with 13 points, and was an active inside presence.
A freshman guard from Troy High in Fullerton, Lauren Sims displayed long-range
shooting accuracy in scoring 14 points, and even retrieved 10 rebounds
despite being 5-9.
A 5-6 transfer from Riverside City College, Tyresha Calhoun, had terrific
energy in her 37 minutes on the floor as she led the team in scoring with
16 points, but there were moments when her shots and passes were slightly
out of control.
I thought the 5-11 freshman guard from Naples, Fla., Courtney Jacob, performed
well at both ends of the court, as she collected seven points and seven
rebounds and had three assists. She didn't get caught up in the turnover
frenzy, either, committing only one in 26 minutes.
Madison Pagani, the 6-3 sister of former Duke star and NBA player Cherokee
Parks, got in for a few minutes and appears to be a person who can become
a factor on the backboards.
She also has a keen knowledge of skateboards, as she is married to Michael
Pagani, who's a professional in the sport.
"We're all just learning how to play together," said Karina
Figueroa, who played for the Peruvian national team the past summer. "I
think once we get accustomed to one another, we'll be fine. I don't think
you'll see us losing many more games at the Pyramid this season. We don't
like losing anytime, but especially not here."
Mary Hegarty realizes there will be frustrating moments as her team goes
through its maturation process.
"When you have so many newcomers, it's going to take time for everyone
to get in sync," said Hegarty, who Sunday was without one of her
seasoned players, 6-0 guard Val Willhoit, sidelined with a back injury.
"What we have to do is cut down on the turnovers."
I was surprised when the box scored indicated the 49ers had 24 turnovers
because it seemed as though they had twice that amount.
"We had 35 in an exhibition match," revealed Hegarty.
Well, I guess you can say the 49ers are making progress. Once they get
their TO count under 20, they figure to start winning and Mary Hegarty
might no longer be worried about having to start coloring her hair.
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