NAIA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK:Seniors want to win now

JACKSON, Tenn. — As the No. 1-seeded Vanguard University women’s basketball team (28-0) prepares to open the NAIA Division I Tournament today at Oman Arena, the Lions, with all five starters back from last year’s 31-2 semifinalist, believe they are better equipped to capture the program’s first national championship.

They open against Harris-Stowe University of St. Louis, Mo. (13-18) today at 10 a.m.

“I think our team, as a whole, has grown a lot in terms of maturity and the way we react in certain situations,” said junior guard Jessica Richter, the Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year who averages 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 3.1 assists per game.

Rachel Besse, a 6-2 senior center who earned second-team All-American honors as a junior, said the Lions’ players have forged a deeper bond this season.

“I think we had great team chemistry last season,” Besse said. “But this year, it’s even more so.”

Besse also said the presence of four senior starters has helped add a sense of urgency.

“I think last year, we had the mindset that there was always [this] year, because everyone was coming back,” Besse said. “This year, the seniors know they’re not going to get another chance.”

Senior Lacey Burns, who has had her best season, averaging 14.1 points and leading the team with 88 three-pointers, agreed with Besse that this year’s squad is even more determined.

“Our mentality every time we step out on the court is: No mercy,” Burns said. “We’re not going to let down and we want to play our best basketball. Personally, it’s my last go-around and I know I have only a few games left in my career. I know I’m going to give it my all and I think the other seniors will too.”

Senior point guard Tiari Goold said the seniors have to be careful not to put too much pressure on themselves.

“We’re hungry for [the title],” Goold said. “But we want to take it one game at a time, because we don’t want to overlook anyone. We think that’s kind of what happened last year. We overlooked Lubbock Christian [which upset the Lions in the semifinals].

“People have put a lot of pressure on us and, of course, being undefeated [the only team in the field without a loss], there’s pressure associated with that. But it’s our goal as a team just to let that pressure go and just go play. Because that’s how we play best.”

LIONS’ MALE CALL

In order to prepare for the 32-team tournament, in which the champion must win five games in seven days — the title game is scheduled Tuesday at 4 p.m. — Vanguard practiced against several of the men’s program’s standouts.

In scrimmages during Thursday’s practice, the Vanguard women’s starters and reserves dueled against a five-man lineup of current players Dennis Heenan, Brian Roberts, Kevin Dalafu and Brian Bergerson, as well as Levi Seekins, a standout senior on the 2005-06 team that made the men’s program’s first appearance in the NAIA Tournament in 16 seasons.

Vanguard Coach Russ Davis frequently brought in male students to practice against his teams in past seasons, but he had not done it this year, until this week.

Davis said the speed and athleticism his players faced against the men helped to simulate the increased speed that the elite teams in the tournament will bring.

MARQUEE NAMES HERE

Vanguard has three starters who earned All-American honors last season in senior Kelly Schmidt and junior Jessica Richter (both first-team honorees) and senior Rachel Besse, a second-team performer.

Schmidt and Richter were the only first-team All-Americans who were not seniors last year.

Seven other All-Americans, representing six schools in this year’s field, should all get to display their talents in Oman Arena.

Montana-Western (25-6), which opens today against Houston Baptist, has two All-Americans in its lineup. Katherine Sunwall, the three-time Frontier Conference Player of the Year, was second-team All-American as a junior last season.

Becky O’Neil was a third-team All-American as a junior in 2005-06.