A mid-season report on the Lady Griz freshmen
1/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With the 2005-06 women's basketball season at its midway point between non-conference play and Big Sky Conference games, what better time to pause and get a mid-season report on the four-player freshman class of the Lady Griz: Sonya Rogers of Lewistown, Mont.; Britney Lohman of Bozeman, Mont.; Shadra Robison of Billings, Mont.; and Lauren Beck of Great Falls, Mont.
Coach Robin Selvig was first asked to give a mid-season report on his four players and the class as a whole, then the players were each asked a series of 10 questions that get to the heart of the matter: What is it like for a freshman student-athlete playing Division I college basketball?
Coach Selvig on Sonya Rogers, who has played in all 13 games, getting seven starts. Rogers is second on the team with 32 assists (2.5 apg) and has become one of the team's top 3-point threats, hitting 14-of-27 (.519) shots from 3-point range on the season to average 6.5 points per game. Rogers had her top scoring performance (a team-leading 15 points) in Montana's final non-conference game, a 68-65 overtime victory at Portland. Rogers was scoreless at the break, but the 5-7 guard hit 4-of-5 3-point shots in the second half and overtime as the Lady Griz rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to pick up the win.
"Sonya's done an outstanding job for us," Selvig said. "She started some games early before we got Mandy (Morales) back and gained valuable experience from that, which I think is paying off now. She's played a little bit of the one and the two since Mandy's return. She recently had her biggest game, coming off the bench and giving us a huge lift at Portland. Sonya's having an outstanding year so far."
Coach Selvig on Britney Lohman, who is averaging 7.0 minutes in the 11 games in which she's seen action. Lohman, who averages 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds on 53.8 percent shooting, scored a season-high 10 points in Montana's 79-43 Holiday Classic victory over New Orleans, going 4-for-4 from the field. Lohman has twice grabbed five rebounds in a game.
"In limited time Britney has had some great games for us," Selvig said. "She's splitting time with a couple of other kids at the center, but she's been in some tough, close ball games, and she's performed very well. She's outstanding on the defensive end and providing some offensive punch too, so I'm sure happy with Britney."
Coach Selvig on Shadra Robison, who is redshirting this season.
"Shadra is doing fine," Selvig said. "We've got a lot of post players, and Shadra is doing a nice job in practice. I think she's getting better. She needs to get stronger, but she's working hard in the weight room."
Coach Selvig on Lauren Beck, who is also redshirting this season.
"Lauren is playing great in practice," Selvig said. "I'm really happy with Lauren. She is so versatile. She's shooting the ball well in practice, and she's able to play different positions for us, which has really helped us in practice because we have had limited perimeter kids with Mandy out and Katie not practicing all the time. I'm excited about Lauren."
Coach Selvig on the four-player freshman class, plus redshirt freshmen Mandy Morales and Tamara Guardipee.
"I'm real happy with all the young kids," Selvig said. "Both Mandy and Tam are actually freshmen, too, in terms of playing. I think I'm most pleased with the defensive end with that class, an area that I tend to emphasize. I think it's tough for freshmen to become good defenders, and I think the progress they've made there has probably surpassed what I'd hope they'd do."
What's been the highlight of the season so far?
Rogers: I think it's yet to come.
Lohman: When I fouled out against Santa Clara. Probably not my best game, but the most memorable.
Robison: I just love being with the girls and being with the team. We just have so much fun together.
Beck: Any time the team gets together. It's a wonderful experience because of the team aspect, but it's also a family. The best moment was probably when we played the University of Portland. It was neat to see how everyone came together the second half. Even though we were down and even though we weren't shooting well, we still found it within ourselves. The unity on the team brought us back.
What's been the biggest adjustment going from high school basketball to the college game?
Rogers: Every player is solid. There are none that are out there just being in the way. In high school a lot of players go out for the team, but they don't really love it. At this level, everyone out there loves it, so it's a lot more intense.
Lohman: Strength-wise. Everyone is a lot stronger and plays physical, and the game is a lot quicker in general.
Robison: The physical play inside. It's a lot tougher inside than it was in high school. You have to work a lot harder to get your shots off. Nothing comes very easy.
Beck: The pace of the game. In high school if you were a good shooter, then you were a good player. Here you have to be quick, you have to be fast, you have to be smart. Hopefully I'm a little bit of all those things, but I could definitely be better.
Who's the toughest Lady Griz player you have to go up against in practice?
Rogers: Mandy Morales.
Lohman: Jody McLeod.
Robison: Tamara Guardipee.
Beck: Dana Conway.
How do you like playing at Dahlberg Arena?
Rogers: You go to other places and there might be 100 people in the stands. Then you play here and there's like 4,000 on a bad night. It helps you appreciate what we've got. It's fun.
Lohman: The fans here are so supportive. It's really helpful when there's a good play and it just pumps everyone up to get the next one going. It really sparks the energy on the floor.
Robison: I love playing here. The atmosphere is so cool and the fans get so into it. It's neat to play here.
Beck: It's incredible. It's a totally different atmosphere (from other places we play). I'm so glad we have the fans and the other places don't. It's a big adjustment for other teams to come in here. It probably adds a lot to their frustration when they have 4,000 people screaming at them.
What??s been your favorite part of college life?
Rogers: Basketball.
Lohman: Meeting new people and getting to know Missoula and a different atmosphere.
Robison: The different classes. You have a lot more variety. I like the classes a lot more than in high school.
Beck: Meeting tons of new people and getting new friends. I still have my two best friends from high school because they came here, but it's neat to meet new people and find out who you are as a person.
Is playing for Coach Selvig what you anticipated when you signed with Montana?
Rogers: He's a good coach. The best.
Lohman: He's a little calmer than I thought he would be in practice compared to games. He's been everything I expected and more.
Robison: Some of the things he says during games surprise me (laughing). But he's a great guy to play for. I like it.
Beck: No surprises. I knew he was really intense, and I knew he knew what he was doing. I don't think I could have asked for a better coach or a better guy to play for.
What is the classroom work like at UM compared to high school?
Rogers: You actually have homework here. You just need to be able to manage everything.
Lohman: I would definitely say it's different. There is a lot more studying on your own time. You might not be in class as long, but there's definitely more reading outside of class. It's more time-consuming.
Robison: It's a lot tougher. It requires a lot more studying and a lot more time.
Beck: More variety. I wouldn't say it's necessarily harder, but you have to study more and you have to know what you're doing and be focused.
What was your welcome-to-college moment?
Rogers: Going to my first class and seeing 200 people in the classroom.
Lohman: My first real game with (Coach Selvig). I had a coach in high school that was pretty loud, but there's no one like Rob.
Robison: Probably the first practice, when I had about every shot blocked.
Beck: When my parents left and those first few hours when I really didn't know what I was supposed to do. I didn't really know what was to be expected, but we got into it.
What's your Big Sky Conference prediction for the Lady Griz?
Rogers: Taking it, of course.
Lohman: We'll definitely win.
Robison: I hope we win it and win the tournament and go on to the big one.
Beck: Win it all.
Critique your performance through the first half of your freshman year.
Rogers: It's an adjustment, and I think I've been a little passive. I need to get more comfortable, but that will come.
Lohman: I'm pretty happy with it. I'd give myself a six or seven (out of 10). There's definitely a lot more room for improvement but I'm able to hold my own now and then.
Robison: A six or seven. I've improved since coming in, but I know I can still do a lot more. I'm happy with how I'm doing, but I have a lot more to do, too.
Beck: I could be better. I don't know how to rate myself, but I could get better in every aspect of the game.
Coach Robin Selvig was first asked to give a mid-season report on his four players and the class as a whole, then the players were each asked a series of 10 questions that get to the heart of the matter: What is it like for a freshman student-athlete playing Division I college basketball?
Coach Selvig on Sonya Rogers, who has played in all 13 games, getting seven starts. Rogers is second on the team with 32 assists (2.5 apg) and has become one of the team's top 3-point threats, hitting 14-of-27 (.519) shots from 3-point range on the season to average 6.5 points per game. Rogers had her top scoring performance (a team-leading 15 points) in Montana's final non-conference game, a 68-65 overtime victory at Portland. Rogers was scoreless at the break, but the 5-7 guard hit 4-of-5 3-point shots in the second half and overtime as the Lady Griz rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to pick up the win.
"Sonya's done an outstanding job for us," Selvig said. "She started some games early before we got Mandy (Morales) back and gained valuable experience from that, which I think is paying off now. She's played a little bit of the one and the two since Mandy's return. She recently had her biggest game, coming off the bench and giving us a huge lift at Portland. Sonya's having an outstanding year so far."
Coach Selvig on Britney Lohman, who is averaging 7.0 minutes in the 11 games in which she's seen action. Lohman, who averages 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds on 53.8 percent shooting, scored a season-high 10 points in Montana's 79-43 Holiday Classic victory over New Orleans, going 4-for-4 from the field. Lohman has twice grabbed five rebounds in a game.
"In limited time Britney has had some great games for us," Selvig said. "She's splitting time with a couple of other kids at the center, but she's been in some tough, close ball games, and she's performed very well. She's outstanding on the defensive end and providing some offensive punch too, so I'm sure happy with Britney."
Coach Selvig on Shadra Robison, who is redshirting this season.
"Shadra is doing fine," Selvig said. "We've got a lot of post players, and Shadra is doing a nice job in practice. I think she's getting better. She needs to get stronger, but she's working hard in the weight room."
Coach Selvig on Lauren Beck, who is also redshirting this season.
"Lauren is playing great in practice," Selvig said. "I'm really happy with Lauren. She is so versatile. She's shooting the ball well in practice, and she's able to play different positions for us, which has really helped us in practice because we have had limited perimeter kids with Mandy out and Katie not practicing all the time. I'm excited about Lauren."
Coach Selvig on the four-player freshman class, plus redshirt freshmen Mandy Morales and Tamara Guardipee.
"I'm real happy with all the young kids," Selvig said. "Both Mandy and Tam are actually freshmen, too, in terms of playing. I think I'm most pleased with the defensive end with that class, an area that I tend to emphasize. I think it's tough for freshmen to become good defenders, and I think the progress they've made there has probably surpassed what I'd hope they'd do."
What's been the highlight of the season so far?
Rogers: I think it's yet to come.
Lohman: When I fouled out against Santa Clara. Probably not my best game, but the most memorable.
Robison: I just love being with the girls and being with the team. We just have so much fun together.
Beck: Any time the team gets together. It's a wonderful experience because of the team aspect, but it's also a family. The best moment was probably when we played the University of Portland. It was neat to see how everyone came together the second half. Even though we were down and even though we weren't shooting well, we still found it within ourselves. The unity on the team brought us back.
What's been the biggest adjustment going from high school basketball to the college game?
Rogers: Every player is solid. There are none that are out there just being in the way. In high school a lot of players go out for the team, but they don't really love it. At this level, everyone out there loves it, so it's a lot more intense.
Lohman: Strength-wise. Everyone is a lot stronger and plays physical, and the game is a lot quicker in general.
Robison: The physical play inside. It's a lot tougher inside than it was in high school. You have to work a lot harder to get your shots off. Nothing comes very easy.
Beck: The pace of the game. In high school if you were a good shooter, then you were a good player. Here you have to be quick, you have to be fast, you have to be smart. Hopefully I'm a little bit of all those things, but I could definitely be better.
Who's the toughest Lady Griz player you have to go up against in practice?
Rogers: Mandy Morales.
Lohman: Jody McLeod.
Robison: Tamara Guardipee.
Beck: Dana Conway.
How do you like playing at Dahlberg Arena?
Rogers: You go to other places and there might be 100 people in the stands. Then you play here and there's like 4,000 on a bad night. It helps you appreciate what we've got. It's fun.
Lohman: The fans here are so supportive. It's really helpful when there's a good play and it just pumps everyone up to get the next one going. It really sparks the energy on the floor.
Robison: I love playing here. The atmosphere is so cool and the fans get so into it. It's neat to play here.
Beck: It's incredible. It's a totally different atmosphere (from other places we play). I'm so glad we have the fans and the other places don't. It's a big adjustment for other teams to come in here. It probably adds a lot to their frustration when they have 4,000 people screaming at them.
What??s been your favorite part of college life?
Rogers: Basketball.
Lohman: Meeting new people and getting to know Missoula and a different atmosphere.
Robison: The different classes. You have a lot more variety. I like the classes a lot more than in high school.
Beck: Meeting tons of new people and getting new friends. I still have my two best friends from high school because they came here, but it's neat to meet new people and find out who you are as a person.
Is playing for Coach Selvig what you anticipated when you signed with Montana?
Rogers: He's a good coach. The best.
Lohman: He's a little calmer than I thought he would be in practice compared to games. He's been everything I expected and more.
Robison: Some of the things he says during games surprise me (laughing). But he's a great guy to play for. I like it.
Beck: No surprises. I knew he was really intense, and I knew he knew what he was doing. I don't think I could have asked for a better coach or a better guy to play for.
What is the classroom work like at UM compared to high school?
Rogers: You actually have homework here. You just need to be able to manage everything.
Lohman: I would definitely say it's different. There is a lot more studying on your own time. You might not be in class as long, but there's definitely more reading outside of class. It's more time-consuming.
Robison: It's a lot tougher. It requires a lot more studying and a lot more time.
Beck: More variety. I wouldn't say it's necessarily harder, but you have to study more and you have to know what you're doing and be focused.
What was your welcome-to-college moment?
Rogers: Going to my first class and seeing 200 people in the classroom.
Lohman: My first real game with (Coach Selvig). I had a coach in high school that was pretty loud, but there's no one like Rob.
Robison: Probably the first practice, when I had about every shot blocked.
Beck: When my parents left and those first few hours when I really didn't know what I was supposed to do. I didn't really know what was to be expected, but we got into it.
What's your Big Sky Conference prediction for the Lady Griz?
Rogers: Taking it, of course.
Lohman: We'll definitely win.
Robison: I hope we win it and win the tournament and go on to the big one.
Beck: Win it all.
Critique your performance through the first half of your freshman year.
Rogers: It's an adjustment, and I think I've been a little passive. I need to get more comfortable, but that will come.
Lohman: I'm pretty happy with it. I'd give myself a six or seven (out of 10). There's definitely a lot more room for improvement but I'm able to hold my own now and then.
Robison: A six or seven. I've improved since coming in, but I know I can still do a lot more. I'm happy with how I'm doing, but I have a lot more to do, too.
Beck: I could be better. I don't know how to rate myself, but I could get better in every aspect of the game.
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