“We have a chance...we need campus suport to do it”

The University
of Missouri-
St. Louis
women’s basketball team is about to kick off
its 2009-2010 season, and is looking to improve
on last season’s record and make it to
this year’s GLVC Tournament. The NCAA
tournament is also on their minds.
“Our record was 7-21 last season and there
are 21 teams to beat,” head coach Lisa Curliss-
Taylor said. “I want to beat everybody. That’s
all we’re thinking about.”
To do that, she and assistant coach Lora
Westling instituted summer workouts for the
players. “Before they left we had individual
meetings on what we expected. Each individual
knew exactly what they needed to perfect,”
Curliss-Taylor said.
The team’s summer workout routine included
alternating days of weight lifting and
conditioning. The conditioning program involved
800 meter, 200 meter and 2 mile runs.
As to how the team returned from that
summer work-out routine, Curliss-Taylor
said, “They came back in much better shape.
Much more strength and much more speed
… The same thing applies to them mentally,
because when you work hard you have a
stronger mind set.”
One reason to be excited about the Triton
women’s team is returning guard Lindsey
Ransome, senior, communications. Last year
Ransome connected on 34.3 percent of her
three-point shots.
“I worked a ton on my ball handling,”
Ransome said. “I want to limit my turnovers.
Everybody was in good shape. You can see
they worked this summer.”
Another reason for excitement is returning
point guard Kristi White, senior, accounting,
who ranks seventh in school history in assists.
White added some of her extra work back
at home by playing basketball against her
father and brother. “[Her father] can shoot,
he’s pretty good. It helps to play against men.
They’re stronger and it was pretty intense.”
Along with Ransome and White, the Tritons
bring back nine other players from last
year’s team. Those players include: Montrice
Coggin, senior; Kelly Carter, junior; Alisa
Ndorongo, senior; Kiki Robinson, sophomore;
Kelcy Hulbert, junior; Kelly Mitchell,
junior; Caitlyn Moody, sophomore; Lacey
Shalenko, senior; and Hailee Deckard, sophomore.
All bring something special to the table
and their own reason to come out and watch
UM-St. Louis women’s basketball this season.
“It’s not just girl’s basketball. We’re not
boring, we’re exciting. We press, we will run.
We have a lot of energy. And we have a lot of
fun players to watch,” Curliss-Taylor said.
Mitchell in particular was a standout on
the team last year, shooting 41-plus percent
from the field and 36-plus percent from threepoint
range.
“I spent extra time on my foot work,”
Mitchell said. “I want to be fast and quick.”
Mitchell also spent time playing games with
White against White’s father and brother.
Then, as with any team, there are the newcomers
to the program, including sophomore
KeAmber Vaughn, five freshmen including
Brook Lair, Allie Hogan, Jessica Fransen,
Deaven Omohundro, and an international
student from China that the team hopes will
be eligible to play next semester.

“We have a chance for the playoffs. We
need campus support to do it. If they’re sitting
in their dorm room or apartment with
nothing to do, get over to Mark Twain and
support the team. I think they will really enjoy
it. If our students are in there supporting
our players, they will feed off of that,” Curliss-
Taylor said.

The Tritons will open the regular season
tonight, Monday, Nov. 16, when they’ll host
rival Lindenwood at the Mark Twain Building
at 7 p.m.

Some of the player information in this
story was obtained from the University of
Missouri-St. Louis’s Athletic Department’s
records.