Saint Martin’s Ready for GNAC Play in Front of Home Crowd

Jordyn Richardson
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sunset airComing into the 2013-14 season, the Saint Martin’s University Women’s basketball team decided they were sick of watching.

Since 2012, SMU has hosted the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournament at Marcus Pavilion.  Every year, the Saints have had to watch from the stands.

After a 17-11 season (11-7 in GNAC play) and a sixth place finish in the GNAC standings, SMU enters this week’s tournament as the lowest seed in the field.  Though the Saints players and coaches aren’t satisfied with a birth in the conference tournament, qualifying for GNAC play for the first time in school history is an accomplishment.

“It’s been tough seeing teams come (to Lacey) every year, knowing we couldn’t compete,” said junior guard Angela Gelhar.  “We wanted to make sure we would be playing in it this year and here we are.”

Chelsea Haskey
Chelsea Haskey

“I think (qualifying for the tournament) is really important for the university, the program and mainly for the kids,” said head coach Tim Healy, now in his 22nd season.  “This was a goal they had at the beginning of the season and they worked hard to accomplish it.  Now, the hard part begins.”

The Saints open tournament play on Wednesday, March 5 at 5:15 p.m. at Marcus Pavilion against Alaska-Anchorage, who went 19-7 overall and 12-6 in lead play.

Saint Martin’s came away victorious in the school’s two regular season match-ups, defeating the Seawolves in Anchorage 85-78 and again in Lacey 56-46.  The Saints have proven they can defeat the Seawolves, but expect a stiff challenge from Alaska-Anchorage on Wednesday night.

“It’s a challenge to beat a team three times, and Alaska-Anchorage is a tough, well coached and hard-working team,” Healy said. “We’re expecting a tough, hard fought game.”

“We know they will have a chip on their shoulder coming in,” said senior forward Chelsea Haskey, a second-team All-GNAC performer for the second consecutive season. “They will bring a lot of fight, a lot of intensity, and we will have to match that together as a team.”

Playing as a team has been the Saint’s calling card all season long.  Haskey, who graduated from Black Hills High School, leads the Saints in scoring at 13 points per game.  Joining Haskey as the only other Saint averaging double digits in scoring is Gelhar, who posts ten, six points per contest.  After the two upperclassman, Saint Martin’s features five players who average between six and eight points a game.

Examining rebounding and assist totals show a similar trend.  No Saint averages over seven rebounds per game, but six players pull down at least three boards a contest.  Only junior point guard, Jori Skorpik, and forward, Brooke Paulson, average above two assists each contest.  However, three other SMU players average over one assist per game.

The balance leads to strong team play, a reliable bench and unpredictability for their opponents.

“This is the deepest, most balanced team I’ve had here,” said Healy.  “We’ve really wanted to take advantage of it all season.  It’s good from a coaching perspective to have all these interchangeable parts.  Everybody brings something to the table and it’s my job to maximize what each person brings.”

Jordyn Richardson
Jordyn Richardson

“There are so many good players on this team and I think we’ve developed this confidence because of it,” said junior guard Jordyn Richardson, a Tumwater High School graduate. “When (Gelhar) and I first got here, there wasn’t the trust that there is on this team.”

“It’s lead to unselfish, pass first play,” added Haskey. “No one cares who scores or gets the points.  I could score zero points, but as long as we got the win, I’m happy.  Everyone on the team has the same mind set.”

A major influence on the team-first play could be the camaraderie the Saints have developed off the court.

“We’re extremely close and have a lot of fun together,” Healy said. “We laugh together, play together, win and lose together.  Everybody has the same goal.  They’re almost too close sometimes, in that they don’t want to hold their teammates accountable and hurt their feelings.”

“It’s like a family,” said Richardson.  “We’re all friends and when the whole team is like that, you play for one another more.  You play as a team and that leads to victories.”

Earning 19 victories in a challenging conference like the GNAC is a testament to the talent and unity on the Saint Martin’s team.  Seattle Pacific University is ranked in the top-20 nationally for men’s basketball, while GNAC tournament number one seed Montana State-Billings appeared in the USA Today women’s poll earlier this season.

Going through the GNAC gauntlet has been a challenging and engaging experience for the Saints.

“Our league is absolutely unbelievable,” added Healy.  “It’s not only scary, but fun at same time.  There are so many talented players and great coaches that it challenges you every night.  But it’s fun to play a competitive schedule and it raises our girls level of intensity.”

“Any team can beat you on a given night,” Gelhar said. “It keeps you on your toes and you can’t take an off night or a team for granted.  You have to give 100 percent every game.”

Montana State Billings found out that truth on Feb. 22 in Lacey, when the Saints defeated the Yellowjackets 69-59.  It was the Saints first of three consecutive victories to end the regular season.

“That was huge, especially since we lost our previous three games,” said Haskey.  “We knew we could beat anyone, but that was a confidence boost.”

“We’ve been able to carry that momentum and you want to be on a hot streak at the end of the season,” Healy said. “We’re very confident heading into this week.”

The Saints will have the benefit of playing in front of their home friends and family, something they hope will lead to a series of victories.

“This is what you play for,” said Gelhar. “We have an opportunity to play our biggest game in front of our fans.  It’s kind of like a dream come true.”

“We get to practice every day here and there’s that familiarity,” said Healy.  “Plus a lot of fans in the stands won’t hurt.”

For Haskey, the tournament provides an opportunity for a career defining moment in front of her family.

“It will be cool to see my mom and sister in the stands.  The fact they can see me play in this big of a game, that’s special,” she said.  “But we understand what’s a stake.  You play all these years to get to big games like this, and we want to make the most of our opportunity.”

For more information on the GNAC Tournament, including match-up dates and times, visit http://www.gnacsports.com/.

 

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