Women's Basketball Huskies conclude preseason, remain focused on learning curve

On the surface, the results aren’t what the Keyano Huskies Women’s Basketball team had hoped for in exhibition, but it’s all part of the process.  
 
With a young squad and the departure of a key program leader from last off-season, the Huskies went 0-5 in their preseason schedule, mostly recently dropping results to The King’s University Eagles and Concordia Thunder last weekend.   

There’s no panic alarms going off at the moment though for Head Coach Dwayne Vigilance. 

“For us it’s a big learning curve,” he said. “[We’re] still learning how to play together, still learning to be consistent. At the same time, I think losing is a great part of educating ourselves, getting better.  
 
“It’s one of those things we wish out of the five games we would’ve got a win, but I think we’re moving in the right direction still.”  
 
The five games gave the team’s young core the opportunity to experience the collegiate game without the pressure of the regular season. In the moment, acclimatizing to the speed and skill will benefit them in the long run.  
 
“Ellah’s come in and established herself really well; same with Skylar as well,” Vigilance said of his young players. “Those two have been playing really well. For the most part, all our rookies are trying to get their feet wet.  
 
“Those two definitely stood out the most.”  
 
There’s also the matter of trying to replace the presence of Maja Besic on the court. Now, the team won’t simply replace someone who graced the program’s all-time elite for scoring and rebounding, but Vigilance acknowledged there are already student-athletes vying to fill her void.  
 
“Alexis [Kemp] has really stepped up her game,” Vigilance continued. “She’s playing multiple positions now and the addition of Ryley [Bullock] really helps us as well.  
 
“We’re tackling Maja’s position by committee. Once they settle in I think they’ll be okay.”   

As for the regular season, the Huskies have two weeks to prepare for their first opponents of the season, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers and Briercrest College Clippers, whom they’ll see October 17 and 18 respectively.  

“We need to sharpen up our defence a bit more, we need score the ball more,” continued Vigilance. “It’s just playing with confidence and being comfortable with each other and I think that’ll come.”