Women's Basketball

By: Mathias Woerner Staff Writer

It is going to be nice and cozy this winter in the Pat Sullivan Center here on campus at University of St. Francis (USF). Not only will it provide a haven for people trying to avoid the frigid Midwest cold, but it will be the domain of the reigning CCAC Conference Tournament Champion, Fighting Saints Women’s Basketball.

Coming off a perfect 14-0 season at home, John McGinty and this year’s team will be looking to replicate similar success this season. After wrapping up the non-conference part of the schedule in early November, the Saints have embarked on defending their conference title against the rest of the CCAC, a unit that Coach John McGinty has a lot of praise for when he notes the quality of both coaches and players on highly competent, veteran laden teams.

The success of this Saints squad is going to be due in no small part to the efforts of returning CCAC Player of the Year Jordan Pyle. Despite earning this impressive accolade in the 202122 season, Pyle is not resting on her loreals and says there is more for her to do before the end of her USF career. “Moving forward I just want to continue to get better and make the team better as well. Keep developing my game and improving to continue to make an impact this season.”

Striving towards this kind of effectiveness with her commitment in the off-season, Pyle detailed how she hopes to put this into action.

“I focused more on post moves and learning how to better score down low. Additionally, I worked on some ball handling and continued to shoot over the summer to keep honing those skills and ensure that I would come back to this season more prepared and ready to take on the competition in more ways than one.”

The Saints’ threat to every opponent on their schedule goes beyond Pyle, as Coach McGinty and his staff, in their second year at the helm, have gone quite a way to make the Saints a force to be reckoned with.

Coming off a 27-7 inaugural campaign that included a 20-2 record in conference and a trip to the NAIA Tournament, McGinty credits the success his team has enjoyed to the emphasis on communication, “Whether it be player-player, coach-player, or coach-coach, the constant interaction within the team is key for the program to reach its ceiling.”

The exciting, winning brand of basketball that will be hitting the hardwood this winter is going to be a sight to see, and all of us at the Encounter can not wait to see just how high this team can climb.

To help out your Fighting Saints, help fill the Pat Sullivan Center up to the ceiling at home games next semester. If you want to catch the team on the road, their next contest is coming up this Saturday, December 10 at Holy Cross. Your next opportunity to see the Saints at home is Wednesday, January 4 when the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene come into town.

If you are unable to show your spirit in person, you can stream the home games on YouTube or listen to road game broadcasts on the school’s radio station, WCSF 88.7 FM. Any and all support is appreciated and goes a long way towards building and maintaining the great sports culture that exists here at USF!

THANKS, ITS VINTAGE