Cougars hope they've learned from their losses
Feb. 25, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Having lost their final two regular-season games, the University of Regina Cougars aren't exactly going into the Canada West women's basketball playoffs on a roll.
So, Dave Taylor, is that a concern?
"No," the Cougars' head coach said Wednesday -- and then he grinned and stopped talking.
Regina concluded its regular-season slate with losses to the Saskatchewan Huskies on Feb. 12 at the U of R's Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport and on Feb. 13 in Saskatoon. But Taylor isn't concerned with the impact those results may have on his squad as it prepares for a Canada West quarterfinal against the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
"I'm concerned more with playing well -- and we have been," Taylor said when asked to expand on his, uh, succinct answer. "The win-loss aspect of that week was meaningless. We had clinched first (in the Prairie Division), so we worked on things we needed to work on ...
"We did things that were going to help us more in the big picture than in those games. That meant playing a lot more zone defence, which we haven't played that much. We had a couple of starters with little nicks who didn't play as much. That's why you have to keep those games and those results in perspective."
Taylor certainly has done that.
"If anybody had said to me after nationals (last season), after we watched seven players graduate, 'You're going to be 16-and-4, you'll be first in your division and you're going to host a playoff series. Are you OK with that?', I would have said, 'Absolutely I am,' " he noted.
That said, Taylor wasn't ecstatic with the way the Cougars played against the Huskies, particularly in the 88-67 loss in Saskatoon on Feb. 13.
"They know they didn't play well," he said of his charges. "There are two ways to look at that (series) as a coach. One is you could be really concerned that you lost two in a row. The other is to look at them as being good, learning losses.
"If in two weekends we're at nationals, then those were good losses. If we're terrible this weekend and lose, then those weren't good losses."
The best-of-three series with the Pronghorns begins today at 7 p.m., at the CKHS. Game 2 is set for Friday at 7 o'clock, with the third game (if necessary) to be played Saturday at 7 p.m.
The winner advances to the Canada West Final Four tournament next weekend at the home of the surviving team with the best record.
Every Canada West team had a bye last weekend, so both Regina and Lethbridge will have to shake off the rust caused by the layoff. Taylor said the Cougars also will have to handle two other issues: Their struggles at home this season and their overall inconsistency as a team.
"Those have been there all year and they're things we've been trying to fix all year," said Taylor, whose squad won both regular-season games it played against Lethbridge. "It has nothing to do with losing two games two weekends ago."
The Pronghorns have their own hurdle to overcome: This is their first playoff appearance since 2001-02. That season, they visited the Cougars and lost in three games.
Regina's roster, meanwhile, is loaded with players who have been to CIS championship tournaments -- including the 2009 event at the CKHS.
"We've played in games like this, serious and intense games, over the last couple of years," said forward Carmen Stewart. "That definitely helps."
"The big concern about losses going into the playoffs is how it affects your confidence," Taylor added. "That's not an issue with this team. We have too many players who have been in big games and dealt with that pressure."