Basketball is rolling towards the end of the season fast, and the Lions basketball squads are gaining momentum.
On the women’s side, there are high expectations. Coming off a conference championship last season, they currently post a middle-of-the-pack 3-4 conference record. Freshman Kylie Watkins has started off her college career hot, earning CCS Rookie of the Week honors five times so far. Even with Watkins’ stellar play, the Lady Lions have had to make some adjustments.
“I don’t think this year has gone the way any of us have expected it to go,” said assistant coach Christian Buckmire. “We’ve had to battle some adversity with injuries, sickness and just the regular ebbs and flows of the season.”
Senior Kennedi Henson went down with an injury early in the Lions’ season, leaving a next-player-up mentality for the Lions forwards. The Lions do have four players averaging nearly 10 points per game, however, including Alexandria Willis, Ava Hunter, Watkins and Gracie Deetz.
“There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, and I think if we can start clicking at the right time and get hot, we can make a run and work towards the goals we have set for this team and the standard of this program,” said Buckmire.
The Lady Lions’ current record sits at 6-10, as they are off to two conference losses at Maryville and Covenant. Their next contest will be against Belhaven in Mississippi on Jan. 31.
For the men’s team, there has been a mix of excitement and rough patches. Occasional offensive troubles have not been without great shooting nights to balance them out. The Lions have already scored over 100 points twice this season – against Caltech and Warren Wilson, respectively – but have had tougher roads in conference play, never going above 80 points in CCS matchups.
Multiple-time CCS Rookie of the Week Parker Renault suffered an injury mid-season, so the Lions will miss his presence in the paint as conference play moves on. In his stead, Silas Mulligan and Noah Hutchinson have each stepped up in the starting lineup.
Defense has been strong for the Lions so far, as they rank among the top three teams in the CCS in points allowed, averaging just under 80 points per game.
The Lions still have multiple games to get on their feet in conference, with the CCS First Round starting on Feb. 24.
