Army West Point Athletics
Women’s Basketball Notebook: Carrier Dome Practice
March 17, 2016 | Women's Basketball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After arriving in Syracuse on Wednesday, the Army West Point women's basketball team began preparations for Friday's game against No. 4 Syracuse on Thursday.
The following is a rundown of the day's events with a behind the scenes look at the Black Knights and their final day of work before the NCAA Tournament tips off on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Basketball activities began with the official NCAA press conference inside the Carrier Dome media room where head coach Dave Magarity, senior guard Kelsey Minato and senior forward Aimee Oertner answered questions from the assembled media. Minato's play this season as part of Army's successful senior class was the spotlight of conversation.
"Syracuse has a very aggressive press and extended 2-3 zone, they force the most turnovers in the country and for us that is going to be a big challenge," Minato said. "We just need to stay composed and use ball fakes, we need to stay under control and don't let their pressure get to us and just attack them. We need to be just as aggressive in our offense as they are in their defense."
"We have had a very successful senior class," Magarity said. "They have won 99 games in their career, at our mid-major level that is a heck of an accomplishment. Parker is a tough shooter, she can make big plays and is an undersized swing player. Johnson is a heady, smart kid and role player, she had a big game in our Patriot League quarterfinal game. McNeal, a sophomore, was just named to the Patriot League all-tournament team and the all-defensive team in the league. A number of younger kids have stepped up and played really well. Murray (So.) and we have the Morris twins which bring a lot to the table defensively."
Shortly after the press conference and open locker room media session, the Black Knights hit the floor for a 90-minute practice inside the Carrier Dome. The depth and sightlines are not typical for basketball, but the team's practice gave them a great feeling for how things will look on Friday for the game against Syracuse.
Practice could not start until Syracuse had completed its walkthrough. The 90-minute session began once the first basketball was touched, so the team stretched before taking the floor and met briefly at center court before starting practice.
Coach Magarity met with the broadcasters for tomorrow's game, which can be seen live nationally on ESPN2 or on the WatchESPN app. Coach spoke with the crew of Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Steffi Sorensen (analyst) for 15-20 minutes at the start of practice.
Following the team's victory over Loyola in the Patriot League Championship game, all the players received a brand new pair of 2016 Nike Hyperrev basketball sneakers, specifically designed for the NCAA Tournament.
Another difference for the NCAA Tournament is that Wilson is the tournament sponsor for the basketballs used in all the games throughout the tournament. In the Patriot League, the game ball sponsor is The Rock, which will be a slight difference for the Black Knights on Friday. The team practiced with the Wilson balls (pictured above) during Thursday's practice.
After the 90-minute session came to an end, coach Magarity ended practice by talking to the team before doing a few more quick interviews with Rich DeMarco and Zack Daly of the Army multimedia department. The team headed back to the hotel for dinner and a night of rest before Friday's game.
The following is a rundown of the day's events with a behind the scenes look at the Black Knights and their final day of work before the NCAA Tournament tips off on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Basketball activities began with the official NCAA press conference inside the Carrier Dome media room where head coach Dave Magarity, senior guard Kelsey Minato and senior forward Aimee Oertner answered questions from the assembled media. Minato's play this season as part of Army's successful senior class was the spotlight of conversation.
"Syracuse has a very aggressive press and extended 2-3 zone, they force the most turnovers in the country and for us that is going to be a big challenge," Minato said. "We just need to stay composed and use ball fakes, we need to stay under control and don't let their pressure get to us and just attack them. We need to be just as aggressive in our offense as they are in their defense."
"We have had a very successful senior class," Magarity said. "They have won 99 games in their career, at our mid-major level that is a heck of an accomplishment. Parker is a tough shooter, she can make big plays and is an undersized swing player. Johnson is a heady, smart kid and role player, she had a big game in our Patriot League quarterfinal game. McNeal, a sophomore, was just named to the Patriot League all-tournament team and the all-defensive team in the league. A number of younger kids have stepped up and played really well. Murray (So.) and we have the Morris twins which bring a lot to the table defensively."
Shortly after the press conference and open locker room media session, the Black Knights hit the floor for a 90-minute practice inside the Carrier Dome. The depth and sightlines are not typical for basketball, but the team's practice gave them a great feeling for how things will look on Friday for the game against Syracuse.
Practice could not start until Syracuse had completed its walkthrough. The 90-minute session began once the first basketball was touched, so the team stretched before taking the floor and met briefly at center court before starting practice.
Coach Magarity met with the broadcasters for tomorrow's game, which can be seen live nationally on ESPN2 or on the WatchESPN app. Coach spoke with the crew of Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Steffi Sorensen (analyst) for 15-20 minutes at the start of practice.
Following the team's victory over Loyola in the Patriot League Championship game, all the players received a brand new pair of 2016 Nike Hyperrev basketball sneakers, specifically designed for the NCAA Tournament.
Another difference for the NCAA Tournament is that Wilson is the tournament sponsor for the basketballs used in all the games throughout the tournament. In the Patriot League, the game ball sponsor is The Rock, which will be a slight difference for the Black Knights on Friday. The team practiced with the Wilson balls (pictured above) during Thursday's practice.
After the 90-minute session came to an end, coach Magarity ended practice by talking to the team before doing a few more quick interviews with Rich DeMarco and Zack Daly of the Army multimedia department. The team headed back to the hotel for dinner and a night of rest before Friday's game.
Players Mentioned
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