3 takeaways as UMHB women’s basketball defeats UC Santa Cruz in Top 25 victory

BELTON- The UMHB women’s basketball team wishes it could take back the losses to Trinity and Puget Sound, which came days before Christmas. 

But that’s not an option. So the Crusaders have done the only thing they can do: look forwards. After taking down Piedmont 80-45 on Thursday, they began the new year with another victory, this one larger in magnitude, against a Top 25 opponent in UC Santa Cruz, 60-49. 

“This is a marathon and not a sprint,” UMHB head coach Mark Morefield said. “I’d like to have Trinity and Puget Sound back based on the way we’re playing right now. I think it would’ve been a different outcome. But now it’s about what we do from here on out.” 

The Banana Slugs entered the matchup ranked No. 18 in the country; UMHB was No. 16. But the main value in the contest was its probability to be a regionally-ranked result. That is, both UMHB and UCSC are likely to be included in the Region X regional rankings, which will be released within the next four weeks, and when it comes to NCAA Tournament time, wins over other regionally-ranked opponents serve as one of the biggest criteria elements. 

“This was a really good game,” Morefield added. “They’re a good team, and honestly, last year, they would’ve been in the top three in the regional rankings if it wasn’t for some of the things Covid did to their schedule. We knew this was going to be a quality game, and hopefully we can build on this as we go into conference.” 

3 Takeaways

The defensive effort was critical in UMHB’s victory

UCSC entered the game averaging 67.1 points per game, having assembled a 10-2 record behind consistent shooting. In fact, the Banana Slugs converted on 40 percent of their shots over the first 12 contests of the year. But UMHB was prepared for the disciplined, and in Morefield’s words, “unpredictable” offensive attack of the visitors from the West Coast. 

Layups were hard to come by in the early goings; though UCSC finished with 22 points in the paint, the Banana Slugs did not get but four shots from short-range in the game’s opening quarter, none of which fell through the net. UMHB took a 12-11 lead after the first quarter. 

“The cutting action didn’t bother us,” Morefield said, noting that UCSC tried to get the ball to the basket through passes from the perimeter to a “cutter” sprinting towards the paint. “We were prepared for that.”

The scoring increased dramatically in the second quarter, with UCSC even taking a three-point advantage by the 7:31 mark. The Crusaders shot 66.7 percent from the field, and UCSC was an even 50 percent. But still, UMHB led by the end of the 10-minute period, 34-28, a credit to the defense, which forced the majority of UCSC’s 11 first-half turnovers. In total, the Banana Slugs turned the ball over 22 times, uncharacteristic for a team that entered averaging 16.9 per game.

“We’ve talked about the turnovers before, and I thought, ‘Okay, we’re pressing more, so we’re getting those turnovers,’” Morefield added. “I think to get 22 turnovers playing solid half court defense says, ‘Okay, it’s not only the press. We’re just a good defensive team.’ We have to keep building on that.” 

“We’ve got to get to the rim”

With about two minutes left in the third quarter, Morefield called out to his five on the floor, “We’ve got to get to the rim!” Indeed, once the Crusaders found opportunities to score from short-range, the offensive production increased. Because not only did it create opportunities for layups and jump-shots, it also led to free throws, and three-pointers, as the UCSC defense was drawn in by the Crusader driving to the basket, only to have the ball passed out to the perimeter for an open shot. 

“We want to shoot the three, but we want it to come off driving kicks,” Morefield said. “We don’t want ball reversal threes. Sometimes, we’re getting those in transition, and that’s ok. But I felt like we were a little bit late in our shooting, and we needed to establish [a presence] in the paint.”

On UMHB’s 14-6 run to close the game, key three-pointers from Kenna Gibson and Jaycie Brisco both came on the same sort of action, with a ball handler dribbling towards the paint, before quickly passing it to, in both cases, the left corner of the three-point arc. Brisco’s three with 4:21 left gave UMHB a 54-45 lead, which was the Cru’s largest of the day at that point. 

“I thought we got away from getting to the rim in the third, but got back to it in the fourth,” Morefield said. “That’s what allowed us to get that lead and then maintain it. We were establishing an inside-outside presence.” 

Rosborough gaining confidence as her sophomore year progresses

Arieona Rosborough had a notable start to the contest, as UMHB’s leading scorer after the opening quarter, with five points. In fact, she was the only Crusader to convert on more than one shot in the first 10 minutes. But it was her performance in the game’s final three minutes that proved most memorable. ‘’

2022 All-American Kaylee Murphy cut the UMHB lead to seven with 2:46 left, but on the very next possession, Rosborough extended the Cru’s lead back to nine, with a mid-range jumper, as she rose above the UCSC defense and swished the shot. 28 seconds later, it was Rosborough again, connecting on a shot from the baseline for UMHB’s first double-digit lead of the afternoon. And in one final “wow” moment, she pulled down a rebound on a missed UCSC layup, and somehow kept possession despite losing her balance. She then dribbled between a pair of defenders, finishing with a well-placed pass to Ashley Faux, who made it 60-47 on a layup. 

“I’ve seen a lot of freshmen who have spectacular first seasons,” Morefield said. “And that next year, everyone knows who you are and the weight of the world is on your shoulders a little bit. She’s kind of had to process that. 

“But I will tell you that between the Piedmont game and today, she’s getting back into that groove of who she is. She’s our leader and she needs to be that dictating force.” 

Up Next

UMHB resumes ASC play on the road at Ozarks and UT-Dallas on Thursday and Saturday of this week. 

UMHB stat leaders

Points: Arieona Rosborough (15), Jaycie Brisco (7), Payton Hicks (7)

Rebounds: Arieona Rosborough (7), Jaycie Brisco (6), YuYu Adeleke (6)

Assists: Lauren Baker (5), Ashley Faux (4), Jaycie Brisco (2)

Team shooting stats: 35.7% FG, 31.3% 3-point, 83.3 FT