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Thursday, January 25, 2001
Sports
Page 7
THE BATTALION
mm
Contributions of four freshmen help
Texas A&M women’s basketball team
By Brian Ruff .
The Battalion
W hen the 2000-01 season
started for the Texas A&M
women’s basketball team,
questions arose about its lack of
depth on the young team that has
only five juniors and seniors.
Now however, newcomers Toc-
cara Williams, Janae Derrick, Alaina
Johnson and Chereny Woodard are
making a bigger impact than expect
ed at the beginning of the season.
Williams has started at the guard
position all 17 games this season
and made a lasting impression on
the other Aggie players and coach
es in her first exhibition game at
Reed Arena.
“I wasn’t as nervous as everyone
thought 1 was at my first game,”
Williams said.
• The 5-foot-9 Hollywood, Fla.
native showed no sign of jitters and
dished out 17 assists during the pre
season game, which would have
broken a Reed Arena record had the
game been official.
Just more than a month later,
Williams tallied 14 assists against
Pepperdine and nipped the 1999
Reed Arena assist record of 13, held
by Tina Jones.
“That is phenomenal that a play
er can come in as a freshman and be
chasing records,” said A&M
women’s basketball coach Peggie
Gillom. “It is great for her, and great
for the team.”
Williams has tallied a total of
122 assists this season and is on the
verge of breaking another Aggie
record.
A&M women’s basketball’s lone
All-American, Lisa Branch, cur
rently holds the record for assists as
a freshman with 149. If Williams
continues at her current pace, the
upstart freshman will record almost
200 assists on the season, smashing
the previous record.
“I hope 1 break the records, be
cause If I do, I know I will be help
ing the team,” Williams said.
Derrick also has been valuable to
the A&M squad. The 5-11 forward
continues to make an impact as one
S FRESHMEN
TOCCARA JANAE
[WILLIAMS^ DERRICK,
7.9 RTS 3.7
/ PER GAME REBOUNDS
; 0 PER GAME
7.2 ASSISTS
pfr riAMF BLOCKS ON
PER GAME THE SEASON
4.8 REBOUNDS (THIRD ON
perIgSSme J§ A Mk
«£»
ALAINA CHERENY
JOHNSON JKwOODARdI
/ 42
REBOUNDS
THIS SEASON
21
OFFENSIVE
REBOUNDS
(IilEBj©N
"TEAM#
5 ASSISTS
IN ONLY 25
MINUTES
THIS SEASON
WILL SEE
MORE
ACT(lO(§i$VITH
IMJRIES
RUBEN DELUNA/The Battalion
of the team’s best defensive re
bounders and denies many oppo
nents’ shots. The Trotwood, Ohio,
native is among the leaders on the
team in blocks.
Derrick got her first start in an
Aggie uniform against Nebraska,
when she took over the power for
ward position after junior forward
Latoya Rose went out with an ankle
injury.
The freshman did not buckle to
the pressure of starting in her first
collegiate basketball game. Derrick
hit the winning shot against the
Buskers to give the Aggie a two-
point win, 67-65.
“I was a little nervous at the start
of the game, but as the game got go-'
ing, I got more comfortable,” Der
rick said. “When I hit the winning
shot, it was like the perfect ending.”
Johnson is another player getting
more playing time this season.
The 6-foot-1 forward has been a
force underneath the basket as of
late, tallying 13 rebounds off the
bench in only six conference games
this season.
“Both of the coaches are work
ing real hard to make me a better
player, and I want to be productive
off the bench and make it to the
NCAAs,” Johnson said.
In A&M’s 87-81 upset victory
over Baylor Saturday, Johnson
made two free throws and played
strong defense during the Aggies’
biggest scoring run of the game.
The run put the Bears on their heels
before the halftime buzzer.
“Janae and Alaina have made a
big impact for us this season,” said
Gillom. All four players said that
Gillom has been a major part of
See Freshmen on Page 9.
The Tradition
AT NoRTHGATE.
As close to class as a dorm can be.
The Tradition at Nortligate is campus
living at its best. Located one block
from the A&M campus in historic
Northgate near restaurants, banks,
churches and shops, The Tradition
is close to everything a
college student could
possibly need.
With amenities to facilitate studying,
relaxing and having fun, The Tradition
provides a comfortable enviromnent that
encourages students to make the most of
their college experience.
A T
radition
NORTHGATE
A donn with a difference.
301 Church Ave., College Station, Texas 77840
979-268-9000 Toll Free: 866-268-DORM www.traditiondorm.com
(Clockwise from top left) Freshmen Alaina Johnson,
Janae Derrick, Toccara Williams, and Chereny
CHAD ADAMS/Thk Battalion
Woodard are providing fans with a good look at the
future of Texas A&M women's basketball.
313 S. COLLEGE
846-3343
"College
Iskpc
Thursday
Everyone FREE
18 & up TH10 • 21 & up‘til 11
$ 1.00 Drinks
$ 1.00 Longnecks
Friday
Roger Creager Live
Doors open @ 8:00
Available for private parties