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Lions Basketball Teams Still Have Some Work To Do

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By MATTHEW POSTINS Tribune correspondent

Published: January 11, 2008

TAMPA - Two games into their Sunshine State Conference schedules, both Saint Leo basketball coaches have a clear understanding of what their teams need.

Women's coach Chanita Olds' Lions need rebounding. Men's coach Mike Madagan's team needs consistency and maturity.

The Saint Leo women lost to the University of Tampa, 69-53, on Wednesday, but the Lions (7-6, 0-2 SSC) were outscored by only three points in the second half.

In the first half, the Lions fell behind by 13 as the Spartans hit them with a barrage of 3-pointers and kept them off the boards.

The Lions can shoot. It is the rebounding that is troubling to Olds. The Spartans outrebounded the Lions 33-25.

The trend since conference play began is stark. Against non-league foes, the Lions were outrebounded by less than one. In their first two league games, opponents are averaging 44 rebounds to the Lions' 31.

"We have to work on a couple of things to rebound the basketball better," Olds said. "That's our biggest issue right now. We gave up 12 offensive boards, they had 14 second-chance points and we lost by 16 points."

Olds thinks she has the talent inside to compete with teams such as Tampa, but she said rebounding comes down to more than size or talent.

"Rebounding has nothing to do with height," Olds said. "Rebounding is about desire. It's that simple."

Things get no easier as the Lions face Lynn (12-2, 3-0 SSC) on Saturday.

The men, coming off an overtime loss to No. 4 Rollins, fell to Tampa, 77-67. This time maturity was a key factor in the loss.

Sophomore forward Jordan Prais was called for a technical foul with 6:14 left in the contest. The Lions were down 58-51 at the time, and the foul appeared to disrupt the team's momentum in the final minutes.

The Lions were never closer than five points after the foul.

Madagan wasn't pleased after the game, lighting into his players in the locker room. His words could be heard throughout the bowels of the Bob Martinez Sports Complex.

"You don't get technicals like we did at the end of this game and the last game by two sophomores," Madagan said. "We've talked about it. We're addressing it. The guys will learn and grow. This is not a game in which you want young guys earning your living for you."

The Lions (6-6, 0-2) didn't just struggle with maturity. They struggled to keep UT's Jeremy Black off the boards (16 rebounds), and with their own shooting touch, though that improved in the second half. But the Lions were at the mercy of their own scoring runs and droughts.

"Tonight, it was very disjointed," Madagan said. "It wasn't anything that the defense for UT did to us. I think it was us. They played well and won. But I think our ineptness was more on us."

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