Lady Flames basketball tips off their new season
Haley Schubert dribbles down the court during the Lady Flames exhibition debut against Faulkner University.
In their first exhibition game of the season, the Lady Flames basketball team took on Faulkner University in front of a packed house at Walker Arena.
Students, faculty and alumni filled the stadium on Homecoming weekend and ultimately gave Coach Marty Rowe’s team a major advantage.
Lindsey Roddy, who opened her junior campaign with 15 points and four assists, said she loved playing in front of the Lee faithful and looks forward to many more matches in front of the home crowd.
“We really appreciate the environment we get to play in and love when the fans are into the game,” Roddy said. “It helps us when we can feed off each other with energy.”
The beginning of the contest was not a particularly fast start for the Lady Flames, as they led by just five points going into the second quarter. Tough play from Faulkner’s Ashlyn Adkins kept them alive for a small time period, but the Eagles could not keep up with the pace and depth of the Lady Flames roster.
As the game progressed, Coach Rowe’s team found their stride. Early free throw conversions distanced the Lady Flames from an exhibition upset. It wasn’t a perfect game from the home team, but their play got the job done.
“We had some up and down moments with our defense throughout the game, so I think trying to focus on how we needed to defend for 40 minutes is something we tried to keep improving on,” Roddy said.
The Lady Flames only allowed Faulkner to score four points in the second period. They were able to put on an offensive clinic during this quarter and scored 24 points. Rowe’s Lady Flames were able to keep roughly a 30-point cushion throughout the remainder of the contest.
“We really just relaxed and got into a better flow both on both ends of the court,” Rowe said. “Defensively, we were good for the most part. We’ve got to continue to use our athletic ability and depth as factors.”
A streak of three-pointers from Faulkner’s talented shooters kept the game interesting, but it was not enough to overcome the Lady Flames on Lee’s Centennial weekend. It was clear that the Flames knew and studied their opponents beforehand based on their game play.
“Our coaches always do a really good job scouting our opponents to know what we need to work on in practice the days before the game, so we watched film and went over a few of their plays,” Roddy said.
The Lady Flames cruised over Faulkner University and are now preparing for their next exhibition matchup against the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. The game is anticipated to be a much bigger challenge for Rowe’s team, as the Mocs are a Division I program.
After a promising first game, it's evident that the Lady Flames are going to be a team to look out for as the regular season is just a few days away.
