From the Bench: Gorloks gain strength in numbers
By: Jonathan Webb
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Sports
Less has been more for Webster University's women's basketball team this year.
While the Gorloks find themselves atop the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 8-2, they have managed to do it without a go-to scorer.
Through ten games, the team's leading scorer is Katy Meyer, averaging 9.8 points per game. It's a stark contrast from last year, when they had six different players average double figures in scoring.
The Gorloks are not, however, devoid of offensive production. WU is second in the SLIAC in scoring, averaging 68.1 points per game against conference opponents.
The reason for this is WU's drastic improvement in its depth. While coach Jordan Olufson made many attempts at this last year, there was a notable difference when two or three prominent players were not on the floor.
WU certainly has its key players. With Meyer out while nursing a back injury, the Gorloks dropped a road game to Blackburn College in overtime. But when she is on the floor, it isn't as if the offense is toothless without her on the floor.
By spreading the wealth offensively, the Gorloks keep their entire bench fresh, able to cycle new bodies in every few minutes.
Freshman point guard Maggie Zehner leads WU with just 27.6 minutes per game. It is nearly impossible for this team to get fatigued, with Olufson sending in substitutions in waves, as if he's a hockey coach making line changes.
While this strategy may limit the impact a single player can make on a game, the wisdom of the approach became evident in the Gorloks' last win, a 72-64 victory over St. Mary of the Woods College.
Guard Brittney Shaner exposed the Gorloks for a whopping 34 points, easily the game's high-water total. But that was about all St. Mary of the Woods had to offer, with the rest of the team combining for the other 30 points.
With the team's entire offense run through a single player, WU's defense was able to expose the many weaknesses available.
Rarely will you see a defense try to double-team a Gorlok. WU has five players who are a threat to shoot from the perimeter, and four others who are a steady threat in the post.
They're a starless team, reliant on a multitude of scorers instead of a single dominant threat.
There's a chance that WU's constant rotation could hurt individuals when all-conference voting takes place. However, I'm sure no one wearing blue and gold will mind if WU's full-team attack yields a conference title in place of individual accolades.
The philosophy is less beneficial for an individual, but could prove to invaluable for the Gorloks.
While the Gorloks find themselves atop the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 8-2, they have managed to do it without a go-to scorer.
Through ten games, the team's leading scorer is Katy Meyer, averaging 9.8 points per game. It's a stark contrast from last year, when they had six different players average double figures in scoring.
The Gorloks are not, however, devoid of offensive production. WU is second in the SLIAC in scoring, averaging 68.1 points per game against conference opponents.
The reason for this is WU's drastic improvement in its depth. While coach Jordan Olufson made many attempts at this last year, there was a notable difference when two or three prominent players were not on the floor.
WU certainly has its key players. With Meyer out while nursing a back injury, the Gorloks dropped a road game to Blackburn College in overtime. But when she is on the floor, it isn't as if the offense is toothless without her on the floor.
By spreading the wealth offensively, the Gorloks keep their entire bench fresh, able to cycle new bodies in every few minutes.
Freshman point guard Maggie Zehner leads WU with just 27.6 minutes per game. It is nearly impossible for this team to get fatigued, with Olufson sending in substitutions in waves, as if he's a hockey coach making line changes.
While this strategy may limit the impact a single player can make on a game, the wisdom of the approach became evident in the Gorloks' last win, a 72-64 victory over St. Mary of the Woods College.
Guard Brittney Shaner exposed the Gorloks for a whopping 34 points, easily the game's high-water total. But that was about all St. Mary of the Woods had to offer, with the rest of the team combining for the other 30 points.
With the team's entire offense run through a single player, WU's defense was able to expose the many weaknesses available.
Rarely will you see a defense try to double-team a Gorlok. WU has five players who are a threat to shoot from the perimeter, and four others who are a steady threat in the post.
They're a starless team, reliant on a multitude of scorers instead of a single dominant threat.
There's a chance that WU's constant rotation could hurt individuals when all-conference voting takes place. However, I'm sure no one wearing blue and gold will mind if WU's full-team attack yields a conference title in place of individual accolades.
The philosophy is less beneficial for an individual, but could prove to invaluable for the Gorloks.
Be the first to comment on this story