On Saturday the Fairfield men’s and women’s basketball teams took the court for their annual Red-White intra-squad scrimmage at Alumni Hall.
The women played first and appeared slightly sluggish out of the gate with multiple turnovers and missed shots. Though they had trouble establishing a rhythm, there were some sparks of play to tantalize the crowd with the team’s potential.
Junior guard Meka Werts provided much of the action, scoring a game-high nine points along with four rebounds. She also came up big on defense with a steal, which she took back down the court for two points.
Such successful plays helped lead the red team to a 25-20 victory over the white team.
Despite the sometimes sloppy play, Head Coach Diane Nolan was confident in her team, noting that turnovers are not fixed in one day and that working every day in practice should fix the problem.
“By November 11, we’ll have it cleaned up a lot,” she said of the women’s opening game against Richmond.
With her top four scorers returning, Nolan said the team will improve as players find their shots in a more up-tempo attack.
Freshman center/forward Tara Flaherty, who brought down three rebounds in the scrimmage, had a bright outlook on this season, claiming that the team would “pounce on everyone.”
After the women showed off their skills, the men emerged and put on a high-flying drill show.
The crowd went wild every time a player rose up and slammed the ball down. The cheers did not end with the warm-ups, either. The game was full of quick cuts and drives into the lane, ending in the white team’s favor with a 25-18 win.
Senior guard Danny Oglesby scored a game-high seven points, overshadowing some equally impressive performances by freshmen Greg Nero and Rich Flemming, who both had six points.
Herbie Allen, the 5-foot-11-inch sophomore guard, said the team will be fast tempo with a lot of dunks, and he hopes to throw down a few dunks himself.
However, he admitted that the team, himself included, looked sloppy on defense and had too many turnovers.
Head Coach Ed Cooley agreed, saying “we have a long way to go.”
Cooley stressed the need to produce stops defensively and that fundamentals are the keys to success.
Top returning scorer and guard Michael Van Schaick ’07 agreed but thought the team played well considering it was their first time together.
Cooley also felt that the team’s tough early schedule would provide another opportunity to improve.
“We’re looking to get better every game,” he said, also noting that the team’s record might not reflect its growth because of the team’s challenging schedule.
Though both teams’ opening practices were shaky, both coaches hope to have them running on all cylinders in time for the opening tip of the season.
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