Sans stars, Liberty making first state tourney appearance

08:47 AM CST on Thursday, February 23, 2006

By Ethan B. Szatmary / Staff Writer

Meet the no-name Lady Warriors.

There are no Liberty Christian girls who have signed Division I scholarships.

There are no superstars on this team. There aren’t even any seniors.

DRC/Gary Payne

Liberty Christian basketball players Kristin Goodspeed, left, and Lauren Jackson have helped their team advance to their first state basketball tournament.

And yet, here the Liberty Christian girls are making the school’s first trip to the state tournament in basketball — for boys or girls. Liberty (24-10), the No. 13-ranked team in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll takes on No. 18 Victoria St .Joseph (19-16) tonight in the TAPPS 5A state semifinal at 5:15 p.m. at the University of Texas at Tyler’s Patriot Center.

“That’s really cool that we were able to make history for our school,” junior wing Christiana Schwartz said. “I’m just really excited about it. Now, we want to make the big history for sure.”

Unlike No. 1-ranked Fort Worth Christian and No. 4 Westbury Christian that play in the other state semifinal at 7 p.m., Liberty doesn’t have any big-name stars. They have a coach who likes to come up with fun nicknames, instead.

A strict disciplinarian on the court, Renee Roberts likes to keep her team loose off of it. So, she’s come up with cute pseudonyms for every one of the Lady Warriors. Some do not require any explanation — junior guard Lauren Jackson and sophomore post Kristin Goodspeed go by their initials, L.J. and K.G., junior guard Megan Pulley is Meg Pull, and sophomore guard Brittany Bird is just Bird in deference to Larry.

Others require some description. Megan’s twin sister Melissa, who’s the hard-nosed floor leader, goes by “Little G” for Little General, and sophomore guard Madison Middle has a knack for hitting big 3-pointers at key times, earning the moniker, “Tah-dah!” Schwartz is “Na-na” for the end of her first name.

But still other team nicknames don’t have any description at all — they’re private jokes whose explanations are either under lock and key or have just plain been forgotten. So don’t ask why Roberts calls sophomore post Lauren Condra, “Catherine,” holding the first syllable in an elongated yankee drawl or why Ali Horton is called “Stitch.”

“It’s just a fun group of girls to coach,” Roberts said. “We try to keep things fun. At the same time, you can be hard on them, and they’re going to work hard for you.”

The key for the Lady Warriors this season is subjugation of ego. They have finally gone where none of their predecessors have ventured before because they have no stars.

Sure, Goodspeed and Jackson have put up solid numbers, with Goodspeed leading the team with 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and Jackson right behind her with 12 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Jackson has shot 54.1 percent from the field, and Goodspeed has hit 53.1 percent of her shots. Those statistics hardly match double-double machines like Fort Worth Christian’s Rachel Rentschler or Westbury Christian’s Ijeoma Waturuocha.

“The girls know that if they want to be successful, then that’s the kind of attitude they have to have. Do I want to be about myself or do I want to have a successful season?” Roberts said. “They all want a successful season. All of these girls are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for the team.”

At 6-0, Goodspeed gives Liberty a presence down low, and Jackson provides a slasher to attack the basket and knock down mid-range jumpers. They form the nucleus that holds the team together.

“They lead with what they do,” Megan Pulley said of Jackson and Goodspeed. “They’re just really strong people. They keep going even if they’re having tough times. They’re always there for us and definitely lead us.

Nobody else on the team averages more than Megan Pulley’s 7.3 points per game, but the Lady Warriors shoot extremely well from the 3-point line as a team - 43.5 percent — and somebody always steps up to hit the big shots and take the pressure off Goodspeed and Jackson. Bird has hit 16-of-29 treys for 55.2 percent, Megan Pulley has nailed 15-of-32 for 46.9 percent, and Middle lives up to her nickname by knocking down 44-of-96 from downtown for 45.8 percent.

“This team doesn’t care who does what,” Roberts said. “One game, one girl is the high scorer, and then the next game, it’s somebody else and somebody else is the high rebounder. It doesn’t matter who does the job, but somebody always steps up to do it. Looking at the stats, you see that. To me that’s the ultimate goal as a team — a team where no stats matter but the Ws.”

The Lady Warriors are the classic example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

“Everybody is strong at her own thing. That’s why we’re a good team,” Jackson said. “Everybody knows their role and plays together and it all works out.”

At least it’s all worked out so far. Now, the Lady Warriors have their toughest test of the year — the state tournament.

By the luck of the draw, Liberty faces St. Joseph, while the two top-rated teams bang heads together in the first round. That doesn’t guarantee the Lady Warriors a trip to Saturday’s state final at 5:15 p.m., but it’s a good start.

“As I told the girls, any team that makes it to the state tournament is going to be a good team,” Roberts said. “We definitely have to bring our ‘A’ game, but it’s a game that is definitely a winnable game for us.”

Should they make the finals, then the Lady Warriors will have to beat Fort Worth Christian for the first time since 2000 to win their first state championship or take down a Westbury team that has proven to be the Lady Cardinals’ better.

The Liberty girls relish that opportunity to make some more school history and shock the world… or at least the world of TAPPS girls basketball.

“I think it would be really neat to come out of left field and prove everybody wrong,” Schwartz said. “ Like, ‘Woah, where did that come from?’ It would be awesome. That would be like the neatest thing in the whole world.”

ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869. His e-mail address is eszatmary@dentonrc.com .

As a team, Liberty Christian is shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range on the season. Five different Lady Warriors have taken 20 or more treys on the season and hit 33 percent or better.

Player               3PTM-A 3-PT%

Brittany Bird       16-29      55.2

Megan Pulley      15-32      46.9

Madison Middle 44-96      45.8

Melissa Pulley     8-20        40.0

Lauren Jackson  8-24        33.3

Herrington Patriot Center, University of Texas-Tyler, Tyler

No. 13 Liberty Christian vs. No. 18 Victoria St. Joseph, 5:15 p.m., today

No. 1 Fort Worth Christian vs. No. 4 Houston Westbury Christian, 7 p.m., today

Championship game, 5:15 p.m., Saturday

Liberty Christian Lady Warriors (24-10)

Coach: Renee Roberts

District: TAPPS 1-5A

The road to Tyler: d. Houston Second Baptist, 48-27, d. Dallas First Baptist, 53-39.

Probable starters: G Melissa Pulley (5-7, Jr.), G Brittany Bird (5-6, So.), G/F Lauren Jackson (5-10, Jr.), F Christiana Schwartz (5-10, Jr.), P Kristin Goodspeed (6-0, So.).

Outlook: The Lady Warriors are making their first trip to the state basketball tournament in the school’s history – boys or girls. … If Liberty gets past Victoria St. Joseph it could face Fort Worth Christian in the state championship on Saturday. That’s hard luck for Liberty since it has not beaten the Lady Cardinals since 2000 — that’s 11-straight losses to the Lady Warriors’ district rivals. … With five players at 5-10 or bigger, Liberty will enjoy a big size advantage over St. Joseph. … Kristin Goodspeed, a 6-0 sophomore post who transferred to Liberty from Fort Worth Christian, leads the Lady Warriors with 12.2 point per game, but 5-10 junior guard Lauren Jackson is right behind her providing a strong second scoring option with 12 points per game. The pair is also Liberty’s best rebounding tandem with Goodspeed pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game and Jackson 4.1. … As a team, Liberty is shooting 43.5 percent from the 3-point line on the season with guards Brittany Bird (55.2), Megan Pulley (46.9) and Madison Middle (45.8) all putting up stellar percentages.

Roster

No.                    Name Ht.      Pos.     Cl.

5  Madi Castanvela  5-6           G         Fr.

10                      Ali Horton      5-10     F          So.

14                      Brittany Bird   5-6       G         So.

15                      Meagan Cousins         5-8       G         Fr.

20                      Madison Middle         5-8       G         So.

22                      Christiana Schwartz    5-10     G         Jr.

24                      Lauren Jackson          5-10     G/F      Jr.

25                      Melissa Pulley 5-7       G         Jr.

30                      Kristin Goodspeed     6-0       P          So.

31                      Megan Pulley  5-7       G         Jr.

32                      Lauren Condra           6-0       P          So.

Fort Worth Christian Lady Cardinals (30-7)

Coach: John Anderson

District: TAPPS 1-5A

The road to Tyler: d. Tyler Grace Community, 74-45; d. Dallas Christian, 60-17.

Probable starters: P Rachel Rentschler (6-1, Jr.), F/P Dita Leipkalne 6-0, Sr.), G Kat Kundemueller (5-5, Sr.), G Heather Wright (5-6, Sr.), G Carleigh Schmertz (5-9, Sr.).

Outlook: The Lady Cardinals have won the last two state championships and three of the last four, and they come into the state tournament once again ranked No. 1 among large private schools by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll. The Lady Cardinals are still very much the team to beat. … Junior post Rachel Rentschler has already become the school’s all-time leading scorer and committed to play for the University of Texas in 2007-08. … Senior forward Dita Leipkalne, a native of Latvia, has also signed a national letter of intent to play for the University of Hawaii next season. … The Lady Cardinals are stacked with talent that will play at the next level. Guard Kat Kundemueller also has committed to play for Abilene Christian University. … Westbury will attack the Lady Cardinals with an up tempo game. Can Fort Worth match the Lady Wildcats’ athleticism?

Roster

No.                     Name            Pos.Ht.            Cl.

3   Carleigh Schmertz    G/F      5-9       Sr.

11 Keshia Ferreira    G  5-5      So.

12 Amanda Goodall F/P           5-11     So.

13 Kat Kundemueller    G         5-5       Sr.

21 Kelsea Lyda   G/F    5-9      Sr.

22 Codi Clark     G   5-6           Jr.

23 Kristen Smith F/P     5-9      Sr.

25 Heather Wright    G  5-6      Sr.

30 Kristina Robinson     G/F      5-8       Jr.

32 Dita Leipkalne     F/P           6-0       Sr.

44 Rachel Rentschler     P         6-1       Jr.

Victoria St. Joseph Lady Flyers (19-16)

Coach: Carrie Meyers

District: TAPPS 3-5A

The road to Tyler: d. Sugar Land Fort Bend Baptist; d. Laredo St. Augustine, 43-47.

Probable starters: G Katie Machicek (5-6, Jr.), G Chelsea Wenske (5-8, Jr.), F Leah Nitschmann (5-9, Sr.), F Lauren Vansickle (5-9, So.), P Simone Hesson (5-11, Sr.).

Outlook: St. Joseph has been around almost as long as Texas. The school dates back to 1868. … Young and inexperienced with only one returning starters, the Lady Flyers are happy to take the underdog role in the state tournament. “Oh yes, we’re an underdog, they know that,” head coach Carries Meyers said of her team. “This is a great learning experience, but we’re not ready to say we’re going to lose either.” … The Lady Flyers are a fairly small team, with only 5-11 post Simone Hesson, who averages 10 rebounds per game, providing in size. … Sophomore forward Lauren Vansickle is St. Joseph’s only double-digit scorer, averaging 11 points. … St. Joseph likes to push the ball with a fast pace, but Meyers indicated she wasn’t sure how well that would work against the Lady Warriors.

Roster

No.                     Name           Pos.     Ht.       Cl.

10 Katie Machicek   G  5-6     Jr.

11 Nadya Garcia G  n/a           So.

12 Chelsea Wenske  G  5-8     Jr.

15 Lauren Vansickle F   5-9     So.

20 Miranda Montes  F/P          n/a        Jr.

21 Leah Nitschmann F   5-9     Sr.

23 Jessica Santellana F/P          n/a        So.

24 Caitlin Sullivan G  n/a           Jr.

31 Laura Nitschmann     F         n/a        So.

32 Cassandra Schinlder G/F     n/a        So.

34 Simone Hesson    P   5-11   Sr.

50 Whitney Motley   G  n/a      Sr.

Westbury Christian Lady Wildcats (31-7)

Coach: Russell Carr

District: TAPPS 4-5A

The road to Tyler: d. Houston Northland, 72-27; d. El Paso Lydia Patterson, 58-47.

Probable starters: G Ijeoma Waturuocha (5-8, Jr), G Christina Ray (5-8, Sr.), F Courtney Epps (5-9, Jr.), F Blair Robertson (5-8, Sr.), G Tara Rodgers (5-3, Jr.).

Outlook: Westbury Christian is trying to avoid the fate it suffered in both 2005 and 2003 — losing in the state semifinals to Fort Worth Christian. The Lady Cardinals nipped the Lady Wildcats both years, winning 50-47 in 2003 and then needing overtime to get by Westbury, 59-55. … Ranked No. 4 in the state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, the Lady Wildcats represent the biggest roadblock to the Lady Cardinals repeating as state champions. … The Lady Wildcats have recovered from the loss of returning starter Jasmine Batiste, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the fifth game of the year. Junior forward Leah Holder and junior guard Tara Rodgers have helped fill the void. … Guard Christina Ray is Westbury’s best shooter, averaging 11 points per game, but head coach Russell Carr said that it’s junior forward Ijeoma Waturuocha who makes the team go with her hustle. She’s averaging 13 points and nine rebounds per game.

Roster

No.                     Name           Pos.     Ht.       Cl.

10 Betsey Wilking     P/F           5-10     So.

11 Christina Ray   G  5-8           Sr.

12 Sonja Vuong   G  5-2           Fr.

14 Deja Washington  G  5-3      Jr.

15 Leah Holder    F   5-7           Jr.

20 Tara Rodgers  G  5-3           Jr.

22 Ijeoma Waturuocha   F         5-8       Jr.

23 Athena Armylagos     G        5-3       So.

24 Antonia Spence    G  5-3      Jr.

32 Jakevya Mitchell  G  5-3      Fr.

33 Blair Robertson    F   5-8      Sr.

34 Bernadette Lockhart F         5-4       Sr.

42 Courtney Epps     F   5-9      Jr.

44 Brittany Hubbard F   5-10    Sr.