[Chris Lang]

Just in case you missed it, since our web site wasn't updated until after 10 a.m. today (and a notebook I wrote in LU still hasn't been posted):

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports

LU women adjusting to Frazee's absence


By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
January 25, 2006



Carey Green should have been despondent. It was late Friday afternoon at the Vines Center, and as his Liberty women's basketball team wrapped up practice, one notable player wasn't on the floor.
Megan Frazee, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, was in the training room, her left leg wrapped in an Ace bandage. Her season was done thanks to a torn ACL.

If you could hear the sound of eyebrows raising, you would have heard it from High Point, N.C., to Rock Hill, S.C.

So the ol' Flames are vulnerable, huh?

Certainly, that's one way to look at Frazee's injury. Then again, Liberty's players are hoping that's exactly what happens.

"A lot of teams expected us not to be that good because of the senior class we lost last year," LU forward Karolina Piotrkiewicz said. "People now think it's going to be worse for us. Not only do we not have our seniors, we lost our leading scorer and rebounder.

"People are going to look down at us. But we're still going to be there."

Back to Green. If he was downcast after hearing the news Friday, he didn't show it.

His face was all intrigue, his eyes lit up with the possibilities. He looked like a child who just opened a new toy and didn't know quite what to do with it.

Sure, losing the most versatile player on his team hurt badly. That showed in the eight-plus minutes Saturday against Winthrop when Liberty failed to score and generally looked lost on the floor.

Frazee's injury allowed Green to think out loud. Which player his team is most ready to take on an increased responsibility or be a go-to player when the Flames are in desperate need of a basket?

He wouldn't put the pressure on one player and noted that Frazee's nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds a game would be recouped by committee, not by an individual.

But several players have an opportunity to grab some of the scoring load.

Piotrkiewicz. Her biggest problem this season has been finishing the easy layups, but she showed some improvement against Winthrop, hitting 6 of 11 field goals and finishing with career highs in points (15) and rebounds (16).

At 6-3, Piotrkiewicz has enough size to present matchup problems for most Big South centers, but she's quick enough to score in creative ways. The Winthrop game was only the fourth this season in which she's attempted 10 or more field goals. With Frazee out, look for that number to continue to increase.

Forward Moriah Frazee. The other starting triplet, Moriah has struggled with her shooting, hitting just 38.5 percent of her looks. Moriah has three nine-rebound games to her credit and will likely get a chance to chase down some of the rebounds that would have gone to her sister.

Guard Rachel Hammond. Here's the wild card. Hammond, a freshman guard, has only played more than 10 minutes twice in the last seven games.

But when she gets into the game, she adds something intangible.

"She's definitely a dynamic player," LU point guard Allyson Fasnacht said. "What we need from her is energy points."

Hammond's best showing was against Charleston Southern when she showed off the total package of her skills. She went 4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

She also had three steals and two assists. In short, she's a guard who can penetrate and dish, one who can create her own shot and be disruptive on the defensive end.

"Rachel Hammond can score some points," Green said. "KP, one-on-one on the block is pretty good without people doubling down, that she can get a good shot off. Leaving Molly (Frazee) wide-open on a three is pretty good situation. Leaving Courtney (Watkins) open for an outside is good.

"It's a little tough to answer that question (who can be a go-to scorer?). It's a bit complex."

If the coach is that perplexed about it, imagine how opponents might feel.

"It's going to make it a lot harder to guard us," Piotrkiewicz said. "Until now, the scouting report was make sure you lock down Megan. It'll be harder to scout us now."

[Sly Fox]

Cool ... thanks for posting. I was looking for the story and hadn't seen anything.