UAlbany Women's Basketball Opens Up With #9 California

The University at Albany women’s basketball team may still lack a few things, but confidence isn’t one of them.

After losing three of the team’s top five scorers from last season, the Great Danes remain confident they can improve on their fourth-place America East Conference finish.

“I expect a lot from us this year, especially in the conference,” sophomore guard Janea Aiken said. “I believe we should take the conference. I’m very confident in that.”

“Conference teams should definitely be worried,” junior guard Britney McGee added. “I think they’re underestimating us and they don’t know what they’re in for.”

Predicted to finished fourth in the preseason poll, UAlbany finished with a program-record 10 conference wins last year, but it was what they learned from a 1-11 start that they were able to build upon.

“They don’t want that to happen again,” UAlbany coach Trina Patterson said. “They don’t want to make the mistakes that happened last year early and they’re on board about doing the right things.”

Five of the 11 losses were by four points or less.

“We should have a quicker start than last year,” said McGee, who averaged 9.1 points per game last season.

One reason why the Great Danes are optimistic about a quick start is that they took a trip to Costa Rica in late August and every player, including the five freshmen, progressed significantly.

“We are so much further along now than we were at this time last year,” said Patterson, who was named the 2007-08 America East Conference Coach of the Year. “I think that’s the big difference.”

While Patterson thinks her guards could be the best in the conference, the freshmen bring height and size inside to the table.

Three freshmen — Delaney Cohen, Tabitha Makopondo and Shelby Coon — are all listed at 6-foot-1, while fellow frosh Katie Cronin is 5-10.

While there are only two seniors, Amria Ford and Tiffanie Johnson, Patterson believes it is the most talented team in her seven seasons at UAlbany.

“We’re not going to use youth as an excuse,” Patterson said. “They’re going to play older than they are and we expect that from them.”

UAlbany will be tested right out of the gate, as they start with No. 9 California today at 4 p.m., before taking on Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorite Marist (Nov. 16).

After a tough non-conference schedule last season, the Great Danes went 9-4 in their final 13 games, including the program’s first victory in the America East Tournament.

“We changed a lot of people’s minds,” Aiken said. “Now, we have to do that much better because (other teams) know it’s going to be a good game.”

Patterson says her club will play in “attack mode” this season, putting pressure on the ball, pressure on the opponents and attacking the basket.

The key will be for the Great Danes to carry over the momentum they created last season and quickly find their roles.

“We have a lot of players that are going to pick up that slack,” McGee said. “Last year was just the start of what we’re really about to do.”

By ANDREW SANTILLO