The Playbook: Year 3 

An occasional series about University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cathy Inglese and her quest to turn around a program.

By Laura Pappano

The URI Women’s Basketball team opens the season Friday at the University of Delaware and enters Year Three of the Inglese Era squarely in rebuilding mode.

“We will live and die with a young team,” Head Coach Cathy Inglese said last week from her office in the Ryan Center. With last year’s seniors gone – including scoring powerhouse Captain Megan Shoniker – and senior talent Lara Gaspar out for the season with a torn ACL, five freshmen recruits, says Inglese, “will play a lot.”

(The five freshmen are: Rhode Island native Corinne Coia a 6-4 forward; guard Teneka Whittaker; guard Megan Straumann; guard Sydney Lewis; and guard Marie Byrnes.)

Injuries are a challenge in every sport and for every team (last year recruit Emilie Cloutier was out) and, some suggest, are becoming an epidemic in college sports as more players start younger and play year round. (Article here). Despite a spate of pre-season injuries — ankles, a concussion, strains — Inglese says this year’s recruits bring real potential.

“This is the best class of players we have brought in at URI,” says Inglese. Building a program, in other words, is just that — building. You don’t go from attracting fair recruits to luring superstars overnight, says Inglese. “Each year I try to bring in a class that is better.”

Young means certain things. For example, says Inglese, don’t expect lots of mid-game adjustments; the goal is to scout well and set a strong game plan in advance. In games and practice, she says, you emphasize basics – and repetition. During games, players will look to the sidelines — not, say, a senior leader on the court — for guidance.

“We as a staff can’t assume anything,” says Inglese.  “We have to be the ones directing them and reinforcing on a continual basis. We need to make sure we are communicating what our expectations are.”

In practices, assistant coach Stephanie Tobey is pressing for consistency in effort and skills. She wants them to “understand what it means to come everyday and bring a complete a focus and be in the zone.” And there are constant reminders of a basic directive: “Chin the ball” to keep it from opponents.

Who will be a scoring machine? Unclear. Who will emerge as a key player? Wait and see.

That’s part of the fun.

What is apparent is that these kids are eager. They have a strong work ethic and are pushing the whole team. “My assistants are out there everyday with kids who want to come to practice early or come in between classes. That never happened my first year or so,” says Inglese, adding that more players are also asking to watch extra film.

So what will the season look like?

“We are going to be a work in progress,” says Inglese. “That will be frustrating, and at times, exciting.”

URI staff members Chris Passmore, Cathy Inglese, Cindy Blodgett, Stephanie Tobey, Nerlande Nicholas.

By Katie Culver

I was so excited about my son’s first soccer season, that I volunteered my husband and I to share responsibilities as the team’s coaches. The complicating matter: I was 40 weeks pregnant.

My third child was born two weeks later, which meant that – along with rainouts – much of the season was a bust for me. Yes, I cheered from the sidelines, but it was frankly tough to watch my husband coach. As a former coach in high school and college, I was dying to get in there!

Being forced to watch from the sideline, however, reminded me what a powerful role coaches play – and made clear that we need more moms stepping up. Sure, I had to sit out the season, but the sidelines provided an alarming view.  It occurred to me that our children’s recreational sports reinforce gender inequity. Why?

1) The boys (plus sisters and parents watching) missed out on the valuable example of a woman coach—a competent woman at that—demonstrating leadership and skill in an area typically dominated by DADS.

2) I—completely willing and more than able—missed the opportunity to be involved in my son’s sport because I was fulfilling the stereotypical role of care-taker to the children on the sidelines. Now I know this makes sense—I had just given birth and was nursing my very fussy baby most of the time. However, with every single team we played being coached by a Dad (many of whom never played soccer!) it was clear that I had entered territory where women were not welcome. I was determined to change this.

The next spring, I again volunteered my husband and I as “co-head coaches.” I would bring a blanket and snacks for my three-year-old and strap baby TJ onto my chest in a baby carrier (yes, to coach in the sweltering heat!).

As a woman, particularly one wearing a baby and toting a toddler, I was an anomaly on the field. But my presence sent an important message to boys on the team, to my daughter, and to the spectators: Moms belong here!

It may stretch your comfort zone, but consider this a formal Mother’s Day invitation to get involved in sports with your kids — not on the sidelines, but on the field:

·         Don’t just bring snacks, volunteer to coach! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Why are Dads more inclined to coach a sport they never played? Does being a sports fan qualify them to be a coach? Well, yes, they believe so. Own that attitude. Plus just consider that coaching a team is pretty basic compared with the juggling and on-the-run problem-solving and strategizing that is part of your life. And coaching is FUN!!

·         Practice with your kids! Take them to a field to play soccer or lacrosse or to just run around. They will learn so much from you and respect you for making the effort to play sports (or just be silly!) with them. Both boys and girls need to see their moms engage in athletics to challenge the norms we associate with sports.

·         Get other moms involved. Take a leadership role in the local recreation league so you can help recruit moms to coach. Whether it’s setting league policy, organizing try-outs for placement, or planning community-building events, local sports boards need more moms to serve as leaders and organizers. How can we encourage older girls to, say, train to become referees if local leagues look like boys-only clubs?

By Megan Wood and Laura Pappano

Justine Siegal, founder of BaseBall for All, made news this week when she became the first woman to throw batting practice to a major league baseball team at spring training. She threw for the Cleveland Indians on Monday and the Oakland A’s on Wednesday. Siegal, who became the first woman to coach a men’s professional baseball team, the Brockton Rox, in 2009 (see FGN Q&A with Siegal here), wanted to throw at spring training to increase acceptance for girls playing baseball. FGN spoke with Siegal from spring training in Arizona as she headed to watch a Giants vs. Diamonbacks game at Scottsdale Stadium.

FGN: Was it suprising to people that you could throw batting practice for major league teams?

JS: I think it was, based on their reactions. And yet, I wondered, ‘How can you feel like it should be so difficult?’ I mean it is 45 feet [from the mound to the plate]. To some degree, it is not such a big deal. You are just supposed to throw firm strikes. This is not a power issue or a situation where you need to be 6’2. But female athletes have always had to deal with that stigma — that they are weaker [and therefore not able to do 'male' sport activities]. That said, I was treated with much respect and treated as a professional.

FGN: You are a 36-year-old woman who has played baseball. Who usually throws batting practice?

JS: Batting practice is thrown by coaches who are often and usually between the ages of 35 and 60 — the age is not a factor. And it is not a power issue. When you throw batting practice you can’t flinch when they hit back. There is a lot of bravado when you throw. You don’t look to see how far they hit. And remember, it is about throwing strikes — it is not about the pitcher; it is about the hitter.

FGN: One of your goals was to increase the awareness of and acceptance for girls playing baseball. What reaction have you received?

JS: Actually, I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails. I’ve gotten a lot of fan mail and words of encouragement — from men! Some of them have said, ‘You are living my dream. My daughter plays…’ This is not just a story for girls and women. We underestimate men and how they understand what’s going on and the power of the dream [of playing baseball], of going for something.

FGN: You have done a lot to raise the profile of baseball as a sport for girls. Are girls who play still pressured to switch to softball?

JS: There is definitely the pressure to switch. That is without a doubt. I am sure there will always be tension between softball and baseball, but I don’t care. This is about creating equal opportunities [to play either sport].

FGN: You grew up as a Cleveland Indians fan. What was it like walking into the clubhouse and putting on that uniform?

JS: When I walked in and I saw my Indians jersey hanging for me and it was number 15 — the number I asked for  (her daughter’s birthday is Feb.15) — it was so magical. You get tinglies all over your body!

FGN: Would you like to throw batting practice again?

JS: I would love to keep throwing this!

The Playbook: Year 2

An occasional series about the University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Team and Coach Cathy Inglese as she tries to turnaround a losing program.

By Laura Pappano

Megan Shoniker is #10, URI team captain who hit the 1,000-point scoring mark on December 29. Shoniker, a senior with a 3.87 GPA, is majoring in physical education and envisions a career in coaching (after maybe playing in Europe or trying out for the WNBA).

FGN: You are 6-12, and into conference play. How does the team feel about where you are right now?

MS: We are disappointed, but we are not letting it get to our heads. As we look back on the first half of the season, there are woulda-coulda-shoulda’s, but win or lose, Coach wants us to get something out of the game.

FGN: As captain, how do you keep the team upbeat amid some wrenching losses (including a triple OT loss to UNH)?

MS: A-10 is a tough conference and every single night anyone could beat anyone. We want to be one of those teams people are scared to play. I think of myself as having a bubbly personality and I joke around, but try to keep [the team] focused. Sometimes we can lose sight of the fact that this is the game we used to go out into our driveways and shoot hoops and play with our friends and siblings.

FGN: You played here for two years before Coach Inglese arrived. Does it feel different?

MS: Oh yeah. Just our discipline and how we carry ourselves off the court. We walk with our chins up like, “HEY! We are the URI Women’s Basketball team!” Socially, we have grown a lot – our boosters and us being out in the community. On the court, I think we have gotten a lot better, and we’re becoming more of a team. I don’t think we are the perfect “team” yet, but we are getting there.

During the Dartmouth game, it was our fourth OT game in a row, and in the first overtime Sherrie Session went all the way down to the basket and all five of us just went crazy. We got into this huddle and we were just SCREAMING, “We’re WINNING THIS! We’re not going to let this go!!” I get chills thinking about it now. Right in that huddle I knew we weren’t going to lose that game. It’s something I’ll remember my whole career.

FGN: Coach Inglese has a career winning record and that’s her goal here – turning the program around. Does it bother you to graduate before the work is done?

MS: I am jealous of the other girls who have a year or two. We are slowly starting to get what it takes to be a Xavier, a Temple. I know within the next two years she will get it turned around. She is a winner. There is no way Coach Inglese doesn’t get us there.

I’m so lucky to have her my last two years. She’s not only helped me develop into a great player, but she has helped me develop into a leader. She asked me the other day, “Do you want to come help with film work and scouting so you can see behind the scenes?” I want to be like coach. I want to have a lot of wins, successful teams. I want to build strong women for the future. It may sound cliché, but I’ve had all these women help me become the person I am today, if I can do that for some girls – we’ll that’s what I want to be able to do.

FGN:What did you think of UCONN getting 90 consecutive wins and breaking UCLA’s winning streak record from the 1970’s?

MS: That was awesome! I’ve always been a UConn fan. I love Coach Auriemma, Sue Bird. For women’s basketball it was awesome. I wanted it to keep going. All around I think it raised awareness of how great of a game women’s basketball is to watch.

FGN: Did you know that Coach Inglese’s Boston College team beat UConn — at UConn — in the Big East Semifinals in 2004?

MS: Coach never really talks about the wins. That’s what makes her so great. She is never talking about,  “I’ve beaten UConn.” She not very much of boastful person.

An occasional series about the University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Team and Coach Cathy Inglese as she tries to turnaround a losing program.

By Laura Pappano

The game got away.

The Richmond Spiders harassed the Rams, orchestrating a 66-53 victory in URI’s Ryan Center yesterday. It was yet another tough loss for URI’s quest to be an A-10 contender.  They are now 0-3 in conference play and 6-11 overall.

How did it happen? After all, URI led the entire first half and was up by one at the break. More than that, the Rams were winning the battle of the boards. At halftime, URI had recorded 31 rebounds to the Spiders 13 and by the end of the game they had a 42-30 rebound advantage. So they can get their hands on the ball.

So how DID it happen?

Richmond simply capitalized on the fact that while URI is growing – sharper, faster, quicker – they don’t yet play consistent ball. A too-fast, eager push down the court –holding the promise of two – suddenly is racing back the other way, delivered through the opposite hoop by the time anyone has figured out what happened. This is not, after all, the era of old-style women’s basketball, slow it down and set it up. This is fast, up-tempo ball that at times looks perfectly acrobatic, but that requires a level of control that is stunning. URI has it — in flashes and spurts. But not on every play. And not enough yesterday to beat Richmond in the whole game.

The other stats tell that story: Richmond scored 26 of their 66 points off URI turnovers. Plus 17 points off fast breaks. By contrast, URI scored 8 points off turnovers and just two off fast breaks.

But — alas — this is why rebuilding is so frustrating. It is not like flipping a switch to go from losing to winning. It is a climb. It is about reaching for better control, better moves, better technique — and then making it the ordinary, the normal, way things are done. “That’s what makes teams mediocre,” says Coach Cathy Inglese. “It’s not all talent. It’s focus and consistency.”

While Inglese doesn’t SEEM like a very patient person — particularly if you watch on the sideline of a game — she understand that everything cannot change at once. The teams has pushed through a string of double (and even a triple) OT games, showing that even those several ended as “L’s” they were in it and fighting. They were competitive, just not competitive enough.

Inglese wants more energetic play — and this year it is obvious that her players are fitter and faster. “I was really pleased with our energy,” Inglese said afterwards. “We did a good job on the boards, but it came down to turnovers. It was turnovers.”

Game stats showed that URI yesterday did a lot of things well. Unfortunately, the only number that counts is the one on the scoreboard at the final buzzer. Yesterday it was 66-53. On Wednesday, they take on a tough Charlotte team. Look for progress — but just be willing to measure it by more than than a single set of digits.

Coming on Wednesday: Q&A with URI Captain Megan Shoniker.

Megan Shoniker faces Abby Oliver, who scored 24 points against the Rams photo credit: Madeline P.

Sometimes when you lose, you win. And whether UConn’s streak ended last night or next month – or next year, matters less than how it ended and what it has shown us.

The truth is that while UConn’s 90-game win streak is a powerful accomplishment, once you eclipse Wooden’s UCLA record, another win is just another win.

More critical is that Stanford’s 71-59 victory was a worthy finish. That’’s because despite Coach Geno Auriemma’s contention that it was “easy” to beat UConn, Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer’s win was not dumb luck, but the spoils of a well-conceived game strategy.

They planned. They studied. They executed. There were no open looks for the great Maya Moore, who was double-teamed, hassled, and held to just 14 points. The Cardinal focused and created opportunities, none more than #23 Jeanette Pohlen who finished the night with 31 points.

So what has UConn’s winning streak demonstrated?

1.  Women’s college basketball is good entertainment – and people are getting that. Stanford players (and Moore) credited a rocking crowd (attendance was 7,329) as a factor. UConn’s win #90 over Pacific drew a sell-out crowd of 6,150 at the Spanos Center. Win #88 at Madison Square Garden (part of the Maggie Dixon Classic) drew the second largest crowd ever – 15,232 — to the garden for women’s basketball. Skilled, dynamic play is worth watching, regardless of whether men or women are wearing the uniform.

2.  We are in a NEW ERA of women’s basketball. We haven’t heard much about a lack of “parity” – the old phrase for the field in the UConn-Tennessee years – because it’s no longer about two programs grabbing all the talent. There are more good female basketball players than a decade ago (yes, there should be even more if urban girls had the same support as their male peers, but that’s another post). There are a few – like Baylor’s Brittany Griner – who have the ability to push the game to a new level. YET — Today the limiting factor is NOT just the talent pool of athletes and coaches’ ability to recruit, but the impact of how a coaching staff trains and prepares athletes to perform. The UConn-Stanford matchup showcased the heightened level of sophistication in the women’s game.

3.  Women CAN and should lead SportsCenter. Coverage of the UConn streak – and those highlights of Moore’s acrobatic drives to the basket – makes strong broadcast material. (Plus she’s crazy thoughtful in press conferences!) Just because the streak has ended doesn’t mean its time to turn off the cameras. UConn has shown that strong on-court women’s play makes worthy viewing.

The countdown started long ago.

Most fans know that if the UConn Women’s Basketball team continues its unbeaten run that on Dec. 21 the team will surpass the 88-game winning streak set by John Wooden’s UCLA teams of the early 1970s.

As the date nears, the question becomes pointed: Who will acknowledge the record?

There is an annoying habit in male sports circles to belittle or render women’s athletic accomplishments invisible (or as one talk show host described it, watching women’s play is like supporting “your loser brother-in-law.”). The excuses began months ago – it’s girls playing girls! (Well in the 1970s it was 1970s-era guys playing 1970s-era guys).

Like the Billie Jean vs. Bobby Riggs tennis match in 1973, the UConn women’s quest to overtake Wooden’s record will resonate far beyond the court on which the deciding game is played.

If the UConn women earn this record, they will replace Wooden’s team in the top spot. Simple as that. That a women’s team may overtake a record held by a men’s team merely reflects the fact that athletic dominance doesn’t have a gender.

We expect whining from guys like ESPN’s Colin Cowherd, whose predictable rants bring an Archie Bunker sensibility to sports talk radio. Don’t expect him – or a host of like-minded men — to even notice UConn’s supreme athletic ability or their dominant and skilled play.

But a warning: Those who launch into a thousand excuses will reveal themselves as oldsters cemented in a past in which only men’s performances mattered.

The UConn women’s play – their tenacity and toughness – are symbolic of where female athletes in so many sports are today. Many know that. But we can now demonstrate progress with a number: 89.

An occasional series about University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Team and Coach Cathy Inglese as she tries to turnaround a losing program.

By Laura Pappano

The image unfolded as an accident. At a recent practice, a player scrambling to save a ball heading out of bounds couldn’t stop herself and went crashing into the line of chairs at court’s edge, sending them falling over one by one – as University of Rhode Island Head Coach Cathy Inglese observed, “like dominoes.”

Only, the last few didn’t fall. So Inglese walked over and sent them crashing down.

It was meant as a light moment – an intense Inglese showing off her fun side – but it might as well have been part of the Rams playbook: We’re starting fresh. New season, new challenges.

It has not been a cakewalk for this URI women’s basketball team. They barely missed post season play last year, they have a mostly new staff, and the season –ugh– is starting with a few injuries. Still, this group has grit and they opened their season yesterday against Colgate with a 59-47 win.

Year Two of Inglese’s quest to build – not just a team, but a program, has officially begun. Now that the initial hoopla buy-into-the-vision is over, What does that look like?

Like the tumbling chairs, rebuilding is a chain-reaction. It is a step-by-step process in which one bit of success pushes forward another – something as small as a bench player shedding pounds and deciding to make a run at more playing time.

Inglese and assistant coach Marnie Dacko, former head coach at the University of Massachusetts and Inglese’s one-time teammate at Southern Connecticut State University (and both inductees into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame), talked about the start of the 2010-2011 season.

FGN: How does this year feel different than last year?

CI: We’re building on the on the culture we created. The players have bought into our coaching style and what it takes to be successful. This summer, the players came for summer school and they stayed for both sessions. So they came into this season in great shape. Last year they weren’t in shape. There were some drills at the beginning of last season that I wanted to do, that we couldn’t do. Now they can make it through practice. It shows their commitment to a work ethic.

FGN: Last year, you just missed the A-10 tournament. What did you say to players at the end of the season?

CI: You always want to make your conference tournament. We did well, but it was a three-way-four-way tie and it came down to tie-breakers. I told them I was pleased with their efforts. They never gave up. We always felt we could win the next game – and they never felt they defeated and that is really important.

FGN: You mention that attitude, that mindset a lot. Why does it matter?

CI: There is this stuff on the surface that everybody sees. But there is a lot that happens down here (Inglese, sitting in a chair in her office, gestures with her hands). We are doing a lot of stuff down here that people don’t see. And that is building a culture that we talked about. Even though we lost games at the end of the season, we always felt we could win the next. We put up some lay up or foul shots [that didn’t go in] – and those are the little things you have to get down and then those 5, 6, 7 losses become wins. We never got blown out. It’s one layer at a time.

FGN: You have mentioned part of building a team is recruiting better, faster, stronger, players. Recently, you recruited Lincoln School 6’ 4” senior center Corinne Coia to next year’s team, a top RI player. How hard is it to land talent these days?

MD: Cathy was successful at Vermont, she was successful at BC. [High school prospects] nowadays are much more visible than they have ever been. So you won’t find kids in the woods or a small town. It’s a challenge. But Rhode Island is a well-kept secret in New England.

FGN: You are a veteran coach and you happened to play against URI last season. What do you see here ?

MD: Last year, I gave Cathy her first A-10 win [laughs]. Cathy inherited a program at rock bottom. First, I saw that the president [David Dooley] and his wife [Lynn Baker-Dooley] are huge advocates for the success of women’s basketball. They come to the games. It starts from the top and works down to the team.

The kids on this team are working hard at practice everyday, they are pushing each other verbally and physically on the floor and working toward a common goal. And they are not threatened by bringing in talent. They don’t say [when we bring in potential recruits to practice], “Oh coach is bringing in someone who’s 6’5” will I still get a chance to play?” They want a better program.

Inglese and Dacko at URI

What keeps so many women from playing post-collegiate competitive sports?

In squash, it’s a challenge to get young women to travel to Baltimore or Philadelphia or Boston for a tournament. Getting them to commit to a once a week practice? Finding a woman to play with at the club? Not easy. Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel, go to a yoga class, and go home.

Luckily, a very special thing happened to me this fall: I was asked to be the co-captain of the New York women’s Howe Cup team. The Howe Cup is an annual national team tournament, where players join five-woman teams, representing their city. There are four levels of play in singles and a doubles event. It is the premiere women’s squash event of the season.

I’m new to the world of post-collegiate athletics, so I wondered, why don’t we have practices? We did in college, why not now? (The  women’s collegiate championship is also called the Howe Cup)

So we did. And – surprise — the practices have been wildly successful. We have about twenty women gathering each Thursday at the StreetSquash facility in Harlem (including 5-6 young women from StreetSquash) for two hours of intense drilling, instruction and play. And they’re eating it up.

One reason for success is that we have two serious guys (yes, men) who stepped forward to coach the team. We have John Musto, a former Yale no. 1 and the highest ranked male in the 40+ division of US Squash, and David Hughes, who holds masters titles from Canada, and has extensive coaching experience.

They’ve filled a void in the New York Squash community, and I believe, a void in multiple sports communities worldwide—they are competitive players and coaches, and they are giving women the opportunity to be taken seriously as athletes while creating a tight-knit squash community.

Ask John and David about coaching, and they will tell you: If you have a serious player, gender is irrelevant. Competitive players want to win. Give them tools, and success follows.

What I see once a week in Harlem is a group of women—stay-at-home moms, working professionals, teachers—who for two hours are intense athletes. Howe Cup is our Olympics, and John and David are our Herb Brooks and Craig Patrick. (Except Russia will be played by Boston).

Along the way, John, David, and  all of us players have created our own community. John usually brings snacks and drinks, and everyone hangs out after practice. The coaches are the last to leave.

Part of what we loved about playing on our college or national teams, wasn’t necessarily just the competition. I remember long bus rides all over creation, dancing to Lady Gaga in the aisles, congratulating a teammate on besting a personal record or the joy that comes from offering a teammate game-changing advice.

We women need more than just a racquet and ball or a towel and a mat to get a workout that matters. We are running, pulled, busy in our daily lives. This training is about more than technique and sweat. It’s about team. That’s why I come, each week. It’s amazing.

Kelsey Engman (Columbia U. Women's Coach) and David Hughes

Howe Cup Athletes

John Musto and Sarah Odell

The Rams gather before the game; freshman Anisha Wilson

The Playbook

The Playbook is an occasional series on University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team and head coach Cathy Inglese as she works to turn around a losing program. See most recent prior entry here.

By Laura Pappano

When Coach Cathy Inglese called a time out with 10:32 left in the second half, the Rams were down by one, trailing St. Bonaventure, 40-39. The music system at the Ryan Center pumped out up-beat lyrics, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fuh-uhnn!!” and it looked like there could be some celebrating when this was over. Celebrating because winning could let the Rams squeeze into post-season play in the Atlantic 10 tournament (only the top 12 go and they were in a three-way tie for that last spot).

Inglese, with all her intensity (it’s not clear why she has a seat in the sideline because she is pacing, calling, shouting, cajoling her players or the refs) draws plays on her clipboard, reminds them to hang tough, but warns — ineffectually, it turns out — “no more fouls!”

The fouls have been killing them. Every other minute, it seems, there is a Bonaventure player at the foul line, especially No. 5 Dana Mitchell ( she shot 12 of 13 from the free throw line). When it’s all over the stats show that the Ram got four shots (made 3) and St. Bonaventure had 30 shots (making 25) from the foul line.

For a tightly fought game that ended 63-53, that is a massive mis-match in free throws. Rhode Island fans, (including Inglese’s younger sister) let the refs hear their displeasure: “Call it at BOTH ENDS!!!” Was it unfair? Should Apolo Anton Ohno have been disqualified in the 500m short track event? Hard to know, given how aggressively both teams battled at both ends of the court.

This is DI basketball and things happen — or don’t happen. The Rams lost. Their season ended. But what was striking about the game, coming as it did slapped as the finale on a 11-game losing streak, was that if you hadn’t known of their struggles, you would never have guessed.

They played at times brilliantly — sharp, intuitive passes, steals, speedy Anisha Wilson tearing down the court or scrappy Lara Gaspar leaping up and twisting in all kinds of traffic to float the ball through the hoop (she scored 22 points).

Later, after her team slipped on warm-ups and ducked out beneath the blue and white streamers and balloons hung optimistically over the locker room entrance, Inglese would push aside her frustration — and when you are building a program there is plenty of that — to give her team credit. Yes, there were problems, including “a lack of consistency, a lack of urgency” and the need to say “the same thing four times.”

“They have battled hard,” said Inglese. “This team has learned to compete. They have lost — how many games in a row? — and every game they come out and they are here to compete.”

The year has ended with a 9-20 record, which is at the high end of what Inglese expected. “I thought we could win 0-10 games this year,” she said.

Winning DI teams aren’t built overnight, but assistant coaches Megan Lanham and Ashley Earley are already talking about next year and the four new recruits: Kerry Wallach (CT); Kiley Hackbarth (IL); Shikkirrie (RiRi for short) Turpin (FLA); and Emilie Cloutier (Quebec).

Lanham and Earley tick through each player’s qualities. Wallach is a 3-4 player who is a “workhorse,” a “competitor” who “will get the top of the rim.” Hackbarth is a point guard, a “spark plug” with great ball-handling skills and, says, Lanham, “one of the best work ethics I have ever been around.” Turpin, says Earley, “is going to rebound for us,” she is also “explosive offensively.” And Cloutier, both predict, “will be the most athletic on the team” with great vertical ability.

Why did they like so much about these four? “All of these kids are used to winning,” says Earley. “That was our deal with these kids,” says Lanham, “hard-working competitive kids that are used to winning.”

Junior captain Megan Shoniker slaps hands during pre-game introductions