Young Dukes improving

Freshmen earn significant playing time, gain experience

FILE PHOTO / Chris Labzda Freshman forward Lesley Dickinson (24) was named CAA Rookie of the Week ending Jan. 11.

On paper, the women's basketball team roster includes five freshmen. On the court, however, it's a different story.

"They've logged enough minutes to actually be considered sophomores," coach Kenny Brooks said. "A typical freshman doesn't get to play as many minutes as they've played already."

Through the first two months of the season, the starting lineup has consisted of three to four freshmen.

However, freshman forward Lesley Dickinson said that learning on the job is the best way to learn.

"Practice prepares us for the games, but there is no substitute for the experience that we've gained," said Dickinson, who was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week last week for the third time this season. "That's the best way to learn — to really experience it."

While Brooks admits that the players have made their share of mistakes, they have learned from them because they have gained experience on the floor.

"Their training has been on-the-job training, and they've responded and have exceeded my expectations," Brooks said. "We're out there playing against the best teams in the conference and having a chance to win — and should win — some of those games."

Heading into tonight's game against George Mason University, the Dukes are 5-8 (1-2 in the CAA). But that record may be misleading.

"I really think our record doesn't really reflect how good we are," Dickinson said. "We are 5-8, but I really think we could be 9-4."

The Dukes have lost several close games to good opponents. Three of JMU's losses have been by 2 points, including a 75-73 loss to conference powerhouse and rival Old Dominion University Jan. 9. The Dukes also lost their conference opener 61-59. JMU controlled both contests, but could not finish in the final minutes of the game.

"We're out to win right now, and we have the opportunity to win and to be a very good basketball team," Brooks said. "But, we still have to do some of the little things better than we are handling them right now. We have to learn how to close out games and put together 40 minutes of basketball — not 32 minutes of basketball."

The Dukes did manage to come from behind and close out a game against the University of North Carolina — Charlotte Jan. 6. JMU rallied from a 16-point deficit in the second half to knock off a very physical 49ers team that went to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Although JMU has had its share of youthful mistakes, the team has improved greatly since the season started.

"We're on our way up," freshman forward Meredith Alexis said. "We haven't hit the peak yet, and we're getting better every day."

Brooks said he can see his team growing and not making those same mistakes it made earlier in the season.

The Dukes also have had to play without red-shirt senior guard Jody LaRose, who has missed the last two games due to injury. LaRose is day-to-day and will be a game-time decision against the Patriots.

Against Old Dominion, red-shirt junior guard Mary Beth Culbertson paced the offense in LaRose's absence,scoring a career-high 20 points, including 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range.

"When you lose a shooter like Jody, you wonder where you are going to get that," Brooks said. "I think Mary Beth has done a tremendous job stepping up her game in Jody's absence. I like what I see in Mary Beth. She gives a lot on the offensive end and defensive end."

In their 72-61 win over Towson University last Sunday, the Dukes got a career-high 25 points from Dickinson, the second highest scoring effort by a freshman in JMU history. Junior center Krystal Brooks added a season-high 16 points.

While the freshmen have been counted on to learn quickly, Brooks said the whole team has had to rise to the occasion and play a prominently different role.

"I'm proud of the progress we are making, but we're not into moral victories and playing people close," he said. "We want to win and want to win now."

Brooks said the growth has to continue as the season progresses.

"If we level off now, I think we'll be a mediocre CAA team," he said. "If we keep improving the way that I think we are capable of improving, I think we'll be a very good team by the end of the season — one that could compete for the CAA championship."

Dickinson said, "We all know that when it comes down to tournament time, and crunch time even in the games coming up, we know how to handle it now. Those 2-point losses will be 2-point wins."

The next step for the Dukes is at home against George Mason at 7 p.m. tonight in the Convocation Center.

"They (GMU) are a very veteran basketball team, Brooks said. "They remind me of our team last year — a lot of seniors — and they have something to prove."

The Patriots, 8-2, are on a five-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Commonwealth University Sunday. Guard Jen Derevjanik leads Mason offensively, averaging 20 points per game.

Dickinson is the Dukes' leading scorer at 16.4 points per game. Alexis leads both JMU and the CAA conference in rebounding (9.5 boards per game) and is the team's third-leading scorer at 9.9 points per game. Freshman forward Shirley McCall is averaging 9.7 points a game. Freshman guard Andrea Benvenuto is the team's assist leader, with 4.2 assists per game.

Although JMU has won five of the last nine meetings, George Mason knocked the Dukes out of the CAA Tournament semifinals last season. The two split the regular season matchup last year.