Jennings hopes Lady Cougars peak at just the right time
Dec. 2—Ada High girls basketball coach Christie Jennings didn't pull any punches. At times, she said the Lady Cougars had been less than stellar during preseason scrimmages and practice sessions.
"It wasn't the most impressive preseason I've ever had with a team. We had some moments of greatness, but we had some moments of ugly basketball too," Jennings told The Ada News.
Rewind to a year ago and Jennings said it was a different story.
"Last year I felt like we played some really good basketball early in the season. Then we had to endure some injuries which forced us to make some changes to our lineup," she recalled. "Once we made those adjustments, I felt like we were playing our best basketball at the end of January."
Except that's not the ideal time to be playing your best.
"I don't want to be playing our best basketball at the end of January. I want to be at our best in February and March," Jennings said. "I have intentionally done some things different this preseason to hopefully have us peak at the right time. So, because of that, we have struggled at times."
The Ada girls roster features just one senior, Niirene Riley. Back is sophomore Sania Richardson — the 2022 Ada News All-Area Girls Basketball Player of the Year — and she is joined by a strong supporting cast.
Makaviya Nelson — who missed all of last year with a knee injury — is Richardson's cousin and is expected to be another playmaker for the Lady Cougars. Junior Abbey Strong is the only other returning full-time starter for Ada. However, Jakobi Williams, Rylynn Truett and Karsyn Woods got valuable playing time last season.
New to the Lady Cougar mix are junior sisters Tyley Dotson and Gracey Dotson, who moved in from Wynnewood.
"We are very talented and have the right pieces. It's going to be a matter of us gaining experience and confidence in each game. If we stay healthy and continue to improve, this group could be playing in March," Jennings said.
The Lady Cougars open the 2022-23 season tonight at Kingston. The Lady Redskins demolished Atoka 74-43 Tuesday night. Kingston is expected to be a contender in Class 3A this year.
"They have been very impressive in their scrimmages and the first game. They are scary good," Jennings said. "We will have to limit our turnovers, play solid defense, rebound and stay out of foul trouble to come out on top. It would be a very good win for us."
