College basketball: Lady Wranglers have bigger goals

When the Odessa College women’s basketball team defeated rival Midland College in the semifinals of the 2009 Region V Tournament, there was a sense of accomplishment for the Lady Wranglers, who had lost decisively twice to the Lady Chaparrals earlier that season.

That sense of relief, however, carried over to the championship game, where Odessa College ran into a red-hot Howard College squad and was routed by 25 points to end the season.

“We played our hearts out against Midland College,” said Tammie Thornton, who was on the floor for more than 21 minutes in that game. “I think our minds and bodies were just tired the next day against Howard College.”

While the loss left a bitter taste in their mouths, many of the returning players understood that the 2008-09 squad went further than many thought it would. That gave the Lady Wranglers plenty of confidence heading into the 2009-2010 campaign.

The Lady Wranglers started off well this season, winning their first 14 games of the season and heading into Western Junior College Athletic Conference play with a 16-1 mark overall. However, after a 2-0 WJCAC start, Odessa College found itself in freefall, losing four consecutive games and falling dangerously close to not making it back to the Region V Tournament this season.

“More was expected of us to start this year,” Thornton said. “And we started out great, then hit that streak where we lost four games in a row.

“We fixed things, but I think that we all feel like we’ve underachieved this year.”

The Lady Wranglers (22-7) have a chance to create a new feeling after finishing fourth in the WJCAC and earning their second consecutive regional berth.

They’ll open competition at 5 p.m. Friday against Temple Junior College, the No. 1 seed from the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference.

Sophomore guard Shon Redmond, who played more than 31 minutes in last year’s championship game, is ready for another shot at helping the Lady Wranglers to the national tournament.

“We are going to have to fight every game,” Redmond said. “We are going to have to stay focused on our game and not worry about anything else.

“You have to want it, because if you don’t, you go home. You only get one chance now, so you have to take it.”