Ferguson, WSU staying upbeat
The wins have been few and far between and the losses difficult to take, but Adriane Ferguson’s passion and commitment for Washington State and the Cougars women’s basketball team have never faltered.
“I love the coaches and my teammates,” Ferguson said. “I love it here. I have awesome friends. God has totally blessed me here.
“I love being a Coug, I really do. It’s a community here. I love the small-town atmosphere. Everyone loves being a Coug.”
Washington State won its first Pac-10 game Saturday, its seventh win of the season. In each of the past two seasons the Cougars won six games, two in league. Nineteen wins for the junior is less than a good season during her best years at Mead, but Ferguson never thought of taking another direction.
“I’m not a quitter. I don’t feel that at all,” she said. “I want to work harder and get better.
“I don’t feel I’ve reached my potential for myself and for the program. I think you have to stay positive. There isn’t any other way to think. If you think negatively, think you’re going to lose a game … that will be your worst enemy. Everybody stays pretty positive.”
This was going to be the year the Cougars turned the corner, but injuries slowed the progress. Ferguson just returned from missing 12 games with a broken finger. Senior point guard Charmaine James has missed most of the conference season with an ankle sprain and concussion. With nine losses by 10 points or less, it’s easy to wonder what might have been.
“Obviously, it’s hard losing games,” Ferguson said. “We put in so much time and energy. I believe we’re going to win. … We’ve haven’t given up hope. It’s been that way for a long time.”
That attitude, combined with Ferguson knocking the rust off her game, could lead WSU to more wins as the Cougars go through the second half of the league season.
“It felt amazing,” Ferguson said of the win over Arizona. “A win in our program is very much celebrated. … We know we’re a good team.”
Kudos
Senior Jamie Chicane earned co-Big Sky player of the week honors after Eastern Washington swept the Montana schools. … Gonzaga’s Ashley Anderson shared the West Coast Conference honor. … Freeman grad Emily Hendrickson had a big weekend with 36 points and 11 rebounds as Whitworth won two games, including an upset of 10th-ranked George Fox. The 5-foot-6 Hendrickson, who often plays power forward and leads the Pirates (12-6, 6-4) in rebounding at six a game, was named the Northwest Conference player of the week. … Davidson forward Brynn Kelly, a junior from Ferris, was the Southern Conference player of the week last week. Kelly, who is averaging 7.7 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds before Monday’s win over College of Charleston, had 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats (11-9, 7-4), including her first double-double.
Tip-ins
Junior Leilani Mitchell had nine steals against Boise State to move into a tie with Christy Van Pelt (1985-89) for the top spot on the Idaho career list at 284. … Vandal Stephanie Sax (back) saw her first action of the season, getting two minutes against BSU. … EWU’s Felice Moore (510) is one of four active Big Sky players with at least 500 rebounds. … The Eagles are last in the league in free throw shooting (69 percent). … Regis beat Metro State 79-69 in an all-Denver battle for first in the Rocky Mountain Conference last Tuesday. U-Hi grad Emily Kuipers had two points in 5 minutes for the winners, Ferris grad Stacey Cox had 11 points in a losing effort. Regis is 18-3, 10-0 and Metro 12-5, 9-1.