Lady Colonels look to build on lessons learned this season

When the buzzer sounded last Saturday afternoon, it marked not only the end of the Nicholls State Lady Colonels’ game against the Lamar Lady Cardinals, but also officially ended a long season.

As eight teams made their trek to Katy, Texas last week for the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Lady Colonels were in Thibodaux preparing for life after the basketball season.

Head coach DoBee Plaisance knew when she accepted the position that she’d be in for a challenge, but the spirited coach didn’t let that deter her.

In her inaugural season at the helm, the Lady Colonels struggled with youthfulness and mental mistakes.

The team stumbled to an 0-20 record before finally pulling off their first win, a 76-74 thriller against the Sam Houston State Lad Kats on Feb. 11.

Then three games later, they picked up their second win against Central Arkansas on Feb. 25.

By the time the clock struck zero Saturday the Lady Colonels finished their season 2-25 overall with a 2-14 mark in the Southland Conference.

As with all first-year coaches, the learning process was not only for the players, but for Plaisance herself.

“Being here at Nicholls State has really reiterated to myself that it’s all a part of accountability and discipline,” she said. “If you have the type of players that are willing to come in here and do what it takes day in and day out, you will be successful.”

“That’s how I’ve done it in the past and it looks like I’m going to stay steady on that course for the future.”

The biggest challenge Plaisance faced this season, she said, was getting her players to understand why certain things were necessary. She said the four seniors – Tiffany Jones, Dominique Washington, Funaki Kefu and Christie Bryant – have helped the seven freshmen adjust to the college life.

She hopes, in turn, that her seven freshmen learned a lot about themselves this season in addition to what she hopes they picked up from her and the seniors.

In spite of the lackluster results, she commended her team for going to war for her every night they played.

“We played very hard. I am happy for the seniors. Up until the last play of the season they still had that intensity and energy,” she said. “That’s what I want them to know. I think they did a lot to set the groundwork for the program and the foundation so that we are headed in the right direction.”

With a program that hasn’t fielded much success in recent years, Plaisance remains optimistic that she will turn the misfortunes around.

She cites the same reason she took the job as the reason why she remains so confident – she likes the challenge.

Heading into the offseason the coach believes she will finally be able to assemble more of her team, but at the same time hopes her players have learned one main thing from her.

“If they didn’t learn anything else from me, I hope they have learned that every day walk in Christ and bring him with you because through him all things are possible,” she said.