LADY TIGERS Back-to-back Co-Champions
by Deidre Bell-Jones
Lady Tigers head coach Denise Taylor has guided the program to two consecutive 23-win seasons.
T
wo must be Jackson State University Lady Tigers’ number. After compiling a 23-7 overall and a 15-3 conference record in the 2003-2004 season, head coach Denise Taylor has a second 23win season at JSU to add to her coaching accomplishments. The last time the Lady Tigers had two back-to-back 20plus win seasons was in the early 1980s. The Lady Tigers were for the second consecutive year SWAC coChampions and Coach Taylor received SWAC co-Coach of the Year honors. The Lady Tigers entered this year’s campaign with a mix of experienced and inexperienced players. The team featured a quick point guard (Latesha Lee) to head up the backcourt and an intimidating shot blocker (Amie Williams) to dominate the frontcourt.
Latesha Lee and Amie Williams, the only two well-seasoned returnees, provided the Lady Tigers with much-needed experience. To complete its power team, JSU also had to depend on the talents of guards Shante Stanford and Dasieka Hawthorne and forward Shelita Burns. Stanford provided assistance to Lee, shooting and making key shots. Shooting guard Dasieka Hawthorne fit into her role, easily as the team’s clutch shooter. Hawthorne helped the team over the hump in close games this year, making, at times, off-balanced three-pointers. Burns, called the “Quiet Storm” by her Two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Amie teammates, caught most Williams tallies one of her many blocks at Jackson State. opponents off guard because she was just as dominating as center Amie Williams under the basket. The Lady Tigers, considered the premiere team in SWAC this season, led all conference schools in scoring defense (53.7 pg), scoring margin (+5.2), field goal percentage defense (.339), rebounding offense (43.3 pg), rebounding margin (+7.1), blocked shots (5.6 pg), assists (15.4 pg), assist/turnover ratio (.94) and defensive rebounding (28.2 pg). Two might be a magic number for the Lady Tigers this season, but three could be even more magical. The team will be looking to three-peat as the past four years, there have not been conference champions with a veteran For many guards in the conference more intense squad of three top returnees. J and consistent than Latesha Lee.
39 • THE JACKSONIAN SPRING 2004