Jessica Pitts averages 14.8 points per game for La Roche, but also leads the team in steals. La Roche athletics photo

Some of the best teams in the Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions can score, but they are also playing some elite defense.

La Roche, for example, leads the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in points scored in women’s basketball with 76.8 points per game. That’s more than ten points greater than Medaille, who comes in second with 66.2 points. But more importantly, La Roche (11-1) has allowed the fewest points per game, at 53.8. That creates a 23 point margin, well above Medaille’s (7-5) margin of just 7.7.

As a team, La Roche shoots 43.7% from the field, having made 360 of 820 field goals. They also pass the ball, well. Leading the league once again, with 18.1 assists per game. And they don’t turn the ball over as much as other teams, just 14.8 times per game, leaving La Roche with the only assist-to-turnover ratio above 1.0.

But it’s their conference-lead in steals with 17.6 per game that is 62 more than any team in the league.

According to head coach Kamela Gissendanner, it hasn’t been because of their strategy. “I really believe team chemistry and heart are two intangibles that make up a great team. It is not always about the X’s and O’s.”

If La Roche continues to play at this level defensively, they will stay atop the AMCC, and win a title.

York, on the other hand, isn’t like La Roche. As a team, they don’t excel at everything statistically, but they don’t have many deficiencies either. In the Capital Athletic Conference York (11-3) ranks second in three point and field goal percentage, third in scoring, fourth in assists, and sixth in field goal percentage.

Despite not leading offensive statistics in the CAC, York plays great defense. They allow only 50 points per game, the second fewest in the conference, trailing Mary Washington by just .9 points. York’s defense holds teams to the conference-worst three point shooting percentage, just 25.5% per game.

“These young women communicate very well with each other and the coaching staff.  They play very well together on both ends of the floor,” coach Betsy Witman said.

While teams in the CAC have just played three conference games each, York was ranked No. 6 before sliding in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25. The voters think they are legit, at least before the team picked up three consecutive losses this week, and their stats show a team that is balanced.

Witman admits, though, even with their dominant defense they’ll need to improve their shooting to keep up their hot play. 

Cabrini allows the worst field goal percentage, three point field goal percentage, and fewest rebounds, in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. They let up just 32 points in Wednesday’s win over Neumann. “The players have bought into the idea that if we defend every game we will have the opportunity to beat anyone we come up against,” head coach Kathleen Pearson said.

Cabrini’s (10-3) defensive philosophy is predicated on intensity, ball pressure, help defense and then finishing the play by boxing out and securing the rebound. 

Like most teams they work hard in practice on defending screens, containing dribble penetration, and making the offense work.  “We run defensive drills in which the defensive team earns points for tips, steals, loose balls, and charges,” Pearson said.

But so does every team. The majority of collegiate level basketball coaches preach ball pressure, intensity, and help defense. But, these teams execute the philosophy more effectively than most.

Part of it has to do with the caliber of players, the rest is, “the ability to motivate players and get them to play above and beyond the norm,” Baruch coach Machli Joseph said. Baruch (12-0) ranks first in scoring defense in the CUNY Athletic Conference.

“Talent is a word that can be overrated at times. We have been lucky to find players that have a strong work ethic, roll up sleeves and get it done,” Joseph said.  

Like in many good programs, Messiah sets statistical benchmarks heading into each game. “We have a goal of holding people 16-20 points below their average depending on their average,” coach Mike Miller said.

“We do believe that tangible goals help.  For example if a team is averaging 60 that means we want to hold them to 40. Which means 20 per half. So with 3 minutes to go and a team has 17.  You can here are bench yell out ‘goals’ to each other,” Miller said.

Drugs

On Wednesday, for the eighth time, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America did not elect anyone to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The alleged performance enhancing drug use of many qualified candidates, kept the likes of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, and Jeff Bagwell from reaching the needed 75% of all votes cast.

Don’t worry, drug use isn’t as big an issue in Division III basketball. At least, that’s what a pilot drug program three years ago, in which more than one hundred schools participated, showed. After reviewing the results, the student advisory committee and the President’s Council determined that they did not justify regular season drug testing. According to Dan Dutcher, Vice President of NCAA Division III, the resources were then reallocated to an educational, alcohol prevention program, which is currently in the works and will be unveiled in the spring.

As of now, the NCAA drug tests at all Division III championships for street drugs and PED’s. Also, while they are not mandated to do so, between 15% and 20% of D III schools test their own athletes during the regular season.

Resolutions

2013 is underway and on paper on screen, it is set up to be a good one. I’ve polled coaches in the Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic region, and here are some New Year’s resolutions -- some big, and some small -- that I think you might enjoy:

Preview

Next week we’ll check in with the men’s side, and see what’s making some the top teams in the Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions successful. We’ll also have the story on some milestones broken, and a tear-jerking story.

For now ...

Please reach out to me with comments, questions or story ideas. I’m constantly on the hunt to find what makes Division III basketball so great. Follow me on twitter @PeteBarrettJr.