Myles takes over team ready to bury last season

Just the sight of the Rainy River women’s basketball team practicing gives the Voyageurs some renewed optimism for the 2008-09 season.
But only because they rarely practiced in full last year.
“Our numbers killed us last year,” sophomore Amanda Clark said.
Clark was one of only six players on a team that finished 3-19 overall and 1-11 in the Northern Division last season, and she rarely practiced while doubling up as the Littlefork-Big Falls C-team coach.
However, Clark returns this year full-time and joins fellow sophomores Kayla Cluff and Monica McAllister as three motivated players ready to leave the ’07-08 season behind.
“We were winning most of the time at halftime, but couldn’t play a whole game,” McAllister said about last year’s struggles.
Rick DeBenedet has already noticed a difference. DeBenedet, the Voyageurs coach last season, has moved into a volunteer assistant role.
“The sophomores learned a lot from last year and the freshmen you have in there are pretty good basketball players,” he said.
Tim Myles takes over the program and is looking forward to a team with good height, speed and outside shooting. He also knows the team well enough to know there’s a big difference from last year.
“Experience in the sophomores,” he said. “We also have more leadership and a group of freshmen that is talented and willing to work together.”
The Voyageurs stumbled in the opening game of the season, losing to Fergus Falls 64-35, but freshman Asha Johnson scored a team-high 11 points and fellow freshman Claudia Henriquez tallied seven points. McAllister registered eight points and Cluff had four points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Freshmen Shawncinee Lay, Carley Lake and Alyshia Langlais are also expected to see a lot of time this year.
“Everybody brings something else to the team. We’re not strong in just one area,” Cluff said.
It won’t be an easy road for RRCC through the Northern Division of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, but an impressive showing in a scrimmage against Vermilion and Fond du Lac earlier in the year was a positive sign.
“I think that the conference is deep with talent and experience,” Myles said. “Northland was very good and are returning some very good players. This year Hibbing and Itasca are also stacked with very talented freshmen.”
Northland finished 20-10, Itasca was 20-8 and Hibbing finished just ahead of the Voyageurs at 5-21 overall last season.
The goal is simple this year, however, especially with the spurt in numbers.
“Having fun and making everlasting memories and friendships,” McAllister said, “because I know for me this is the last time I’ll be playing competitive. Go out with a bang.”