TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Head Coach
Chad Killinger and the Indiana State women's basketball team hit the court for their first official practice as the Sycamores gear up their workouts less than six weeks prior to the start of the 2021-22 regular season.
The Sycamores ran through variety of drills and 5-on-5 situations on the practice court in an over two-hour session as the focus shifted from the offseason workouts into a competitive mindset.
Killinger noted the shift in mindset as Indiana State prepares for their first season under his leadership on the sidelines.
"Obviously, the biggest difference today was having everybody in the same practice gear," Killinger said. "We compare it almost to Christmas where everything is all bright and shiny out there on the court. It is a little different now though as we've changed the pace of things and have to continue to be really efficient and work through the tempo of a longer practice."
Indiana State took advantage of the ability to hold their offseason workout program throughout the summer months and Killinger has noted that his team has particularly been focused on developing consistency in their habits on the court.
"It's been hard to single out any one player as to who has stood out from the pack so far as we head into practice," he commented. "Everyone has had their good days and their tough days, but we are all taking on the mindset of getting better every day. From a leadership standpoint, we've seen
Sommer Pitzer,
Natalia Lalic, and Hattie Westerfield all take on key roles for us to help keep the team together and focused both on and off the court.
The Sycamores continue their practice slate and will be alternating morning and evening practices throughout the month of October with the goal of being ready for tipoff on November 9 against Stephens College (Mo.) in the Hulman Center.
For now though, it's about taking care of themselves and utilizing the practice opportunities to get better on and off the court.
"My opinion, it's all about the day-to-day in every practice," Killinger said. "We're starting to see things that are carrying over from the drills to the 5-on-5 sessions and seeing progress as they get up and down the floor. The carryover is going to be the most important thing for us and we'll work on getting better every day, be the best we can be, and get better as a unit."
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For the latest information on Sycamore Women's Basketball, visit
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YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the
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