Box Score MIAMI — Marking the first time in seven seasons the interstate rivalry will resume, No. 10 ranked Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Lady Norse host the Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College Lady Ravens at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the NEO Field House.
"We want to try and push the ball in transition and get down the floor and score," Lady Norse head coach Jim Rowland said. "If we can make it a transition game, that's where we are at our best. We don't want it to become a half court game."
When the two teams last met to begin each other's schedules was to start the 2009-10 campaign. The Lady Ravens received a last second field goal from Erin Boyd-Piedmont to earn a 59-57 victory in Miami.
Last season the teams split the series with NEO posting a 66-59 victory in Miami before the Lady Ravens gained a 64-53 win on Jay Herkelman Court in the Nellis Hall at Coffeyville.
This season the storied history between the programs takes on another dimension as former NEO men's basketball assistant coach Stephen Harrel begins his head coaching duties with the Lady Ravens. Harrel replaced long time head coach Emily Washburn.
Last year, Harrel in his third year as Washburn's assistant, helped guide the Lady Ravens to a 13-6 mark in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference and a 22-10 overall record.
"What we want to do defensively is take away their post game," Rowland said. "I think that's where their strength is because he has a couple of 6-2 kids (sophomores Antionette Daniels and Breanna Craig).
"They also have a player at front (sophomore Desiree Nelson) that can really shoot the basketball," Rowland said. "What we have to do is deny her any open looks or allow her to get any dribble penetration.
"Because they've always been a strong rebounding team, we've also got to keep them off the boards," Rowland said. "We want to get great block outs on the offensive end and hold them down to one shots."
The Lady Norse open the road portion of the schedule Friday and Saturday in the Allen County Community College Classic at Iola, Kansas. NEO faces the host Allen Red Devils at 5 p.m. Friday before playing the Bacone University junior varsity at 6 p.m. on Saturday.