BASKETBALL. The Cégep de Drummondville women’s basketball program is aiming for a place among the best teams in the second division this season. As the playoff tournament approaches, the Voltigeurs are on track to achieve this goal.
With a record of seven wins and only two losses so far this season, the Drummondville team occupies third place in the standings in the Centre-du-Québec section. In its last five outings, the team led by Geneviève Pilote is undefeated.
Geneviève Pilote. (Photo: Voltigeurs)
“The start of the season was a little more difficult. It must be said that we had a lot of injuries. We were short of staff, then it stabilized a little. The depth of the team was taken advantage of. We have a great generation with us,” said the head coach of the Voltigeurs, emphasizing the hard work of her players in the gym.
“The girls are more diligent. They train twice a week in the weight room. We have two practices per week, plus training in shooting. It helps us a lot.”
One of the most formidable offensive teams on the circuit, the Voltigeurs are constantly looking to improve their defensive game.
“The girls all know how to play offense. They are all capable of putting the ball in the basket. I like that everyone contributes offensively, but I especially look at the defense. I want us to work hard and assert ourselves defensively. I don’t want us to be easy to deal with. We work a lot on that,” explained Geneviève Pilote.
A dynamic duo
On an individual level, rookie Annie-Ève Tessier is the Voltigeurs’ most prolific scorer this season with an average of 17 points per game.
Annie-Ève Tessier. (Photo: Voltigeurs)
“She is a very versatile player. Even if he doesn’t have the height, he performs well in the game close to the basket. She can impose herself inside, but she also has a good outside shot. She also has a very good capacity for defensive anticipation. In short, she is a fairly complete player. She is dangerous almost everywhere,” summarized Geneviève Pilote.
In her fourth season in the college network, Alexia Chaput averages 12 points per game. Last year, number 30 dominated her teammates with nearly 20 points per game.
“Our opponents play very physical on Alexia to try to block her. She is watched very closely, which forces her to work even harder to stand out. It also allows Annie-Ève to have a little more space and stand out a little more. Together, they do a great job rebounding. Both are capable of shooting, both from the inside and from the outside,” underlined Geneviève Pilote.
No respite
So far this season, the Voltigeurs’ only two defeats have come against the teams holding the first two positions, Cégep de Sherbrooke (8-0) and Cégep Trois-Rivières (7-1). In their last outing, the Drummondvilloises defeated the Séminaire de Sherbrooke (0-9) 70-54.
With only five games remaining in the regular season, the Drummondvilloises will try to outrun their closest pursuers, the Lauréats du Cégep Saint-Hyacinthe (4-2). The two teams will face each other twice in the coming weeks.
Alexia Chaput. (Photo: Voltigeurs)
“It’s a very physical team. You will have to be ready physically, but also mentally. We will have to work hard to get these matches. Each match lasts 40 minutes: the girls know they have to give 40 minutes. We cannot afford to play only 20 or 30. We have to play the 40 minutes with intensity,” said Geneviève Pilote.
Once again this year, the Voltigeurs are aiming to participate in the Northeast Conference championship, which will take place on April 6 and 7, at the Cégep de Chicoutimi. Last year, the Drummondvilloises were unable to reach this stage, losing in a play-off match.
“This year, we don’t want to miss this match. If we have to go through that, we risk facing Laflèche or Victoriaville, which we beat recently. We know we can get there. And if we go further than the regionals, it will be a bonus,” concluded Geneviève Pilote, referring to the provincial championship.
Also read: Men’s basketball: the Voltigeurs among the best teams
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2024-01-31 20:50:15
#Womens #basketball #Voltigeurs #track #achieve #goal
