Lady Sharks Using Defense And Rebounding To Stay In The Game

Utilizing tough defense and rugged rebounding, the Miami Dade College women’s basketball team has used those ingredients to start the season 5-3.

The Lady Sharks, who are in third place in the Southern Conference, have established themselves as one of the best defensive and rebounding teams in the nation. They are averaging an astronomical  53.1 rebounds per game (eighth in the nation), including 23.4 offensive rebounds per game (fourth best in the nation).       

Defensively, they are averaging 14.7 steals per game (23rd best in the nation), and they are ninth best in the nation with 5.6 blocks per game.

Their defensive numbers have improved substantially compared to last season, when the Lady Sharks averaged 10 steals per game (ranked 90th) and 3.1 blocks per game (ranked 78th).

One of the biggest contributors on the team is Lakisha Munroe, a 5-foot-9 inch sophomore guard from Nassau, Bahamas.

Munroe currently leads the team in steals with 4.5 per game. For Munroe, defense is more important to her than scoring.

“Defense is number one for me,” Munroe said. “I probably wouldn’t have said this about a year or two years ago, but I love playing defense now. It gets the team going and anything I can do to help my team win, I will do it.”

Munroe also leads the team in assists with 7.3 per game. She has a knack for finding open teammates and putting them in good position to score, whether it be by pick-and-rolls or attacking the rim and passing it out.

If no one is open, Munroe has her jump shot to lean on, which has helped her attain an average of 11.2 points per game, that is third best on the team.

The Lady Sharks are also making headlines on offense.

Through eight games, the team is averaging 81 points per game (27th highest in the nation), and 7.1 three pointers made. They set an aggressive tempo, averaging 83.3 shot attempts per game, ranking fourth in the nation in that category.  

“As soon as we get the rebound, we have plays for transition,” said center Jaiveonna Norris, who is averaging 13.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. “There’s always someone running, we’re always talking, we’re always just moving. Overall, we’re a full court team and we just like to run.”

Although the team has excelled in certain facets of the game, they’re also aware of some glaring issues that should be addressed if they are to become a serious contender down the road.

“I think our biggest [issues] are turnovers,” Norris said. “We’re always running, we’re always looking up, but a lot of the time we don’t make good decisions. That is one thing we most definitely need to improve on.”

The Lady Sharks next game is on the road against Hillsborough Community College on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.