Young Pirates rejuvenate coach

Come for the glory. Stay for the people.

Whitworth’s Helen Higgs is a three-time conference coach of the year, the school’s all-time leader in wins as the women’s basketball coach. But this season offers a rare challenge – replacing four starters and embarking on a campaign without a single senior on the roster.

“I’m excited about it,” said Higgs, who owns a career 187-117 record at Whitworth. “If you want to make changes, the time to do that is when there are changes in the personnel. I think it was a great time to make some changes.

“It’s an exciting, energetic group, and I think that rejuvenated me more than the (recruiting) process. The process sometimes can get tiring. But when you get around people, it’s the people who rejuvenate you.”

The Pirates hope to build on last season’s 13-11 mark and challenge for the Northwest Conference crown. Injuries both past and present have hampered the progress, Higgs said, but she added she’s “happy with where we are.”

Redshirt sophomore Alida Bower is trying to rebound from a knee injury that ended her season after just eight games last year. Averaging 11 points a game, she was Whitworth’s leading scorer before tearing an anterior cruciate ligament.

Interestingly, Higgs said Bower suffered a similar injury in her other knee in high school. At least Bower knew what the grind of rehabilitation would entail, not to mention how to establish confidence that the repaired joint would hold up on the court.

“As she gets used to her new teammates and kind of used to whatever the knee brings with her – some days may be more sore – she’ll pick up the time it takes to get back to where she was,” Higgs said. “I think she’ll get back this year, definitely.”

Teresa Zeitler started all 24 games last year, but Higgs hopes to play the redshirt junior at her natural position of shooting guard. Zeitler filled in at point guard last year, Higgs said, and should carry over the leadership skills she learned at the position.

“Her decision-making as a junior, she should know what I want more than other players do,” Higgs said.

Zeitler’s move back to shooting guard was made possible with the addition of Cassie Snyder, a junior transfer from Northwest University in Kirk-land, Wash. Snyder is a former Mead standout.

Northwest coach Lori Napier began her coaching career at Whitworth in 1997 and spent three years as Higgs’ assistant.

“I think one of the things that helped,” Higgs said, “is that (Snyder) transferred from a program coached by one of my former assistants and played in a similar system. … She’s done very well. She’s learned very quickly. She’s meshed with the players off the court and their style of play as well. That combination is key for a point guard.”

Higgs will have to turn to a young bench, and she expects freshman Natalie Orrell to contribute immediately. Orrell is a 5-foot-9 recruit from Wenat-chee.

“I think she’ll be a great player and have a great career,” Higgs said. “She’ll have a big freshman year – at times be all-world, and times where freshmen have a little bit of a struggle.”

Higgs said her annual team aspirations only include competing for the Northwest Conference championship. Part of accomplishing that goal will be Higgs getting the most out of a roster consisting of three juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen.

The process begins with communication between Higgs and her players to discover what works best for each of 13 individual personalities.

“You can get a feel for it, if you talk about it now,” Higgs said. “Find out what’s the best way to coach you, what motivates you. … In my experience, you go in thinking just be ready to be adaptable.”