Women begin conference play with a bang

Jessica Vargas is one of three senior's on this year's team who would love for the Lions to make their run this season | Courtesy of Facebook

The women's basketball team's hot start to conference play lured me into Gersten Pavilion this weekend to watch the team take on Gonzaga, who was also undefeated in conference play. The Gonzaga women's basketball team, like its men's team, has dominated the WCC for years.

Despite an eventual six-point loss, I was very much impressed with this year's women's squad. Playing without leading scorer Alex Cowling, who is unfortunately out for the year due to injury, the Lions have begun conference play 3-1, already upsetting an St. Mary's team who has not lost another conference game since falling to LMU in Moraga, Calif. opening night.

During my time as sports editor of the Loyolan I saw my fair share of women's basketball games. I have a great amount of respect for the women and Head Coach Julie Wilhoit and what they have accomplished the past few seasons, but before Saturday I had never seen them play with the drive and determination they did this weekend. It was great to see, and they have converted me into a true fan because of it.

Losing Cowling should have been a huge blow to the team. She was the 2008-09 WCC Newcomer of the Year, and made the First Team All-WCC team last season after setting the LMU single season scoring record. In the first six games of the season, before her injury, she averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. She is an phenomenal basketball player, especially on the offensive end of the court, and I will admit that when I heard she would be out for the year I figured it would keep LMU from competing for a WCC title.

I am glad to admit that I was wrong. Senior Renahy Young, who herself is coming back from an early season injury, was second on the team in scoring last year behind Cowling and has had a hot start to conference play. Averaging 15 points per game this year, Young has bumped that average up to 19.8 in the team's first four WCC games. That average is good enough for second best in the conference, and Young will compete with Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot for WCC Player of the Year, there is no doubt in my mind.

In addition to Young and her scoring ability, I have been blown away this season by freshman Camille Buckley, who may be the best rebounder I have ever seen. She plays with the fearlessness of Blake Griffin, and the oohs and aahs in Gersten when she would chase down an unbelievable difficult rebound on Saturday was like nothing I had ever heard at a women's game on the bluff before.

Buckley first caught my attention Thursday, when I checked the women's boxscore against Portland and saw that she had an astonishing 18 rebounds (eight offensive) in just 27 minutes of play. Seeing her grab 14 in person against powerhouse Gonzaga was incredible. She is currently leading the league with 12 rebounds per game in conference play. If anyone has a chance to make it to a women's game, they should.

The Lions will be clear favorite when they host Pepperdine at 2 p.m. on Saturday. I know I will be in attendance before making the trip to Malibu to see the men play, and I hope others will be too. This team is primed to make a WCC Title run, and LMU fans should be there to see it.