“In the looker room afterward, I had two girls on crutches. I had to go to a back closest (just to get an extra set). It was like we were in a car wreck. Emotionally, it really took a toll on us.”
The Raiders lost that Jan. 14 game in overtime, and the fifth-year coach had to dig deep to come up with a positive spin after losing the only players they had with experience at the 5 spot.
Good luck with that.
“I just told them, ‘Stay together. This will only make us better if we can get through it.’”
Though Riddle has joined Chard-Peloquin in the end-of-the-bench, street-clothes section, Henson is back and part of a resurgence that has generated optimism going into the season’s final push.
They’ve won two straight games for the first time since mid-November — knocking off Detroit Mercy, 78-61, and Oakland, 62-44, for their first Michigan sweep in Hoffman’s five years.
They also held the Grizzlies to the lowest output for a D-1 opponent under Hoffman.
Three wins in the last four games has pushed their overall record to 9-18 and put them in a tie for eighth with Oakland at 5-11 in the Horizon League.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“We’re finally feeling like we can put ourselves back together. They understand their roles now. Some of them are playing way better. Some are getting more opportunities because of injuries and are doing what we ask of them,” Hoffman said.
The Raiders have four games left and, like all HL teams, are trying to avoid being the 10th or 11th seed for the league tourney and getting relegated to the play-in game.
Milwaukee is 4-12 and Detroit 3-13.
“There’s a desire to finish the season strong,” said Hoffman, whose team hosts Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“That (10-11 matchup) means you have to win five games to get to the NCAA tournament. That’s really hard. I basically laid it out for them and let them decide some shorter-term goals. It’s given them a target, something to work for.”
Despite lengthy losing streaks of seven and five games, Hoffman is pleased that her players have stayed engaged.
Opponents down the stretch will encounter a foe with plenty of spunk.
“They’re showing up at practice ready to get better. They’re sticking together. I saw a lot of that last week,” Hoffman said.
“I really got on them during the game — a few players specifically. And all of the others were picking those players up. There’s a lot of player-led leadership, and that’s hard to come by.”
Next game
Who: Milwaukee at Wright State
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Streaming: ESPN+
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