Wildman, Parker battling the flu

NAIA Notebook Women’s College Basketball

SALEM, Ore. – Tracy Parker spent much of the four-hour plane flight from Cincinnati stifling a bad cough.

Kristi Wildman was bed-ridden all of Wednesday morning and sat out half of her team’s practice that afternoon.

Husson head coach Kissy Walker missed all of the practice because she felt under the weather.

The Husson College women’s basketball, the fifth-seeded team in this week’s NAIA Division II National Tournament which begins Thursday at Western Oregon State College in nearby Monmouth, has been hit with the flu bug at a most inopportune time.

“We’ve been very fortunate to go all year without anybody missing any games because of illness,” said Walker. “It’s unfortunate it has to hit us now. I just hope it doesn’t spread any farther than Kristi and Tracy. Even I’m trying to stay away from my players.”

Both players said they felt better on Wednesday than on Tuesday, which was a 15 1/2-hour travel day from Bangor to Salem.

“With the season and stuff, I think we’re just worn down and tired,” said Parker. “It just caught up with us. I’m feeling better. It’s pretty much just the cough.”

“I feel a lot better, but I’m still not 100 percent,” said Wildman. “Hopefully, I’ll be even better tomorrow.”

With Parker and Wildman – two starters – slowed down, the team is taking a wait-and-see approach heading into Friday’s second-round game against Sterling College of Kansas.

“I don’t think it will affect us at all,” Wildman said. “We want to win.”

“We’ll go out and play hard because we’re pumped up for this,” Parker said.

Other Husson players don’t expect the illnesses to affect Friday’s showing.

“Kristi can play through anything,” said Vicki Mazerall, a senior guard. “She could have a dagger through her side and still make it through a game. All the excitment and the energy will help us.”

Members of the Husson College faculty faxed down some pages of good wishes to the team.

“All our faculty wrote all kinds of notes,” said Wildman. “It was great. We’re all excited.”

The 24-4 season of St. Joseph’s College ranks right up there as one of Coach Mike McDevitt’s best.

What many people seem to forget, however, is that this was supposed to be the senior year of two-time NAIA District 5 Player of the Year Stephanie Carter.

Carter opted not to play hoops this season in order to concentrate on her studies.

McDevitt has been extremely pleased with the way his kids have made up for the loss.

“I can’t imagine our team doing any better than they’ve done this year,” said McDevitt.

“We’ve beaten people we’ve never beaten before. Every different night it seemed like somebody else would step up. It’s one of those special groups that played well together, got along well as a team, and exceeded any expectations we’ve had for them.”

Peru State, St. Joseph’s College’s first-round opponent, has been looking forward to this tournament for more than a year.

Last year, the Bobcats were ousted from the NAIA District 31 tournament by Concordia (Neb.) College, a team which lost to St. Joe’s in the first round.

“We felt we should have been here last year,” said Wayne Davidson, Peru State’s Coach. “We felt we were the best team in Nebraska. I think it’s a big factor. We lived for a year with the idea we were the better team and didn’t get a chance to come. It’ll drive us to do better.”