Injuries can impact a successful team, and the Ferris women’s basketball team learned that this weekend.
Ferris senior guard Renee Sturm watched her team from the sidelines since injuring her lower leg Saturday, Jan. 25, against Purdue Northwest University. She was joined on the bench by Ferris freshman forward Chloe Idoni, who injured her ankle in practice Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Sturm averages 25.6 minutes per game and offers a strong defensive presence and good rebounding ability to the Bulldog backcourt. Ferris junior guard Samantha Krauss started in Sturm’s place.
“We’re definitely missing a big spark,” Krauss said of Sturm. “We count on her for rebounds and defensive effort and pressuring the ball, so we’re really missing that. She’s a good leader — our senior starter — so we’re really feeling it right now.”
Idoni, who contributes 8.9 points and 4.8 rebound per contest, was replaced in the starting lineup by Ferris senior forward Lilly George.
The Bulldogs dropped their game Thursday, Feb. 6, to Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) 82-68. Despite missing two starters, Idoni believed her team could move past the tough loss by focusing on themselves.
“We’ll have to scope out the competition, but really it all just comes down to what we do and how we do it and how we execute it and focusing on ourselves,” Idoni said.
Ferris women’s basketball head coach Kendra Faustin liked the production she received from Krauss and George, both of whom have plenty of game experience. Faustin also liked the effort Ferris sophomore forward Zoe Anderson gave, who finished with six points and six rebounds against SVSU.
Battling through injuries is not something new for the Bulldogs. Faustin, Krauss and Idoni all were proud of the way their team has fought through adversity in the past and believed they can do it again.
“This team has battled so much adversity all year,” Faustin said. “You literally could write a book about the amount of adversity from the summer until now, and we always find a way to figure it out. Our mentality is, ‘let’s put the pieces together and let’s tweak a couple things and let’s get better every day’.”
The Bulldogs secured a big victory Saturday, Feb. 8, against Northwood University 67-66 without their two starters in the lineup.
Fortunately for Ferris, neither Sturm nor Idoni is expected to be out the entire season. It is very much a wait-and-see approach for both players. Regardless, the Bulldogs will certainly welcome both players back as soon as possible.
Their next chance to suit up comes Thursday, Feb. 13, when Michigan Tech comes to Big Rapids.