STARKVILLE — Vic Schaefer knows how to accentuate a point.
Sitting in a chair behind a table on a podium in the media room at Humphrey Coliseum, the Mississippi State women’s basketball coach will listen to a question and take a moment to consider it. Once Schaefer begins his answer, he will turn and look at the person who is the subject of the query and try to make eye contact to emphasize what he is saying.
Schaefer had more than one of those instances Wednesday afternoon as he discussed his team’s preparations for its game at 7 tonight against Vanderbilt (12-8, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) at the Hump. He also made sure senior center Martha Alwal understood what he was saying and how important it will be for her to back up his words.
“Getting in the fight, getting in the fray, being a part of the action,” Schaefer said when asked how the word “engagement” applies to Alwal. “She is really good sometimes about being our biggest cheerleader. She enjoys her teammates’ success. That is what makes her a great teammate. But, at the same time, when she is between the lines, I don’t need her to be a cheerleader. I need her to be an active participant, and sometimes she can catch herself watching.”
SEC Network announcers Brenda VanLengen and Debbie Antonelli used the words “engagement” and “engaged” several times in talking about Alwal on Monday night in MSU’s 59-48 victory against Auburn in Auburn, Alabama. Alwal had all 15 of her points in the second half to help No. 18 MSU improve to 21-2 and 6-2. The 6-2 league start matches the best in program history.
Alwal’s 15-point, eight-rebound effort against Auburn came on the heels of a 14-point, five-rebound performance Thursday in a 64-62 victory at Ole Miss. The games marked the first time this season Alwal has scored in double figures in consecutive games.
That could be a sign of progress for the 6-foot-4 senior center, who missed the first five games returning from back surgery. The 2014 first-team All-SEC performer also was named a 2015 preseason first-team All-SEC pick after averaging 14.9 points and 8.8 rebounds last season.
But Alwal has taken time to regain the form she showed last season — and even as a sophomore, when she averaged 12.1 points and 9.7 rebounds.
“I think when I am out there a lot of times I just get used to watching and, like (Schaefer) said, I get excited when my teammates make big shots,” Alwal said. “I am more excited for them, and I like seeing them go to work, so I am kind of like chill and laid back. I need to knock that off.”
Alwal said Wednesday her back is feeling better and that physically she feels the best she has this season five out of seven days of the week. Despite apparently not being back to 100 percent, Alwal recognizes her importance to the Bulldogs. She didn’t play (coaches decision) in a 71-69 double-overtime loss against LSU on Jan. 15. She returned in the team’s next game against Alabama and logged 35 minutes in her first start and had eight points and 10 rebounds. The 10-rebound effort marked the second time this season she reached double figures in that category.
“I want to say Martha is back,” MSU sophomore forward Breanna Richardson said. “We have been missing Martha. She always has been there, like coach said, defensive wise, but offensively and getting on the boards, I think Martha is finally coming back and making her presence known again, which is really appreciated.”
As if to accentuate Richardson’s point, Alwal could be heard saying, “Mmmm hmmm,” which elicited a laugh from the players.
Richardson said she thinks Alwal “actually wants the ball now,” whereas in the past she might have deferred to others. That didn’t happen very often last season, especially late in the season. In a three-game stretch at the end of the regular season, Alwal played 45, 45, and 44 minutes and had double-doubles against Alabama, Ole Miss, and Kentucky. It was Alwal’s only three-game run of double-doubles last season, and the second of her career. In the final seven games of the 2013-14 season, Alwal had four double-digit scoring games and only two games in which she attempted 10 or more shots from the field.
This season, Alwal attracted similar attention from defenses when she returned to the court. In 17 games, she has attempted 10 or more shots only three times. Alwal knows she plays a big role in getting position on the low block so her teammates can feed her the basketball. Alwal said she can get back to that form and make that big of an impact on games.
“I know I can. I just have to want it,” Alwal said. “I always say work hard, but I really do have to work hard, but, yeah, I can get back there.”
Defensively, Schaefer said Alwal has been good, as evidenced by her continued willingness to help her teammates when they get beat. Alwal also has blocked 41 shots, which has moved her into sixth place on the SEC’s all-time list. She needs two more blocks to become the third player in league history to have 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 300 blocks.
Still, Schaefer wants more. He said Alwal can be more active on both ends to help the Bulldogs control the backboards. In MSU’s last game, Victoria Vivians (10 rebounds) and Dominique Dillingham (eight) made big rebounding contributions, which was another point Schaefer emphasized Wednesday to encourage
Alwal to do more.
“I want the ball inside. That hasn’t changed,” Schaefer said. “We turned her down against Auburn the other several times, and we showed our team that. We need an inside presence. It makes it so much easier for the rest of our team when you have an established inside game, and we just haven’t had it all year. It is amazing we are 21-2 and we just don’t have that go-to player inside. Martha needs to be that for us, and we are going to give her that opportunity to be that.”
Alwal had 10 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes in a 78-62 loss to Vanderbilt on Jan. 11 in Nashville, Tennessee. She hopes she will be able to build on her past two performances and put together more of a complete effort tonight to help MSU continue its best start in program history. All 14 of her points against Ole Miss came in the first half.
“The past couple of games, I have only been playing well in one half and then I disappear in the other,” Alwal said. “I just need to do better and be an all-around player throughout the game.”
Never at a loss for a smile, Alwal’s face lit up when she was asked how she planned to do that.
“Play hard all of the time and don’t be content in watching the game and getting involved in everything defensively and offensively,” Alwal said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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