Lady Golden Bulk program has gotten back on right 'Street'
When Barry Street took
over the women's basketball
program at Johnson C.
Smith, he accepted the chal
lenge head-on.
Althbugh he didn't real
ly know what would happen
under his tutelage in his first
season. Street couldn't have
asked for a better welcome
into the CIAA.
The Lady Golden Bulls
lost Konecka Drakeford,
their Ail-American from
last season, and with her the
bulk of their rebounding and
scpring. But Smith has
made a smooth transition
and is now enjoying an
exciting ride with Street at
the helm of the program.
While losing Drakeford,
was a challenge for the
Lady Golden Bulls, losing a
head coach was an even
more demanding challenge
for the women student-ath
letes.
Street, a graduate and
former assistant coach at the
University of North Caroli
na at Greensboro, took the j
head coaching position at
JCSU during a time of
change for the Lady Golden
Bull's program.
Many of the players in
the program were apprehen
, sive about the future after
j the departure of former
Coach Hythia Evans under
less-than-desirable circum
stances.
But after a year full of
alternating and shifting, the
program has bounced back.
Prior to the start of the
season, the Lady Golden
Bulls adopted a slogan that
they felt appropriate for the
1998-99 season. The motto
"A New Day" has fit the
team to perfection.
... After going through a
series of growing pains,
Street's philosophy and
determination has begun to
shine through. His love and
knowledge of basketball has
helped develop a team into a
program.
In the process, Street
-has proven to be somewhat
of a prophet. During his
press conference, in which
he was formally named the
Lady Golden Bulls* coach,
on April 28, 1998, Street
predicted the team would
"win games they were not
supposed to and prove their
presence in the CIAA".
Optimism abounded for
their first contest, which
took place on Nov. 13,
against Belmont Abbey.
Though not a victorious
game by score, Street's first
experience in a game with
Smith as a head coach
proved his determination to
overcome lots of bound
aries.
By the second game, the
team had pulled together
and the. Golden Bulls
defeated Queen's College
by a one-point margin. Wins
against Elizabeth City State,
! Viginia Union; Fayetteville
State, and St. Augustine's
followed, renewing the pro
gram's optimism and pump
ing new fife intd the players.
The Lady Golden Bulls
may not yet be powerhouses
in the CIAA, but they are
beginning to make some
rumblings in the loop.
Throughout the season
Smith has ranked in the top
three positions of the
CIAA's Western Division.
Street has gotten the
most of the Lady Golden
Bulls' talents. Erin Moore
and. Marquisha Clayburn
have provided the bulk of
the team's scoring, with
added consistent play from
freshman Blanche Doctor
and Alicia Lynn. With four
... . ?
i players averaging double
figures, Street's pre-season
outlook of not relying on
one scorer still holds true.
While the road to C1AA
elite is still long, The lady
Golden Bull's appear to be
moving in the right direc
tion. Street's program
proves that, achieving suc
cessful results 'is not about
time, but determination.
?Patricia Harvey
Barry Street
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