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Basketball boom for women aids
w i .1 1
by John Hopkins
Staff Writer
Led by the blaring notes of the pep band,
about 2,000 UNC fans rocked Carmichael
Auditorium with their rendition of "Rah,
rah Carolina-lina." On the court, the players,
between smiles, were chatting with friends
and family who had filtered down from the
stands after the final buzzer. Carmichael was
a happy place this afternoon of Dec. 6.
And with good reason. The UNC women's
basketball team had defeated N. C. State 74
61, a margin that surprised most everybody
in the place.
It's always a special occasion in Chapel
Hill when the Tar Heels defeat State in
anything, but this was a sweeter victory than
most because of the prestige involved. Both
teams are expected to battle for the top spot
in Division I of the North Carolina
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for
Women (AIAW)! And for the moment, at
least, it appears that Carolina has the upper
hand.
Both coaches, Angela Lumpkin of UNC
and State's Kay Yow agreed that things
could be different when the two teams meet
again later on. And as Yow was eager to
point out, that's the one that will count in the
standings. This, the season opener for both
teams, was just, a warmup for the Jan. 28
IBIIIII
Staff Photo by Charles Hardy
Cathy Shoemaker drives against Joan Leggett in UNC practice.
Basketball's Shoemaker
no longer a court klutz
by Ed Rankin
Staff Writer
How can a 14-year-old "klutz" on her ninth grade basketball team later become the first
woman ever to receive a basketball scholarship at Carolina? Maybe because she wasn't
that much of a "klutz" anyway, but don't tell freshman Cathy Shoemaker that.
"I really was the klutz of our team," she said. Then, grinning, she added, "I was one of
those players who couldn't chew gum and walk at the same time."
The Charleston, S.C. native went through quite a change from the time she picked up
her first basketball until today. She rapidly developed her basketball talent to become a
two-time all-conference selection from Chicora High School.
The 5-10 Shoemaker played the low post in high school and averaged 22 points, 26
rebounds, nine assists and nine steals a game her senior year. In addition to basketball,
Shoemaker played volleyball three years and was the valedictorian of her class.
Shoemaker said her high school coach.Mrs. Ginny Hallman, was instrumental in the
development of her skills. "She's the type of coach who can greatly motivate a player," she
said. "She made me a dedicated basketball player."
Shoemaker said she looked for a college coach she could respect as much as she did
Hallman, and Carolina Head Coach Angela Lumpkin fit the mold. "After 1 met Coach
Lumpkin and visited the campus here, I was sold on UNC."
Several schools approached the highly-touted Shoemaker with basketball and
volleyball scholarships, including the University of South Carolina, the College of
Charleston and Bk Mountain College in Mississippi.
Shoemaker, who receives a tuition-only scholarship to attend UNC, said "I could have
gotten more money from a school in South Carolina, but I wanted to come here. 1 really
love Chapel Hill and its atmosphere."
Shoemaker said she does not feel any additional pressure to perform well simply
because she is the only scholarship player on the squad. "I'm treated no differently from
any other player. We're all close and do a lot of things together. Besides, I motivate myself
to do well because I'm always concerned with improving my skills. I would be concerned
with doing my best even if I didn't have the scholarship."
With the talent on this year's women's basketball team. Shoemaker said expectations
for an excellent season are high. But, she added, the Tar Heels must take each game one at
a time. .
Yet, as pleased as Shoemaker is about her team's prospects, she is displeased with the
inadequate athletic facilities for UNC women students and with the "inconsideration
shown toward women's athletics. She describes the tiny Women's Gym as "ridiculous"
and very outmoded.
"A lot of people must think girls don't dive after loose basketballs or try to save a ball,"
she said.
When sonhomore J oan Lessen went for a ball going out of bounds in a practice earlier
this season in Women's Gym, she broke her wrist when she ran into a wall only two feet
away.
"The Joan Leggett incident should have been avoided, because no team, men's or
women's, should have to play there," she said. The women's team usually practices in
Carmichael Auditorium but sometimes must move to the smaller gym when a time
conflict arises with another activity in Carmichael.
Shoemaker said that consideration for women's basketball is slowly improving. "Dr.
Lumpkin fights for our rights, but many people don't like that."
Shoemaker said she is thinking about a possible physical education major and wants to
coach someday.
meeting in Raleigh, which will be televised.
That's right, televised. Women's
basketball may be on the verge of the big
time, and for Lumpkin, "It can't come too
soon." , . . ,
Ever since the sport made the transition
from club to varsity status in 1968, the UNC
program has had a virtual parade of coaches,
many of whom lacked adequate time,
interest and the necessary expertise to
develop the program. For most, it was a
matter of getting stuck with the job.
Lumpkin is only the second UNC coach to
begin a second year.
That kind of shuffling caused at least one
player, Dawn Allred, an all-state performer
last season, to transfer to another school this
year. Specifically mentioning the shifting of
coaches, Allred felt she could not "reach my
peak here."
Nevertheless, ' last season the Heels had .
their most successful year ever. They went'
through the regular season 14-1, losing only
to state champion Elon College in the final
game of the season. J
But because it jumped the gun on the
official starting date of practice the year
before, last seasonV team " was denied .
participation in the state tourney. It did
accept a bid to the National Women's
Invitational Tournament, where it won. one
game and lost two. ; f
That squad was dominated by Allred and
fellow all-state player Marsha Mann. The
two players scored nearly half the team's
points for the season. Mann graduated last
year.
Though the talent-laden duo of Mann and
Allred are gone, the team promises to be
more balanced. During pre-season,
Lumpkin enthusiastically pointed to that as
. the club's major asset. She was proved right
as four of the five starters hit double figures
in the opener against State.
; The coach credits a nationwide boom in
women's basketball for last year's success
and the predicted good season for this year.
"The caliber of the people coming in is really
high. The student-athletes are much better
skilled than in the past, and for that reason, I
can't take any credit for the good season last
year."
But several Lumpkin-inspired features
may help make this and future Tar Heel
teams even more successful.
One of these is the inclusion of the first
scholarship player in the team's history on
this year's roster. Cathy Shoemaker, a 5-10
center from Charleston, S.C, was signed to a
partial grant-in-aid (tuition paid only) this
year, and promptly scored a team high of 16
points in the opener.
Lumpkin is hopeful of signing several
more players to grants next season. "I'll be
allowed to offer some," she said. "But I don't
know how many yet,"
Recruiting presents a problem for the
coach. She doesn't have time to go out on the
road recruiting like the men's programs
permit. Her duties with her team and as a
physical education professor prevent the
trips.
"Players who want to come to school here
sometimes contact me." she said. "Or maybe
1 get a tip about someone, and I'll contact
them. By mail or by phone 1 might get some
statistics on them. Possibly they'll come to
the University at their own expense, and I'll
get a look at them.
"It's illegal (against AIAW rules) to pay
them money for the trip like the guys do, just
like I can't get paid for recruiting. 1 went to
see some kids play before I went home for the
holidays, and the money for that came out of
my pocket."
Another new wrinkle for this season will
be competition with national powers in
women's basketball. Two top 20 opponents
have been scheduled, Tennessee Tech and
Ohio Slate, with both of those contests
coming on Tar Heel road trips.
"Those games will make a difference in
how far we progress this year," Lumpkin
said, "If we can stay with them like that, I
think we'll have a good chance of taking the
regionals and going to the national
tournament. If we make the regionals, of
course."
Also added this year by Lumpkin is the use
of a player-to-player defense, something
most women collegiate teams don't feel
talented enough to handle. Lumpkin feels
she has the players this year to use the match
up as the main defense, while also giving the
opposition an occasional look at the zone.
UNC's women cagers return to action
tonight when they host College of
Charleston (S.C.) in Carmichael
Auditorium at 8 p.m. Charleston comes to
town with a 1-1 record. They defeated
Baptist College 73-68, but lost to Anderson
College by 31 points.
All these measures arc, of course, designed
to vault UNC into the elite of women's
basketball in the country, a goal Lumpkin
would very much like to see.
"1 came up in a program where we bought
our own uniforms, we had an unpaid coach
and any expenses we had, we covered
ourselves," she said. "And I didn't like it."
That kind of talk may remind one of the
good ole days. You know, when amateur
athletics were played by individuals purely
for the love of the game. And they were free
from the high pressure, win-at-all-costs-and-bend-the-rules
type of atmosphere. Won't
progress in the direction of the big-time at
least cause mixed emotions'?
"I don't think so," said Lumpkin. "Maybe
I'm too idealistic. I know some abuses can
occur when you're working with
scholarships and the like. But I also believe
in the, ethical character of coaches. I don't
think it would be a problem for me. And if it
is for other coaches, all I can do is apologize
for them. 1 don't think that is the way
athletics or any other aspect of life should be.
"No, I don't have mixed emotions. 1 think
progress is super."
Progress also means, according to some,
including Congress and HEW, gaining
comparable, if not equal, footing with the
men's program. And with the men's
basketball program here, that leaves a ways
to go yet.
"We're getting there." . Lumpkin said.
"And one thing that's going to speed its
coming is success. And that means winning
basketball games."
1976 UNC Women's Basketball Schedule
Jan. 9
Jan. 13
Jan. 17
Man. 18
Jan. 23
Jan. 24 . 1
Man. 26
Jan. 30
Jan. 31
Feb. 5-7
Feb. 12
Feb. 14
Feb. 17
Fcb. 20
Fcb. 23
Feb. 27
Feb. 28
March 4-6
March 11-13
March 24-28
College of Charleston Carmichael 8:00 p.m.
Duke Carmichael 7.30 p.m.
East Carolina Carmichael 1:00 p.m.
vsN.C. State
Elon vs Carolina Carmichael 3:00 p.m.
East Carolina Carmichael 2:00 p.m.
Winthrop Rock Hill. S.C. 7:00 p.m.
Univ. of South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 2:00 p.m.
N.C. State Raleigh. N.C, 8:00 p.m.
Belmont Nashville, Tenn. 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee Tech Cookville, Tenn. 5:00 p.m.
Virginia Invitational Charlottesville, Va. 3:00 p.m.
(Clemson)
Wake Forest Carmichael 7:30 p.m.
Old Dominion Elizabeth City, N.C. 8:00 p.m.
UNC-Greensboro Carmichael 7:30 p.m.
Western Carolina Cullowhcc. N.C. 7:00 p.m.
Appalachian Carmichael 7:00 p.m.
Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7:00 p.m.
Marshall University Huntington, W.Va. 5:30 p.m.
Division I State Tournament Carmichael
Region 11 Tournament Cullowhcc. N.C.
AIAW National Tournament University Park. Pa,
Denotes Division