Coach's remarks motivate University of Toledo women

It's been nearly five weeks since Eastern Michigan coach AnnMarie Gilbert's stinging criticism of the University of Toledo women's basketball team, but the impact of her words has hardly subsided.

Gilbert's Eagles will collide with UT at 7 tonight in Ypsilanti, Mich., for the first time since she uttered what would become a rallying cry for the Rockets.

In the lead-up to UT's Jan. 30 matchup with rival Bowling Green, Gilbert did not mince words when discussing whom she believed was the better team.

"Bowling Green is the best basketball team in the Mid-American Conference," Gilbert said. "I just think Bowling Green is a smarter basketball team. They have more talent at each position than Toledo, and they're just a little bit older and wiser than Toledo."

The Rockets made Gilbert eat her words when they defeated the Falcons 66-63, and now they're presented with an opportunity to exact a little bit of revenge.

"They don't respect our program, and they've made that known," UT senior co-captain Lisa Johnson said yesterday. "We just want to go out and show them that we are smart enough and we are talented enough to be first in our division and to get a win over them."

In a contest that otherwise has little significance for UT, which locked up an outright MAC West Division title on Saturday with its victory over Ball State, Gilbert's comments have kept the Rockets motivated.

"We still think about it," Johnson said. "When a coach says that about your team, it only just makes your expectations of your own team even higher. When she says something like that, you just want to prove her wrong."

UT is also hoping to keep building momentum toward the MAC tournament.

The Rockets' seeding is yet to be determined, but they have assured themselves a first-round bye, meaning they will begin play in the quarterfinals March 10.

"We want to finish the regular season strong," UT senior co-captain Allie Clifton said. "Yeah, we have that West Division title and we have that bye, but at the same time we're not satisfied. We still have high hopes for ourselves, and we just want to go up there and get after it."

While she's still battling a recurring case of plantar fasciitis in her right foot, Clifton managed to play 12 minutes against the Cardinals over the weekend - the most action she's seen since the end of January.

Senior co-captain Tanika Mays has also gotten back into the lineup after missing all or part of three games last month with a hyperextended knee.

And although UT is now without sophomore guard Courtney Ingersoll for an indefinite period of time as she battles an illness, coach Tricia Cullop said having the team's leaders back on the court has provided the Rockets with a boost.

"I think our players are excited to have some of those players back," Cullop said. "We missed Allie Clifton for a long time, and she had some significant minutes in this last game. I know she's planning on playing in this next game as well. That gives us a shot in the arm."

It also never hurts to have a rival coach take a swipe at your team and get your players riled up.

"It served as great motivation for the BG game, and I think it definitely serves as great motivation for this game," Cullop said. "But I think the more important thing is that our kids want to go off into the conference tournament on a good note. This is just a way for us to polish up some things before we head into [the postseason]."

Contact Zach Silka at:

zsilka@theblade.com.