Berenato’s young players provides hope for future

Head coach Agnus Berenato spent the last few minutes of her press conference following… Head coach Agnus Berenato spent the last few minutes of her press conference following Wednesday night’s 70-49 loss to Villanova pleading with the gathered media not to give up on her team. Despite losing their third straight game, Berenato said her players are getting the big picture and, with time, the Panthers will be a force in the Big East.

Berenato didn’t need to waste her breath; everyone knows she’s right.

The Panthers’ roster is full of underclassmen and has only two seniors, so, with many of the underclassmen getting quality minutes in Big East play, there are no doubts that the Panthers are on the verge of something special. They have already won 11 games, putting them one game shy of doubling their total from a year ago. They have two freshmen, two sophomores and three juniors pacing them, while transfer Mallorie Winn sits the year out because of NCAA regulations. Their recruiting class for next year could be even better than this season’s, so, needless to say, coach Berenato is painting a pretty good picture.

In the forefront of that picture could be the next great duo in college basketball. All great duos need a nickname, but with “Twin Towers” taken, freshman forward Vika Sholokhova and freshman center Marcedes Walker will have to settle for … “Twin Cathedrals?”

The two newcomers have helped the Panthers sprint out the gates above .500 while showing a glimpse of the future of Panthers basketball. Both players stand 6 feet 3 inches, but come from drastically different backgrounds. Walker hails from Philadelphia, while Sholokhova comes from Russia, but their differences haven’t hurt their play on the court.

“Vika and I can take a game over,” Walker said, following Wednesday’s game. “We just have to keep working at it in practice.”

Wednesday against the Wildcats, Walker put the Panthers on her back from the tip, until Sholokhova helped pick up the slack. The Panthers fed Walker the ball early and often on her way to 14 points and five rebounds. Walker hit six of 11 shots from the field on the night, while Sholokhova added 11 points and three rebounds. The two combined for 25 of the team’s 49 points, an important statistic, but not the most important to coach Berenato.

“It’s valuable experience for them,” Berenato said of Walker’s 28 minutes and Sholokhova’s 37. “I just want them to get as much time as possible.”

After a good start early in the game, Walker was forced into double teams the rest of the night when she got the ball in the paint. The Wildcats were able to slow her down and force Walker’s teammates to beat them. However, her teammates did not pick up the slack, shooting just 35 percent from the field as a team, and, as most games go, poor shooting will spell a loss.

“Ever since the second game of the season, I have seen double teams,” Walker said. “I didn’t want any silly turnovers, and I just tried to get the ball to my teammates.”

The Panthers stayed tight with the Wildcats, but there was no answer for Wildcat guard Liad Suez, who seemed to score at will en route to her game-high 22 points. While the Panthers proved again they weren’t quite at the level of the top team in the Big East, Walker continued her press for Big East Rookie of the Year.

“She’s my freshman of the year,” Berenato said after Wednesday’s game.

Right again, coach.