December 1, 2005
Slugs Fall Hard, Remain Optimistic

SANTA CRUZ, CA -- It may have taken only three games to achieve what it took 14 to do a season ago. But that doesn't seem to be enough for the UC Santa Cruz women's basketball team. Second-year coach Nikki Turner has upped expectations for the Division III NCAA program that began last season 0-14 before pulling out a win in January and finishing things off at 4-20.

"This was the worst game we've played since I've been here. I felt like, for some reason, the heart wasn't there tonight," Turner said after her team lost to visiting Notre Dame de Namur, 69-55, Wednesday night at the West Fieldhouse.

The loss dropped the Slugs to 1-4, but it came against a private school program in transition to Division II -- meaning a team with scholarship players. There were no excuses from the Slugs afterward, though. And there are certainly reasons for UCSC faithful to be optimistic....
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