 "Photo: Ted Copeland/ The Olympian")
 "Photo: Ted Copeland/ The Olympian")
After a strong start to the season in league play, Olympic College Rangers women’s basketball team has gone down hill and run into a slump, losing the last eight games. On Jan. 23 against Edmonds Community College the Rangers lost one of the teams leaders in Jodi Mitchell, to an ankle injury.
After losing Mitchell the Rangers faced off against Whatcom Community College, shooting just one of 16 from three the Rangers were defeated 55-79, although Jessica Jordan did add 21 for the Rangers.
“We have been losing because of bad decision making and not having Jodi is huge,” said Jasmine Campbell. “We need to adjust to not having that extra 20 points a game and we all need to step up.”
After the loss to Whatcom the Rangers faced Peninsula College, a team which the Rangers had defeated by ten earlier in the season. Although the Rangers beat Peninsula earlier this season the Rangers are a much different team without Mitchell. Although the Rangers out rebounded Peninsula and Jordan again had a big game with 19 points and 17 rebounds the Rangers were still defeated 74-81.
“We were complacent after the wins, now we need to work hard at practice,” said freshmen Irene Moore. “We have had a few practices without the whole team and that has taken focus away.”
The Rangers then traveled to Edmonds to try to turn their losing streak around. But the third place Tritons easily defeated the still Mitchell-less Rangers 70-48. After the loss to Edmonds the Rangers played against Shoreline Community College, again a team the Rangers had beat by more than 10 earlier this season. Again without Mitchell, the Rangers shot a bad 15 of 51 from the field and when you shoot like that it is always tough to win.
The Rangers suffered yet another loss in a game they could have won, 42-57.
“We need to run the same game, other kids need to step up,” said Head Coach Tammy Helwig. “We shot horrible, but we had less turnovers, and more steals but we just couldn’t score.”
The Rangers looked like they were going to have a promising season when it began, but with the loss of the team’s leader the Rangers have taken quite a dive and are now in 8th place with just two wins and nine losses. However there is some good news for the Rangers. Mitchell recently got an MRI and the Rangers are hoping for positive results so she can come back early this week.
“Not having the leading scorer and team leader affects the team a lot,” said Helwig. “No one has really stepped up other than a few of Jessica’s games, but it is a bummer when your leader can’t play.”
The Rangers are hoping to turn things around for the remainder of the season, but with remaining schedule it could be a tough road ahead. On Wednesday the Rangers host the second place Bellevue Community College. Then on Feb. 17 the Rangers host the first place Skagit Valley Cardinals. The schedule gets a bit easier on the Feb. 20 when the Rangers travel to Seattle.
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