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By David Boyce  |  Northwest Women's Basketball vs. Rockhurst   | Saturday, Nov. 19  |  3 p.m.  |  Bearcat Arena  |  Maryville, Mo.
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State's women's basketball team heads into its Saturday afternoon home game against Rockhurst with a 3-0 record. It is an impressive start considering the Bearcats only won five games last season and never once tasted a victory on the road.
 
The Bearcats took care of two things it never accomplished last season when they won their season-opener against Ouachita Baptist in Bolivar, Mo., and followed that with a win over Henderson State. Northwest, which failed to get a non-conference win against a Division II school a season ago, had a pleasant bus ride back to Maryville last weekend.
 
"It was a big start for us," said sophomore guard Macy Williams. "To beat out a Division II non-conference school and be on the road that really boosted our confidence. It felt really good.
 
"It was a lot easier to get home at 2 a.m. with a win instead of trying to get some sleep after a loss. It was probably the best feeling I felt in a long time. It was a relief and motivation for the next games."
 
When looking at the character of the 10 returning players from last year's team, it is not surprising to see the early-season success.
 
Despite the difficult losses, the players stayed positive.
 
"I honestly didn't notice a lack of chemistry last year," Williams said. "We had great girls."
 
Junior forward Taryne Shull is another example of an upbeat outlook even during a difficult season. Last year she was reunited with her older sister and looked forward to playing basketball games in Taylor Shull's final season. But injuries limited Taryne to only 10 games.
 
Instead of bemoaning about the few times she got the opportunity to pass the ball or receive a pass from her sister, Taryne saw the bright side of last season's experience.
 
"Even with all that happening, I was still happy I was there for her," Shull said. "To experience all of that with her was still enjoyable."
 
Coach Buck Scheel knew he had plenty to work with to help turnaround the Bearcats. When the interim tag was lifted and he officially became the head coach, Scheel kept nearly the entire team intact.
 
"I appreciate he kept us together," Shull said. "Having us as one unit, it helps because we know each other. I trust Scheel as a coach and everything he does."
 
Simply put, coach and players are not driving in different directions to the same game. When that happens, a winning result usually gets lost.
 
"They have that confidence in me because I have done as much as I can to put confidence in them," Scheel said. "We do a lot of drills in practice to help them gain that confidence and comfort level.
 
The players rewarded Scheel for his loyalty in them by working hard in the offseason to get better.
 
"It started at the end of last year," Williams said. "This summer we were here for a month together. Everybody came in competing with each other. Making each other accountable was the biggest difference."
 
Scheel was glad the Bearcats experienced a win away from Bearcat Arena immediately. They came close on several occasions last season but could never make that clutch basket or important stop in the final minute.
 
"To see them go out Friday night and have that confidence in themselves and really have a presence the entire game and shoot the ball well on the road was nice," Scheel said.
 
The Bearcats are in the middle of a three-game home stand. They beat Bellevue 69-55 on Wednesday. After facing Rockhurst at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Northwest will play Kansas Christian College at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
 
"With this three-game home stretch, I want to see us be more consistent on defense," Scheel said. "At times, we will have some breakdowns."
 
The Bearcats are eager to learn from their mistakes and keep improving. Shull definitely enjoys being on the court again. She is averaging 9.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in the first three games. A year ago, she only scored seven points the entire season.
 
"Being out there, I finally know the reason why I fell in love with the game," Shull said. "When you are hurt, you get down on yourself. It feels amazing to get back out there and play with the girls. I love this team so much."