WOUDEN, SNOW STORM PAST SLCC
by Amy Donaldson

Deseret News

TAYLORSVILLE — Coach Cindy Lindsay has convinced her athletes that playing time doesn't matter.

"Our coach has a motto, 'Don't count the minutes, make the minutes count,"' said Celeste Wouden, a redshirt freshman from Box Elder High who sparked Snow to a huge 82-59 victory in its conference opener at Salt Lake Community College Saturday afternoon.

"She was absolutely awesome," said coach Cindy Lindsay. "What a great surprise. She gave us a lift defensively, she helped us on the boards. We didn't lose anything, in fact, we gained something."

Wouden entered the game after starting forwards Toralee Nenbee and Amy Weitzeil got into foul trouble in the first half. She ended up playing 20 minutes because she played so well for the Badgers, who are now 1-0 in conference and 10-6 overall. She finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals in the dominating performance by Snow on the Bruins' home court.

"When I'm out there I want to be productive," said Wouden. "We love games like this. You never forget them."

Snow was also led by freshman point guard Abbie Beutler, who scored 19 points, earned four steals and had five assists. She was everywhere and did everything for the Badgers from start to finish.

"I didn't think we had any low points in the game," she said.

Sophomore Cami Hymas, a Bingham alum, added 14 points and six rebounds, while Torle Nenbee finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Shaylee Nielsen, a sophomore from Delta, added 12 points and two steals in the win.

Lindsay said the team wanted to get off to a solid start in conference play.

"That's what we wanted to do," Lindsay said, pointing out that the Badgers played four ranked teams, one of which they beat in a tough pre-season schedule. "We feel like to be the best, you have to play the best. I think it made us quicker and tougher in the transition game."

Salt Lake Community College went on a 16-3 run in the second half, but they trailed by 20 points and really came close to leading after the first few minutes. Bruins coach Betsy Specketer was more disappointed with the effort than she was the final score.

"Give Snow credit," Specketer said. "They played really well. They played with energy and enthusiasm. They had fun. We learned some things about us. I hoped we would have learned some of these things before the start of conference play, but you've got to show up with heart."

Defense may have been the most obvious problem, but she said there were many areas that needed improving.

"Defensively we showed no fight," she said. "They controlled the whole game . ... We've got a ways to go."

Nicole Brady, a Uintah alum, led the Bruins with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kelsey Sparkman, from Weber High, added nine points, as did Dayna Burgess, of Riverton High.

"I thought Nicole did just about everything you could ask of her," said Specketer. "The rest of the group that surrounds her has to carry a little bit of the load."

While SLCC struggled in almost every aspect of the game, the Badgers seemed comfortable regardless of who was on the floor and what position they were playing.

"We had five players in double figures," Wouden said. "We're not a one-man team. We're a team."