Lancer women gearing up to defend national title, says Bob Duff.

Lancers in winning form

Chantal Vallee describes this as her most interesting year as coach of the Windsor Lancers’ women’s basketball team. Interesting, as in unnerving. “It was a very interesting first semester, probably the most interesting I’ve had as the Lancers coach,” Vallee said after Saturday’s 77-42 OUA victory over the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

You think winning the CIS basketball title, as Windsor did last season, was a difficult challenge? Try defending it. “It seemed like the end was so far, it was hard to motivate the players,” Vallee admitted. “It was difficult to come back from the incredible year that was last year.”

The end is much nearer now. So close they can taste it.

So near, they know the time has arrived to pump up the volume.

Four games from the end of regular-season play, the Lancers are a much different club than the one that hit the hardwood most nights during the 2011 portion of the 2011-12 campaign.

“Right now, we’re really seeing a turning point in our team,” fourth-year forward Laura Mullins said. “We’re really developing, gelling as a team.

“Pretty much ever since Christmas break, we’ve been starting to play really well together.”

Fourth-year guard Bojana Kovacevic has also noticed a new attitude since the Lancers returned from their holiday respite.

“We’re really playing well together,” Kovacevic said.

“The rookies are stepping up, everyone is stepping up. We’re definitely preparing for playoffs now, and these games are good practice for us.”

There is perhaps no greater challenge for a team than to come back strongly following a championship season.

A summer of celebrating the achievement, of hearing about their greatness, can quickly soften the edges of even the hardest, most competitive group.

Vallee did her best to prepare for the challenge, studying up on such maladies as the Stanley Cup hangover.

“I didn’t want to go through that,” Vallee said.

Regardless, she found herself somewhat astonished by the malaise that greeted her upon arrival in the fall.

“We went through long stretches where it was not as motivating for the team to perform,” Vallee said. “But since January, I’ve seen the wind change. I’ve seen a lot better spirit from the girls.

“The intensity is there, so is the focus. It’s good to have our team back.”

The Lancers have ramped up their prep work of late, as the finish line fast approaches and the most important games of the season await.

“This weekend, we started a new grading system that depending on the score of the game, this is what we’re focused on for playoffs,” Vallee said. “So far, it’s going really well.

“We’re right on target.”

As much as teams preach the one-game-at-a-time mentality, the truth is that for returning champions, the regular season is a grind.

They’ve been to the promised land, and can’t wait to get back there.

“We always have the playoffs in the back of our heads,” Mullins said. “We try to go one game at a time, focus on our next opponent, but we always have that playoff goal ahead of us.”

Even the coach isn’t about to debate that point.

“While we live in the present, and we make sure we take care of the game we’re playing, we are thinking big picture,” Vallee said. “We want to be the winners at the end.”

The end of the regular season is near.

“We’re ready to go again,” Kovacevic said.

Winning time is about to begin for Windsor, and they can’t wait to get started.