As Delaware nears the conclusion of the finest regular season in school history, the pressure associated with being in the Top 10 for the first time is only one of the problems facing the Blue Hens and harried coach Tina Martin.
Ninth-ranked Delaware (25-1) is a perfect 16-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association. With a victory over lowly Northeastern at home Sunday, the Blue Hens will tie the school mark for wins in a season.
It's been an uplifting experience for the team and its loyal band of followers, but as the Blue Hens approach the conference tournament, Martin is finding it difficult to balance the euphoria of success with the need to keep her players fresh heading into the postseason.
''These kids are tired,'' Martin said Thursday night after a 71-53 win over George Mason. ''A couple of them are not feeling well. These are college kids. The grind on them starts to take a toll. My biggest concern is trying to play good, focused basketball and keep these kids healthy. That's the biggest thing at this time of the year. We've got to be consistent.''
Delaware has won 15 in a row, but the Blue Hens needed a late basket by Elena Delle Donne to beat Drexel 40-39 on Feb. 19. In that game, Delle Donne, the nation's leading scorer, went 4 for 19 from the field and scored a season-low 12 points.
''I think the kids are starting to feel the stress of being in the Top 10 in the country,'' Martin said. ''It's important we get it out in the open. We talk about it. Get the elephant out of the room. I say that all the time.''
To take the edge off, Martin has allowed the team to listen to music at the beginning of practice. That may not seem like much, but it's a major concession from a tough, no-nonsense coach.
''These kids have accomplished so much, and they have been my most consistent team. So sometimes I have to take a step back and take a little bit of pressure off them,'' Martin said. ''We've lightened practice a little bit. I've allowed some music to come into practice. I haven't done that in a long time. I'm talking about the first 10 minutes of practice when they're shooting around. Lighten it up a little bit and let them have the opportunity to enjoy coming to the gym.
''Let's face it: We all want to win. We all want to please our community and our university. These kids at some time, they feel the pressure, Martin added. ''It's human nature.''
A crowd of 4,824 packed the small Bob Carpenter Center on Thursday, and a sellout throng is expected for Sunday's home finale. Many of the fans come to see Delle Donne, a 6-foot-5 junior who had 28 points and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes against George Mason.
But these Blue Hens are not a one-woman team. Danielle Parker contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds on Thursday, and Lauren Carra had 11 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes despite being too ill to participate in the morning shootaround.
''They've got a nice basketball team,'' George Mason coach Jeri Porter said. ''As good as (Delle Donne) is, they've got some good complimentary players. Those kids play really well inside that system. And while they understand that their bread and butter is Elena, they've got some very nice players that makes it tough to defend them collectively.''
For Martin, the goal is to make sure all her players are operating at peak efficiency for the conference tournament that begins March 8, and in the NCAA tournament that follows. Delaware has never won the CAA tournament, and that's a goal Martin does not take lightly.
''We've already clinched the regular-season championship. It's our third in the CAA,'' she said. ''Now we want to go after the tournament championship. That will be out there when that time comes.''
In Martin's first year on the job, Delaware went 9-19 in 1996-97. The Blue Hens were 6-21 the following season. Now, Delaware is the class of the conference and drawing more fans than the men's team.
''In this league, we've been taking everyone's best shot,'' Martin said. ''Wednesday (at William & Mary) is our last game, then we're going to give them back-to-back days off and work hard over the weekend. Then we'll give them another day off before we head into the (CAA) tournament. Trust me, three days off in a short span, they're going to think it's Christmas again.''
Until then, the Blue Hens are going to have to grind it out for two more games.
''They don't want to let anybody down,'' Martin said. ''They're feeling the stress, but the bottom line is they're coming to play, they're following game plans and we're getting a win. Each time, there's almost a sense of relief.''
