When interviewed for the basketball preview issue last year, almost all of the women’s basketball team members thought that shooting would be a strong point.

A year ago the team was exciting to watch as they pumped in three pointers and were almost a lock from the paint.

What a difference a year makes.

FAU is currently 2-9 and 1-4 in A-Sun play, mostly because of a poor 38 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc. What happened to the Lady Owls to create this?

For starters, the players who were on fire last year have been on the bench a lot this year. Janka Deckerova and Julie Goad are averaging 13.3 and 16.9 minutes a night, respectively. Deckerova is only seeing a minute in dropped paining time but Goad’s time is down almost eight minutes from a year ago.

The shorter playing time could be contributing to the shooting woes, as both players were over 30 percent in both categories last year, but have put up considerably

weaker numbers this season.

Deckerova is shooting 17 percent from the field and 20 percent from the arc, almost 15 percent lower

than in 2003. Goad is a little better at 33 percent and 26 percent.

Adding to the woes is that no player on the team is shooting over 24 percent — yes, that is less than one-quarter of their shots. Also, Trineca McCleod leads the team in three-point percentage with 33 percent but she is only 1 for 3 for the arc.

Slow down — all is not lost. The season is only half over and 1-4 in the A-Sun does not mean they are out of it just yet.

Someone has to step up and become the leader of this team. The seniors know what it takes to win, but their play has sent them to the bench.

Whatever the problem, it can be fixed and the Lady Owls can save their season.

Coach Dugan believed in her team when the season began and she has not lost faith in them. The Lady Owls need to regroup and center themselves on shooting the rest of the season.

Last year the team started 0-7 before turning it around to go 14-14, and taking a third seed in the conference tournament. They might need the same effort as last year to rebound, but it can be done.

The seniors need to take charge and lead this team into the tournament. They were in the same position last year and know what it takes to dig down deep.

The Owls believe they are a good team, and they are. They just need to remember the basics and find their shooting again. If the Owls can shoot better, everything else will fall into place.

The team already has a strong defense and rebounding has never been easier, with McCleod and Deanna Hanscomb working the boards.

FAU has the tools to be the team they want to be; it is just a matter of finding the sweet spot and shooting from there.