Rarely do teams have to fight their schedule as opposed to the teams on the schedule, but in the case of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s basketball team, they really do have to fight the schedule. Let’s just hope the team doesn’t get too rusty in the last part of November because of the “Rockies Effect.”

The Colorado Rockies waited 9 days between winning the division championship and starting the World Series. In case you missed it, prior to the fall classic the Rockies swept their way through October, winning 7 straight playoff games to make it to the World Series, where they were promptly dominated and swept on, right over Fenway’s Green Monster

The Panthers have only two games left this month before facing Central Connecticut State on Dec. 1. A schedule like this can really take its toll on a team, especially in the early stages of the season when teams are struggling to find their identities.

This team could really suffer from its sparse schedule come November when they have a long string of tough games starting with Central Connecticut State, Wisconsin, Central Michigan and Drake. If the team can’t find themselves by then they could be in real trouble with the start of the conference season in the beginning of February.

Although the Panthers were picked to win the Horizon League title, a young team such as this could really be hurt by inexperience when trying to fight through a tough schedule. Despite getting handed a 20-point loss at the hands of Illinois, things are looking up at this point in the season, which already consists of a handy 88-76 trouncing of Chicago State as well as two more than convincing exhibition wins.

The Panther’s next game is next Monday night when they face off against the Dayton Flyers. The team will then test the effects of the long layoff, as they don’t play again until Nov. 28 against Miami.

If the team can get through this month and play well into December, Panther fans everywhere will have reason to be very optimistic for the team next March.

As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Let’s just hope that rings truer for the Panthers than it did for the Rockies.

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