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Previews
A look at the upcoming season
1999-2000 season
Chowan
After a disappointing 7-17 mark last year, guarded optimism best
characterizes the outlook for the 1999-2000 Chowan women's
basketball season. "I'm not going to make any predictions," said
fifth-year head coach Jeannette Alston. "We'll take one game at a time."
Alston has posted a 31-63 record at the helm of the Braves program, including their first winning season as a four-year school in 1997-98. She has continually upgraded the program each year and hopes her efforts pay off this season. The Braves boast four returning starters and five returning letterwinners from last year's squad.
The strength of this year's team will be the backcourt led by point guard Alisha Harvey. Harvey was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 8.3 points per game. The junior led the team in assists (64) and steals (68). She is a complete offensive player, possessing the ability to drive and dish or pull up and shoot the jumper. Harvey will be asked to bring the team together, run the offense and control the defense. Her leadership abilities will be just as important as her on-court performance this season.
Sophomore Nicole Mehalick returns at the two-guard spot. Mehalick will be called upon to pick up where she left off. She scored in double-figures in 13 of the last 14 games last season and was the team's leading scorer in seven of the final 12 games. Mehalick finished the season averaging 10.6 points per game, second on the team. Anything but a selfish player, she was also second on the team in assists (55) and steals (40). Mehalick will be the Braves' primary outside threat, having led the team with 41 three-pointers a year ago.
Fellow sophomore Megan Brenegan also returns in the backcourt. She appeared in all 24 games for the Braves last season, starting 17. Alston would like to see Brenegan add more scoring this season, after averaging 5.0 points and 6.1 rebounds last year.
The newcomers at the guard position are led by Amanda Murray. Murray can play both the one and the two spot. She was a two-time team MVP at South Granville High School. Murray is a very solid defender. Add to that her court vision and her outside shooting ability and Alston expects her make an immediate impact. Patrese Jarrell will help to spell Harvey at the point. As she becomes more comfortable, Alston expects her to be able to run the offense effectively. She will frustrate opponents with her defense and is a terrific passer. Shauntea Cruse and Sherea Mullins will also see some time at the guard spot this season. Each can play a number of positions.
Overall, Alston is looking for big things out of the guards this season. She will be depending heavily upon them to play her style of basketball. "We are looking for very intense, upbeat play from our guards this season," stated the coach.
In the frontcourt, junior Lachelle Waller will be called upon to shoulder much of the load. Waller, who at 5-11 is the Braves' tallest player, was fourth on the team in scoring (8.3) and second on the team in rebounding (7.6) last season. She is a physical force in the middle and will create havoc for opponents. She led the team with 16 blocked shots a year ago. Waller seemed to get stronger as the season went along last season and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds against Meredith.
Josette Beasley also returns after appearing in all 24 games for the Braves last season, averaging six points per game. She is a very physical player and isn't afraid to mix it up underneath the basket. She was third on the team in rebounding last season, averaging 4.1 per game. Alston has seen unmatched improvement in Beasley since last season and cites her intensity and attitude as her strengths.
Amber Powers, a transfer from San Mateo Junior College in California, will also be called upon to be a very physical presence down low. A very intense player, Powers knows how to score and hit the glass. Her enthusiasm and passion for the game are very clear in both her practice habits and style of play.
With no seniors and just two juniors, some struggles might be expected, but they should be short-lived. With a blend of veteran leadership, experienced sophomores, and talented newcomers, the sky appears to be the limit.
Christopher Newport
It might take a few games to become familiar with the
1999-2000 Lady Captains. The CNU team is filled with new personnel,
so much so that even Coach Carolyn Hunter needed some time to get
acquainted with everyone.
"As preseason practices started, it did take some time for everyone to get to know each other." Hunter admitted. "As the season gets underway we need to come together and play as a team. This season is all about playing as a team."
Coach Hunter begins her second season at the helm, following a 15-10 inaugural campaign last year. Even though there are plenty of new faces, Hunter is impressed with the talent level. "We may not have an outstanding individual as the season begins, but I can see so much potential."
The Lady Captains do return four players who saw considerable time last year: Karla Rhone, Nadine Ward, Cherri Phillips and Serita Jackson. "It may seem hard to believe, but I really think we have more overall talent than we did last year," Hunter said. "It's a matter of everybody coming together as a team."
Judging from Hunter's squad last year, defense and hard work will be stressed. "The early part of the season is very important for our development," Hunter continued. "With those games under our belt, we should be much improved once the Dixie Conference season begins in January."
The non-conference schedule is a tough one, and should give the Lady Captains some indication of where improvement might be needed. This season's conference outlook is muddled at best. Virtually everyone in the Dixie lost significant talent, and rebuilding will be going on everywhere. "The preseason poll has CNU and Methodist at the top," Hunter said. "Every team has quite a few new people. I think it's going to be very competitive."
Newcomer Lindsey Carney will likely be the starter at point guard. Carney played one year at Randolph-Macon before transferring to CNU. She will be backed up by two other transfers, Rasheedah Martin and Melissa Dixon. Cherri Phillips will start for CNU and will see most of the minutes at the two spot. Melissa Dixon and Crystal Storey will likely be used in reserve roles. Look for Serita Jackson in the middle for the Lady Captains for most of the time. Nadine Ward might slide from a forward spot or Amy Patterson may be used in the event of injury or foul trouble.
Karla Rhone will be the starter at small forward and will see plenty of time. Newcomers Melissa Dixon and Ellen Wallace will be the back-ups. Look for Nadine Ward at power forward, with newcomers Tia Moore, Jen Harrell and Adrienne Faircloth as backups.
Emory
Very little will change for Myra Sims in her 12th season as head coach of
the Emory University women's basketball team. She won't have to change the
game plan or hand out nametags to figure out who is on the team. Coach
Sims is hoping the continuity will lend itself to continued success for
the Eagles.
Despite losing a record-setting all-conference starter due to graduation
the Eagles return 12 players, including three starters, from last year's
16-9 team, bolstering hopes of another winning season. Last season Emory
posted its eighth consecutive winning season and sixth straight with 16 or
more wins.
Leading the group of returning starters is senior guard Christie Howard of Dallas, Texas (Ursuline Academy). An all-conference second team selection last season, Howard was the team's second leading scorer averaging 11.7 points per game. She led the team in field goals, assists and steals and was third in field goal and free throw percentage. Howard was the top scorer in 11 of 25 games last season, scoring 20 points or more in three of them. In conference play Howard was sixth in field goal percentage and 10th in scoring.
Junior Kendra Robins of Virginia Beach, Va. (Norfolk Academy), is the incumbent at point guard. Last season Robins averaged 7.6 points per game. She was second in three-point field goal percentage (28.1) and third in free throw percentage (73.9) and assists (2.8 per game). In conference play she ranked sixth in free throw percentage. Robins tallied seven double-digit scoring games last season with the highlight being a career-high 18 points against two-time national champion Washington U.
Jennifer Naeger of Pompano Beach, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons), is the lone returning starter in the front court. The senior forward averaged 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 points per game and ranked ninth in the conference in rebounds. Naeger posted season highs of 14 points in a season-opening win against Huntingdon and 12 rebounds against Rochester. Naeger missed most of the preseason while playing on the Emory volleyball team.
Senior Alex Gillies of Hebron, Maine (Hebron Academy), looks to fill the void at center. An honorable mention pick in the conference last year Gillies was voted the team's Best Sixth Player after having the best statistical season of her career. She had a team-high 26 blocked shots, the second-best season total in school history, and averaged 9.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She was second on the team in field goal percentage and third in both points and rebounds. In the conference Gillies ranked seventh in rebounds.
Sophomores Meredith Darneille of Montgomery, Ala. (Saint James School), Mekisha Parks of Ellenwood, Ga. (Holy Innocents' Episcopal), and Andrea Pawliczek of Lexington, Mass. (Lexington), are expected to make contributions throughout the season. Darneille, selected as the team's Most Improved Player, finished with a team-high 74.3 free throw percentage and was fourth in assists (2.0 per game). She was the starting point guard in Emory's final four games of the season, averaging 8.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Parks and Pawliczek shared team Rookie of the Year honors for the Eagles last season. Pawliczek, an occasional starter and top reserve, was third with a 49.2 field goal percentage and averaged 3.1 rebounds and 5.9 points per game. Pawliczek, like Naeger, also missed the majority of the pre-season due to her goalkeeping duties on the Emory women's soccer team.
Parks averaged 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game as a reserve last season. Parks scored in double digits in two games last season, the highlight coming in the Eagles' final game of the season when she scored 10 points with two blocks, a steal and two three-pointers in a win against Carnegie Mellon.
McMurry
After improving in each of the last four years, the Lady Indians'
basketball team looks to continue their ascent and plan on "taking the
next step" for the 1999-2000 season. The team has been making strides
each year to climb to respectability, to challenging for the title, and
now expected to be one of the favorites for the championship this year.
McMurry will begin its tough road to a hopeful first American Southwest
Conference title in the 25th year for women's basketball
at the Emory University tournament in Atlanta.
The Lady Indians compiled their best season in 17 years when they went 17-10 before losing to Hardin-Simmons in the ASC title game 89-81. It was the program's second most wins to the 1981-82 team's 19 wins in a 19-7 year. McMurry has seen continued improvement in each of head coach Sam Nichols' first four campaigns. He has increased the wins of the program from only four the season before his arrival to nine, 11, 14 and up to 17 last year. The fifth-year head coach has a 51-50 record for a 50.5% rate at McMurry.
"We have a three-part goal heading into the season," reveals Nichols. "We want to win the West, win the ASC and win it all." Coach Nichols team heads into this season with some lofty expectations upon them. For the first time in women's basketball the Lady Indians are picked to win the ASC-West Division narrowly edging out Hardin-Simmons, who won the ASC last year.
"It is not going to be easy by no means as the ASC is rated as the second-toughest conference in Division III for women's basketball," added Nichols. (No source was provided for said assertion.) "Playing the ASC schedule is like going through a minefield at night with the hiccups. We can make a run at a national title or finish down at third in our Division and not even make the playoffs -- it is that tough."
Who can blame everyone for putting such high acclaim on the team before the season starts with Ogonna Merritt. If McMurry is to capture its first Conference title they will do it on the play of their outstanding point guard and seven other returners to the roster from a year ago. "I feel like I have eight returning starters. Each of them have not only played significant minutes quantity wise but all have a vast amount of big game experience," remarked Nichols. "All of my returning players have come back not only a year older but more importantly a year better."
Merritt, a '98-'99 First team ASC-West Division pick, set the school and ASC season steal mark last year with 100 thefts and led McMurry with a 11.8 points per game average. The senior from Midland dished out 135 assists, which was good enough for second in the ASC as well as second in assist/turnover ratio at 1.73. Merritt hit 38.0% from the field over 24 games while gathering 3.6 boards per affair. "We have three great starters back to give us a solid hub to build our team around this year which is a real plus," added the head coach.
Merritt has two teammates returning that were full-time starters: senior Dedra Brittain, and junior Nisha Washington. Brittain of Gatesville enters her fourth year as a starter and has 626 points in her first three campaigns. She is a three-point threat and finished in the Top 10 of the conference at 34.2% (27 of 79 attempts) while pouring in 8.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg. Washington from Midland is the squad's top glass cleaner. She finished seventh in rebounding of the ASC at 7.6 rpg and put in equally as many points at 7.6 ppg. Her specialty last season was on the offensive boards where her 4.31 rpg led the league.
Coach Nichols has the luxury of five other solid women back in the flock. The five include three forwards in Lilly Ogunbanjo, Tamika Thurman, and Nicole Harlmon along with center Amanda Bradshaw and guard Talitha Belcher. Ogunbanjo of Houston comes back as the top scorer of the five with an 8.0 ppg mark to go with 4.4 rpg. Midland natives Thurman and Belcher were key contributors to last year's strong team. Thurman chipped in with 5.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg while Belcher found the basket for 4.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg. Bradshaw of Clyde will be the team's mainstay in the middle at 6'1". She will look to improve upon her 4.1 ppg and 1.9 rpg output from last season.
McMurry is very excited about adding valuable depth to the team with the recruiting class that will take the court for the upcoming year. "I believe we have the best recruiting class in my career here," points out Nichols. "It will be a great advantage to have such a great class coming in as we love to play a lot of people and our depth will definitely be one of our team's strong points." The three gems of the class will be sophomore transfer Holly Potts, Corissa Thompson, and Stephanie Holloway. Potts (Wolfforth) is a transfer from New Mexico Junior College and will add immediate help to the McMurry backcourt. Thompson (N. Richland Hills) and Holloway (Lubbock) will add to the frontcourt. Thompson from Richland High School is a six-foot center who tallied 10 points, seven boards and two blocks per game while hitting 50% from the field. Holloway stands at 6-1 and comes from the same high school Potts attended at Frenship where she was the "Offensive Player of the Year" last season.
Rounding out the Lady Indian roster are six freshmen. The first-year players include: Abilene High's Dee Harris, Ametra Boyd (Corpus Christi), Jessica Goolsby (Aledo), Lauren Bagley (Fairfield), Cameran Umsheid (Austin) and Whitney Giles (Cross Plains) complete the docket.
"We just have to stay hungry and not get comfortable with where we are. Our team will continue to use our strong defense and rebounding as the anchors of our team and am just excited overall with the group of players we have coming into the 1999-2000 season," said Nichols.
Roanoke
The Maroons are coming off a 20-6 season in which they went 17-3 in conference games, and advanced to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference semifinals. The team, however, must find replacements for four seniors lost to graduation, all of which were important pieces to the Roanoke game last year.
Despite all of their personnel losses, the Maroons will field an experienced squad in 1999-2000. Four of their top five scorers return to the fold for another season in Salem, while eight letterwinners from last year’s team return to the team this year. Senior center Sarah Dingledine posted a team-high 11.0 points per game last season and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per contest. Within 15 feet from the basket, Dingledine is a deadly shooter, knocking down a squad-best 55.2% of her shots last year. She is one of the most powerful centers in the conference, but has soft hands and that soft touch. After suffering through her junior year with several injuries, Dingledine enters the 1999-2000 season in the best shape of her college career.
Dingledine will get help in the frontcourt from fellow senior Cheryl Rhodes. Rhodes adds versatility to the RC lineup, able to play inside the paint or on the perimeter. Very difficult to defend because of her versatility, Rhodes is the best pure rebounder on the club. Last season, she led the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg) and was second on the club in scoring (10.2 ppg). Rhodes was named to the ODAC All-Conference team.
Junior Suzanne Webb is expected to step into the starting lineup this season after playing in all 26 games last year. Playing with a new-found confidence, Webb should improve upon her 7.7 points per game effort last year. A slasher, Webb led the team in trips to the free throw line last season with 103. Head coach Susan Dunagan expects Webb to have a 'breakout' season in 1999-2000.
Sophomores Crystal Barrett and Kate McPadden will add depth to the Roanoke frontcourt this season. Last year, in 14 appearances, Barrett averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds a contest. Barrett has tremendous speed and quickness for a post player, and is another like Dingledine with excellent hands. With Barrett in the lineup, the Maroons will have five players on the court that can contribute on the fast break. McPadden was limited to just four games due to a knee injury as a freshman and is working her way back into playing shape. In the lineup, McPadden will help the RC perimeter game. Never afraid to put the ball on the floor, McPadden at 5-11 is listed as a forward, but has the ability to play at the two-spot as well.
Freshmen Carrie Brown and Liz Sloop will come off the bench in reserve roles in the frontcourt for RC this season. Brown brings a measure of toughness and strength to the lineup, while Sloop will show added improvement as the course of the season goes on. Both could contribute to the Roanoke rebounding game this season. After losing Toree Morris to graduation,
Roanoke’s biggest question mark this season will be the play of the guards, in particular perimeter shooting. RC’s top returning guard will be senior Carrie McConnell, an All-ODAC selection last year. McConnell started all 26 games for Roanoke last season, and led the team in assists with 140, including a school-record 16 in one game. Dunagan describes McConnell as a 'coach on the floor.' McConnell returns to Salem for a fifth season after missing the majority of her junior season with a knee injury. Although her first instinct is to make a pass, McConnell has a deadly outside shot and must look to that area of her game more this season.
Junior Holly Weber also has the potential to fill the three-point void left by the departure of Morris. Weber worked had in the off-season on her outside shot, as well as her ball handling. Weber will also be a key on the defensive end of the floor, using her quick feet and ‘in-your-face’ style of play. Weber can play either the point or shooting guard position, but will see most of her time at the two-guard spot this season. Another hard worker, Weber’s on the court confidence has grown great strides over the past two seasons and should show even more development this season.
A true team player, junior Seana Abdelmajid’s skills are continually improving. Watch for Abdelmajid to get much improved playing time in her third year on the team. Both Abdelmajid’s passing ability and shot selection have improved during her stay in Salem, factors that will lead to her increased playing time. Sophomore Jill Quesenberry had an outstanding rookie season and should build upon that success this year. Averaging 5.6 points per game, Quesenberry shot nearly 58% from the floor as a freshman. Deceptively strong, Quesenberry is not afraid to mix it up in the paint, and uses that physical play to be force on the boards.
Behind Rhodes, Quesenberry is the most versatile player on the club, possessing the ability to play in the paint or on the perimeter. Several newcomers in the Roanoke backcourt will provide a variety of talents to the lineup this season. Freshman Ginna Guthrie will bring a proven outside shot and an ability to get up and down on the Roanoke fastbreak. Guthrie showed her winning instincts in high school, and will bring that spirit to the Maroons this year.
Meredith Evans might also be an answer to perimeter questions the Maroon have this season. Always giving 100%, Evans has a nice touch from the free-throw line extended and with time will develop a three-point shot. Christina McMillian’s biggest asset is her speed and quickness. Coming off the bench to spell the point guard spot as a freshman, McMillian will be able to run the RC fast break and add tenacity at the defensive end of the floor. Sarah Grimes brings a natural scoring touch to the roster as she displayed in high school. Her game will need time to adjust to the collegiate style of play, but with time she will be an important contributor.
More Previews
2001-02
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