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A look at the upcoming season
2002-03 season
Atlantic Region teams
New
Jersey
The College
of New Jersey will be looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after a
tournament berth eluded them last year.
Last year’s campaign
found the Lions starting off with a 2-5 mark before rebounding and going
17-3 to finish the season with a 19-8 overall record. Within the NJAC,
TCNJ began conference play 0-4 then won 14 consecutive league games to
earn regular-season champion honors as well as the top seed in the NJAC
Tournament. After defeating Richard Stockton 75-63 in overtime in the
NJAC first round, the Lions were unable to defend their NJAC title as
they fell 66-57 to Kean in the championship game. Under Henderson, TCNJ
has advanced to the NJAC Tournament eight times.
Henderson is looking forward to starting the year and pushing TCNJ to
use its whole potential. A challenging offseason weight-training regimen,
combined with a rigorous preseason training camp, will hopefully pay off
for the Lions late in the season as they look to make another run for
postseason action. Having graduated three seniors, this year’s squad
returns four starters and seven players who played about 10 minutes or
more last season. Another added bonus is the fact that TCNJ will have
its four leading scorers from a year ago for another season as well as
three of the Lions’ top four rebounders.
Among the returnees are senior co-captains Kristen McCandless and Jen Munday. McCandless was the team’s MVP and outstanding defensive player, while Munday was the team’s Most Improved Player. Along with the nine returning letter winners, TCNJ is bringing in six newcomers, some of which will be called upon early to contribute. Henderson stated, “We have a great core of veteran players returning and talented freshmen joining the program. It will be fun to see how this team comes together.”
Last season, the junior
trio of Laura Mala, Liz Martin, and Adrienne Warner dominated the Lions’
inside play as these players stepped up their game and took their play
to the next level. This group’s control of the inside allowed TCNJ’s
guards to shoot outside. “This year’s edition of the Lions will
feature strong inside play, combined with guards who can create for themselves
or pull up for the three,” commented Henderson. The additions of
5-10 Erin Frank and 5-11 inch Danica Miller will make it difficult for
TCNJ’s opponents to defend its inside game as both Frank and Miller
are proven post players who will help the Lions on the boards.
For the second consecutive season, Warner was TCNJ’s leading scorer
last year as she averaged 11.9 points per game. An NJAC All-Conference
Second Team performer, she started 23 of 25 games, averaging 25.9 minutes.
Warner helped the Lions on the boards, grabbing 122 rebounds for an average
of 4.9. Martin was another NJAC All-Conference Second Team selection who
once again paced TCNJ with 197 boards (7.3 RPG), while averaging a second-best
11.4 PPG for the team. She was second among the Lion players in field
goal percentage with 48.4%, free throw percentage with 77.6%, and blocks
with 27.
Mala played in every single game with four starts, improving greatly upon
her 2000-2001 rookie statistics. A year ago, she was TCNJ’s fourth-leading
scorer with 7.8 points per contest as she averaged 18.1 minutes. Mala
was fourth among NJAC players with her team-leading 31 blocks. Newcomer
Frank, the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame Female Athlete of the Year,
achieved a millennium double-double with 1,172 points and 1,002 rebounds
during her scholastic career at Toms River H.S. East, averaging 15.7 PPG
and 13.0 RPG. Incoming rookie Miller was also a high school standout as
she also netted over a 1,000 points at Rutherford H.S. with a 15.4 scoring
average. Rounding out the Lions at the forward position will be sophomore
Caitlin Dearing. During last season’s effort, Dearing posted 2.3
PPG and 1.8 RPG in 12 games played.
The coaching staff has high expectations for sophomore Theresa DiMedio
to elevate her game and bring some experience to the guard spot which
will be led by veterans McCandless, junior Karima McKenzie, and Munday.
Henderson anticipates that DiMedio will contribute both by scoring and
rebounding. “Our guards are going to be expected to step up and help
us with defensive rebounding. We work extremely hard on the defensive
end and we need to finish the play by controlling the boards,” said
Henderson.
As the new players to the program, Deana Cuozzo, Alexa Shields, and Tiara Simpkins will be looked upon to step right in and play a part in TCNJ’s success this upcoming season.
McCandless is dominating from the guard spot and is regarded as one of the top NJAC players. A threat on defense, she was named the 2002 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year. McCandless paced the Lions in steals for the second straight season with 65, while also leading the team in assists with 78. Missing only two starts last year, she shot a team-leading 54.6% from the floor a year ago and also bested all other NJAC performers with her field goal percentage.
In 26 games started a year ago, Munday led the squad in free throw percentage with 85% on 34 free throws made in 40 attempts. She dished out a second-best 75 assists and picked off 25 steals, while averaging 28.5 minutes, 6.4 PPG and 3.0 RPG for TCNJ. Munday also returns as the Lions’ top 3-point shooter as she shot just over 35% from behind the arc. McKenzie once again saw limited action due to an early season ankle injury. She played in 17 contests with one start and had 26 points, 14 assists, and five steals.
Having a solid rookie year, DiMedio appeared in all but two games last season and connected for 64 points. Of last year’s freshman class, she averaged the most points (2.6 PPG) and minutes with 11.8 minutes per contest a year ago. Newcomer Cuozzo should bolster TCNJ’s lineup nicely as she notched 1,247 career points at Bishop George Ahr H.S. during her scholastic career. A transfer from the University of Rhode Island, Shields starred at Wall H.S., averaging 14.0 points per game, while Simpkins of Hillsborough H.S. was voted by The Star Ledger as one of the top ten defenders in New Jersey.
Other Lion players expected to contribute to TCNJ’s quest for postseason action are guards Sofia Ojeda and Kelli Lamey. Now a sophomore, Ojeda saw action in 12 games and chipped in 19 points, averaging about six minutes per game. Lamey is an incoming freshman who shot 47.0% from downtown as a player at Mainland Regional H.S.
Henderson and her coaching staff are very excited about the returning veterans and the incoming class. She added, “We have improved our team speed and should be able to run and press more with this group.”
TCNJ will kick off its season at the challenging Blue Jay Invitational hosted by Johns Hopkins. Along with Johns Hopkins and TCNJ, the invitational will feature North Carolina Wesleyan and St. Mary’s (Md.). Johns Hopkins, a member of the Centennial Conference, received a bid to last year’s ECAC South Region Women’s Basketball Tournament. The team will also take part in the Coaches vs. Cancer Blue Jay Classic at Elizabethtown on Jan. 4-5 with Lycoming and Washington & Jefferson.
This year the Lions will add Kean, the 2002 NJAC Champion and a 2002 NCAA Tournament participant, to their list of tough opponents in the conference along with the usual battles versus Rowan, Montclair State, Rutgers-Camden, and Richard Stockton. Improved NJAC foes such as William Paterson and Ramapo are always a threat for TCNJ. Other league opponents include Rutgers-Newark and New Jersey City.
Among the Lions’ other non-conference opponents on the schedule are Marymount (Va.), Salisbury and York (Pa.), all Capital Athletic Conference members. York is a strong, competitive team that is ranked in the top three in the Atlantic region, while Marymount and Salisbury were both participants in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. An NCAA Final Four team, Marymount finished as fourth in Division III after falling to DePauw in the consolation match, while Salisbury bowed out in the round of Sweet Sixteen after losing to Marymount.
New
Jersey City
New Jersey
City might have been 10-15 last year, but showed just cause for excitement
in 2002-03. The women pulled off several quality upsets, and nearly shocked
two of the best teams in the league.
As a junior last year, Shondelle Browne (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) scored 360 points for a 14.4 average and grabbed 287 rebounds, for a rate of 11.5 per game. She ranked fifth and second in the NJAC in these respective categories, and 24th in Division III in rebounds. Emerging as one of the best players in the region, Browne earned Second-Team All-NJAC honors. Now she returns to lead the way as a senior. With 727 points and 596 rebounds, Browne has an opportunity to reach the 1000-1000 club. She needs just 273 more points to etch her name into the list.
An important element of the club is junior point guard Cristina Morales (Newark, N.J./Shabazz). With 239 assists in her career already, she is among the best ever to play the position at NJCU. Her 153 assists last year led the NJAC and ranked fourth in the nation. If she can limit her turnovers, she will be a dangerous player.
Also returning are senior swing player Annie Basulto (Miami, Fla./Coral Park) and sophomore guard Bernice Amadeo (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne), giving the Knights four returning starters from last year. Other returnees also expected to contribute are sophomore forward Erin Raccioppi (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne), who is returning from a back injury that sidelined her all of last season.
"I'm cautiously optimistic," said head coach Alice DeFazio, entering her 12th season in her second stint as head women's basketball coach. "We have a very good group of returners, as well as a talented crop of newcomers. We're hoping to make strides in the NJAC this year."
Catholic
Catholic made
great strides last season in Maggie Lonergan's first year as head coach.
The 2001-02 season saw the women's basketball program's first winning record in 13 seasons, the most wins since 1985-86 and the most Capital Athletic Conference wins in the decade since CUA was a founding member. The Cardinals hosted a first-round conference tournament game and advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since 1991.
The Cardinals lose two seniors to graduation; but return four seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores, each of whom saw significant playing time last year. There are also three freshmen that Lonergan is counting on to contribute this season.
With a sense of accomplishment and continued enthusiasm, the coaches are hoping that the returning players and incoming freshmen can build on the Cardinals' impressive 15-12 record from a year ago and improve upon their fourth-place finish in the CAC.
"Last year set the tone for this coming year and the years to come," said Lonergan. "Our returning players know what it takes to win and our freshmen are eager to do their part."
The Cardinals will look to senior tri-captains Carol Schnepp, Amy Tyluki, and, Jackie Yacenda for their experience and leadership. Each have been three-year starters and look to end their CUA careers by advancing the team to a higher level of play.
Tyluki, who set the CUA all-time career assist record last year, returns. Tyluki averaged 32 minutes per game last year and the senior point guard has started every game of her college career. From behind the 3-point line, Tyluki led the team in shooting accuracy (35%) and made attempts (25).
The other two backcourt starting positions will be filled by junior Claire Flatley; sophomore Aime'e Meyer, the program's rookie of the year; or freshmen Lindsay DiRomualdo and Anne Maguire. Flatley was fourth on the team in scoring (8.2 points per game) before severely spraining her ankle with seven games left in the regular season last year. Meyer proved to be a shooter during a breakout game against Mary Washington on Feb. 13 when she shot 6-for-10 from behind the arc. Winning is nothing new to DiRomualdo, who comes to Catholic with back-to-back state championships. She will be splitting time between the wing and Tyluki's backup point guard. Maguire, a shooter with great range, will also work her way into the rotation. Senior Tara Petrolino will provide depth along with freshmen Katie Murtha and Rosalia Gaitan. Petrolino saw limited action in her first season, but looks to be another great spark off the bench.
"We went out and recruited two good shooters to add to the mix," said Lonergan. "With the addition of Anne and Lindsay to our already strong backcourt, we will look to spread our offense and take better advantage of our inside-out game."
The newest member of the 1,000-point club, Schnepp returns with a year's experience of splitting time between power forward and small forward. A versatile player, Schnepp will again be called upon to contribute from the backcourt as well as the frontcourt. Like Tyluki, Schnepp has started every game of her college career, including 26 last season. She led the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and trips to the free-throw line with 172. She shot 73% from the charity stripe and was named First Team All-Conference.
A talented group of student-athletes will man the rest of the frontcourt positions. Dual-sport athletes Yacenda (soccer) and junior Kathleen McGlynn (volleyball) each saw action in all 26 games last year. Yacenda will be counted on for her rebounding and defense. As a sophomore Yacenda led the league in rebounding. McGlynn will look to continue her offensive prowess. She is the team's returning leading rebounder (5.4) and averaged 6.2 points.
Sophomore Haley Jones is looking to play significant minutes this season. At the end of last year Jones showed that she can be an important cog in the success of this year's team. Freshman Gloria Schnepp (Carol's sister) will begin the season in the frontcourt, but the coaches feel that Schnepp's future at CUA will be in the backcourt, where she will cause matchup problems for the opposition. Looking to compete for minutes in the frontcourt will be freshmen Jane Maybury and Laura Kaye.
"Carol proved to be our 'go-to' player last year," says Lonergan. "We will be looking to fill the void left by graduating Liz Mintzer. We have a couple of great options in Yacenda, McGlynn and Jones. All three saw valuable minutes last year and each has her own strengths. Gloria will add great athleticism to our frontcourt."
Lonergan likes the attitude the players have displayed. "The seniors are on a mission to finish their careers with a second straight winning season." With their leadership and the skill and the dedication of everyone on the team, this could be the year the Cardinals reach the next level.
Lehman
If Lehman is to continue its recent basketball dominance, the Lightning
will have to rely heavily on a wave of new talent that has invaded the
Bronx campus, as well as a new style of play for Lehman basketball. Lehman,
traditionally known for being an offensive powerhouse, has taken a step
in the right direction by recruiting some of the premiere defensive players
in the area. Led by 2002 CUNYAC Coach of the Year Eric Harrison, and All-American
candidate Diana Olaya, the Lightning will once again be one of the favorites
to advance to the CUNY championship game at Baruch, the site of the 2002-03
CUNY tournament.
Harrison will put the ball in the hands of one of the premiere playmakers in the nation, as Olaya will resume her point guard position after sitting out the 2002 season for personal reasons. The 5-6 point guard ranked among the national leaders in steals (5.1 ppg), and assists (4.7ppg) in all three of her collegiate seasons. The defensive specialist will be called upon to anchor the Lightning defense, as well as exhibit her new-found scoring ability. "I am looking forward to putting the ball in Diana's hands this season," says an enthusiastic Harrison. "Diana is a tremendous floor leader who will be able to get the entire team involved."
Monica Semley, a versatile sophomore guard, will be looked upon for an increased role in 2002-03. Last season, Semley proved to be a valuable sixth man, averaging 5.2 points and 2.7 assists per game. A starter in eight games last season, Semley reached double figures in two games, including a career best 12 points against Medgar Evers. Lehman will also call upon 6-0 veterans, Moncianna Edmonson, and Christina Calderon to help solidify the Lightning front court.
In addition to its six returning lettermen, Lehman will welcome two highly touted freshmen this season in 6-0 center Melissa Escalera and 5-7 Hannah Williams. Escalera is a multi-dimensional center out of Stevenson High School who averaged 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game in her senior season. Escalera led Stevenson to three postseason appearances during her tenure at the school. Escalera will provide coach Harrison with his first legitimate post player during his tenure at Lehman.
Williams played her prep basketball at New York State power, the Ursuline School. While at Ursuline, she was a member of both the basketball and track teams for the Yonkers school. While a member of the basketball program, Ursuline advanced to two state championships, as Williams averaged seven points, and three assists per game. Her ability to create her own shot, and hit the long distance jump shot will add a new dimension to the Lightning offense.
In addition, the Lightning will add some new transfers into the mix, as three transfers will be eligible to compete this season. The transfers are led by the duo Valorie Montes (Bushwick H.S.), and Tiffany Thompson (Mt. Vernon H.S.). The duo, both out of Mercy College will be called upon to add depth to a very solid backcourt. Montes, a 5-7 swing player, averaged 27.8 ppg at Bushwick, before going to play a year at Mercy. Thompson, a 5-11 slasher, was a standout performer at Mount Vernon High School, and averaged a career best 15.6 ppg, 8.2 apg, and 5.4 spg in her senior season in high school. This duo will be very instrumental in our success, adds Harrison. They have a great deal of experience which is always helpful in this game.
Lehman will again face one of the nation's toughest schedules. In addition to its annual CUNY slate, Lehman has non-conference heavyweights Ramapo, Salisbury, Lebanon Valley, Rutgers-Camden, Richard Stockton, and national runner-up St. Lawrence lining the 2002-03 schedule.
Rutgers-Camden
The sky is
the limit for the 2002-2003 Rutgers-Camden women's basketball team.
Coming off a banner 20-8 season which saw them advance to their second straight berth in the ECAC Metro Championship game, the Lady Raptors enter the campaign with a deep, talented roster and plenty of respect.
It should comes as no surprise. Fourth-year coach Jackie Trakimas returns six letterwinners, including two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year Joy Silver (Camden/Woodrow Wilson), a senior center and preseason All-American who is fourth on the school's all-time scoring list (1,399) and only 139 rebounds shy of breaking the career mark in that category.
The letterwinners will be aided by an outstanding group of newcomers, including senior guard/forward Cheryl Kulesa (Clementon/Gloucester Catholic), a former scholastic Player of the Year in South Jersey who spent her first three seasons at Division I St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.
"Talent-wise, there's no doubt this is the most talent since I've been here," said Trakimas, who has led the Lady Raptors to a 37-18 record the past two years. "The thing that's most impressive is their unity and their togetherness. I've been real happy with that. To see that cohesiveness is very nice.
"I think they're on a mission, but it's going to take a lot of luck and a lot of health. There are a lot of intangibles in the game. I think it will be one of the strongest years in the NJAC since I've been here. There's going to be a lot of parity."
Among the returning letterwinners will be a strong contingent of former Gloucester High School stars in seniors Amy Dick and Molly Anne Light and juniors Erin James and Allison Cooney. Another former Gloucester athlete, freshman guard Lisa Geiger, is healthy this season after missing last year with an injury.
Amy Dick, whose sister Betty Anne finished her Raptor career last year, also missed the 2001-02 campaign due to injury after earning letters the previous two seasons. She played in 51 games during those two seasons, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds.
"Amy's been great," said Trakimas, who will use the senior guard as her sixth man. "She's a team player. She's like a coach on the floor."
Light, Cooney and James will join Kulesa and Silver in the starting lineup. A 5-9 guard/forward, Light averaged averaged 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds last year in her first season at Rutgers-Camden, following a transfer from Division I Fairfield. James, a 5-7 guard, joined the Lady Raptors from Holy Family College last season and had 10.1 points and 3.8 assists in her 21 games. She drained six three-pointers on her way to 27 points against Montclair State Feb. 2.
Cooney, meanwhile, has been a model of consistency in her two years at Rutgers-Camden. A 5-10 forward, she has career averages of 7.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in her 40 games with the Lady Raptors. Last season she averaged 7.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.
During the Raptors' outstanding season last year, James earned all-tournament honors at the Marymount University Tournament Dec. 29-30, 2001. Silver was MVP and Light was named to the all-tournament team at the Craig Keeler Memorial Tournament at FDU-Madison Jan. 4-5, 2002.
The Lady Raptors earned their second straight NJAC playoff berth and reached the ECAC Metro Championship game for the second straight season. To cap off the banner year, Silver captured a truckload of awards, including Honorable Mention All-America honors from D3hoops.com. She led the NJAC in scoring (20.1 ppg) and rebounding (13.0) for the third straight year and in blocks (2.96) for the second consecutive season.
"Joy's probably in the best shape of her life," said Trakimas, uttering a scary thought for opponents. "Joy's been great this season. She's taking major steps. What's more important is she really wants to win."
Adding to that talented, veteran mix will be Kulesa, an incredible play-maker who averaged 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in her last season at St. Joseph's.
"I've known her for years," said Trakimas, who used to coach at Gloucester High School when Kulesa was South Jersey's top player at Gloucester Catholic. "Beyond what Cheryl can do on the court, what a great person she is. She's a total team player. She'll do anything for the team."
Also returning to the team is sophomore forward/center Crystal Lucas (West Deptford/West Deptford), one of the team's hardest workers in the off season. She averaged 2.4 points and 3.5 rebounds as a freshman, and will play a key role in the low post.
"Crystal's a worker," Trakimas said. "She always has been. She'll be somebody who will contribute and help us, no doubt about it. I don't know if she realizes how much skill she has and how much she can bring to the team."
Guard/forward Megan Rulon (Sewell/Clearview Regional), a 6-2 freshman, will see significant playing time and gives the Raptors another talented shot-blocker in addition to Silver. Another talented newcomer in the frontcourt is 5-10 freshman Dolores Hiller (Pennsauken/Camden Catholic), who joins Rulon and Lucas to provide depth and talent in the 7-9 spots.
That depth will increase when a pair of newcomers B freshman guard/forward Karen Carter (Pennsauken/Pennsauken) and 6-2 sophomore center/forward Rachel Goldfarb-Hersz (Chicago/New Trier) B return to health after missing the later part of pre-season camp.
Geiger and freshman guard Tanishia Greene (Georgetown, SC/Georgetown), who both missed last season with injuries, will also contribute to the team, as will freshman guard/forward Carmen Zimmitt (Woodstown/Woodstown). Zimmitt, who is in her first year with the basketball program, already has made a name for herself at Rutgers-Camden as a record-setting performer in track.
"Lisa, Carmen and Tanishia know their role," Trakimas said. "They're role players this year and they'll be contributing. They're buying into the fact that it's a team."
The team also has new faces on the bench. While Trakimas has assistant coach Maureen McGovern, a former Lady Raptor great, returning for her fourth season, she also has a pair of new coaches in Joe Baker Jr. and Joe Kvarta.
"Joe Baker is a gym rat and he gets along great with the players," Trakimas said. "Joe Kvarta brings a little more strategy. I'm real happy with the coaching staff. That compliments everything well."
With talent, numbers and depth, Trakimas is looking for a fine season.
"Some of that depth is still raw," she said. "We're working on them. The first 5-6 know they can't do it alone, but I like who's in those positions. We have size, we have scoring and we have defense."
And the Lady Raptors have a club which should prove to be one of the top teams in the NJAC this season.
Mt.
St. Mary
Reigning Skyline
Conference Rookie of the Year and first-team all-star Oneisha Staples
(Newburgh, N.Y.) returns for her sophomore season at Mount Saint Mary
and will be looking to help the Blue Knights make their fourth consecutive
trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Staples, who burst onto the scene as a freshman and led the Knights in scoring (15.4 ppg), has been named team captain along with juniors Mary Kurnat (York, Pa.) and Tanya Thompson (Rockville Centre, N.Y.). Head coach Randy Ognibene (Gas Port, N.Y.) expects those three individuals to shoulder a significant portion of the load following the graduation of three seniors (Amanda Marcoux, Lindsey Charette, Deborah Polansky) from last year's squad that lost to Case Western 59-56 on a half-court buzzer-beater in the first round of the NCAA tourney. Marcoux, Charette and Polansky were all conference second-team all-stars last year.
Ognibene will also rely heavily on the addition of eight new players including seven freshman recruits, who he feels will offset the Mount's loss of experience with their tremendous athleticism.
"I think we traded experience for athleticism," said Ognibene. "We are going to be deeper, more athletic and probably a little more talented than last year."
Mount Saint Mary's
crop of new recruits includes sophomore Marcy DeSio
(Staten Island) as well as freshmen Kellie Stuart (Massapequa Park, N.Y.),
Ashley Miller (Shelton, Conn.) and Lori Iwanicki (Newtown, Conn.) —
all of whom are strong perimeter players that can shoot, play defense
and understand the game.
Ognibene, who was named the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year in '01-02, also anticipates freshmen Meghan Robinson (Southbury, Conn.) and Stacey Schultz (Valley Stream, N.Y.) to provide some much-needed depth and size in the paint for the Knights.
Aside from Staples,
Kurnat and Thompson, MSMC's core of six returning
players includes sophomores Nneka Cruse (Highland Falls, N.Y.), Selena
McGillivary (Brooklyn) and Megan Busch (Massapequa Park, N.Y.). Cruse
and McGillivary each sat out the first half of the year in '01-02 for
the Mount before joining the team for the stretch run. They will be counted
on to solidify the team's post presence. Busch, who assumed the starting
point guard role after Kurnat was lost for much of the season with a stress
fracture in two bones in her left foot, led the team in assists (3.5 apg)
and steals (2.37 spg) last year.
MSMC will also be bolstered at the point guard position by the addition of Haldane High School graduate Kelleigh King (Cold Spring, N.Y.). Sarah Studler (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) gives Ognibene another quality guard as well.
"We feel pretty strongly that we have 10 or 11 players who can contribute to this team," said Ognibene. "This team can go much deeper in terms of quality than in years past."
Ognibene also understands
that recent improvements by Skyline Conference
rivals Stevens Tech, Manhattanville and Mount Saint Vincent will present
difficult challenges as MSMC looks to capture its fourth consecutive conference
title and claim the Skyline's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tourney.
"Mount Saint Mary women's basketball has a big bull's-eye on its chest from the rest of the conference," said Ognibene. "They are all chasing us, and we have to continue to hold them off."
Salisbury
Coming off
back-to-back 24-win seasons, Salisbury begins its new season with lofty
goals and expectations The Sea Gulls are highly ranked in two preseason
polls, including No. 16 by D3hoops.com. The Gulls have made three consecutive
NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteenin last
year's tournament for the first time in team history.
“We are very excited about this season,” said Head Coach Bridget Benshetler, who was named Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year last season. “It has seemed like one of the longest pre-seasons ever. We have a great team returning and they are ready to go out and play.”
The Sea Gulls have eight returning players, led by senior guard Amy Campion (18.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg), the 2002 CAC Player of the Year. She led the conference in rebounds (9.2), assists (4.2) and steals (3.5), and finished second in scoring. Campion, who scored 540 points last year, begins the season needing 284 points to become the all-time scoring leader in SU history.
Sophomore forward Pam Kenney (13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg), who started 26 of 29 games as a freshman and earned the conference’s Rookie of the Year Award, headlines the frontcourt returnees. Kenney tallied six double-double games last year while leading the Sea Gulls in scoring six times.
Freshman guard Christen Barney, sophomore guard Gen Olds (4.4 ppg), and sophomore center Annemarie Ricks (3.3 ppg) will comprise of the other starters. Sophomore guards Cyndi Benjamin (4.5 ppg) and Stephanie Szkaradnik (3.6 ppg), along with freshman forward Mary Olds, will play integral roles coming off the bench.
“Everyone on the team is going to contribute,” said Benshetler. “Chemistry is our greatest strength. We have a lot of talent and we play consistently at a very high-level.”
The CAC schedule will again present a very big challenge for the Sea Gulls throughout the regular season. The Sea Gulls posted a 13-1 conference record last season and won their third consecutive conference championship.
“The CAC is a very good basketball conference and every team is going to be tough,” said Benshetler. “We have to start all over again. Everyone is going to want to knock off the champs.”
The team has set several goals for the season, including a fourth consecutive conference championship and reaching the final four in the NCAA Tournament.
The team’s success on the floor has also extended off the floor. Last season, the team finished with a 3.37 combined grade point average and has consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally in academics.
More Previews
2001-02
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