2008-09 PAC Women's Basketball Preview

BETHANY BISON (15-11 Overall, 10-4 PAC in 2007-08)
Hopes are high for the Bethany women’s basketball team, as the Bison return all five starters and seven letterwinner from last year’s 15-11 team, which was the best finish by a BC team in head coach Rebecca Upton’s four-year tenure.

Leading the way for the Green and White this season are a pair of All-PAC selections in senior G Kaitlyn McCormick and senior F Susannah Cartland. McCormick does a little of everything for BC, evidenced by her 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season, which helped her receive Honorable Mention All-PAC status. Cartland also earned Honorable Mention accolades after she totaled 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in her first season after transferring from McHenry County College in her home state of Illinois.

Bethany’s leading scorer a season ago was Kelly Goode. The 5-7 sophomore guard, who was named Second Team All-PAC, rifled in 13.0 points and 49 three-pointers during the season, while adding in 2.7 steals and 1.9 assists per contest. Goode notched double digit points in 18 games, including a career-high 23 in a league win on the road at Chatham.

The starting line-up was rounded out by senior PG Caelyn DiSanti and sophomore G Tara Harris. DiSanti triggered the Bison offense with 4.2 points and team-high 3.5 assists per game, while Harris contributed 8.2 points and a BC-best 6.1 rebounds while also handling tough defensive match-ups throughout the campaign.

The Bison return two others off the bench who supplied quality minutes in 07-08. Senior F Renee Brandenburg registered 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game last year, while sophomore G Stacy Goode, twin sister of Kelly, averaged 7.4 points and 3.1 steals, good for second in the PAC.

While Bethany seems steeped in experience, they also welcome in a good class of newcomers. Overall, 10 freshmen join the Bison this year and will give Bethany a chance to go even deeper this year, which will only help a pressure defense that tied for 15^th in all of Division III last year in steals.

The Bison’s season tips off Saturday, Nov. 22 against Manchester (Ind.) College in the Wooster (Ohio) Tournament. Bethany’s first home game will not come until Dec. 6 against Waynesburg after the completion of a six-game road trip to open the season.

CHATHAM COUGARS (10-16 Overall, 5-9 PAC in 2007-08)
The Chatham University basketball team, led by fourth-year head coach Mark Katarski, will enter its second season of Presidents’ Athletic Conference competition in 2008.  Chatham looks to build on the fifth place finish in the PAC a year ago.  The Cougars have improved their record each season under Coach Katarski including a 10-16 record (5-9 PAC) in 2007-2008. 

Chatham will enter the 2008 campaign with its most experienced team in recent memory.  The Cougars return five starters in guards Courtney Smith, Barb Petty, Kayla Hilko and forwards Amanda Vranka and  Allason Holt.   Overall, Chatham  returns eleven letter winners from a year ago.

Sophomores Hilko and Petty both earned Honorable Mention All-PAC honors in their rookie campaign. Hilko led Chatham in scoring with 10.3 points per game during her first year.  She established a Chatham single game scoring record with 39 points in a game against Westminster College.  Petty is a strong all around player who contributed 8.1 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game while also leading the team in both steals and assists. 

Chatham will rely on two veteran post players to establish an interior presence.  Senior Allason Holt is Chatham’s all-time career leader in blocked shots.  Last year she led the team with 7.1 rebounds per game and 37 blocked shot.  Junior Brittany Brown adds an element of  post scoring. Brown was the team’s second leading scorer in 2007-2008 with 8.4 points per game. 

Chatham was predicted to finish fifth in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference preseason poll.

GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (20-6 Overall in 2007-08)
Coming off the program’s first back to back 20-win seasons, one would think that the Geneva women’s basketball program is set to cruise into the future. While several key components to those 20-win teams remain, many pieces of that successful puzzle are gone. On the court, Geneva will need to find a way to replace its leading scorer and rebounder from the 2007-08 season.

Allyson Clarke ended her brilliant career as the school’s third leading scorer and second leading rebounder in the Geneva record books. Last year Clarke registered 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in helping to lead Geneva to a 20-6 record. In addition to Clarke, Geneva also lost starting point guard Bridget Beachy to graduation. As the new season is upon us, the Golden Tornadoes clearly will be faced with some challenges on the court.

Off the court, the Golden Tornadoes will be looking to a new leader on the sideline. Amy Russin takes over the reigns to the program for at least one year on an interim basis. Russin replaces legendary coach Ron Galbreath as he continues to recover from medical issues from last spring.

Galbreath has been the face of Geneva’s program for the past six years in helping to put together a resurgence of success. During his tenure, Geneva has put together a record of 111-48. In fact, in just six years Galbreath is already the second most successful coach in school history. Russin, who was a star point guard for the Golden Tornadoes in the late 90’s, will take over a team that is certainly far from having an empty cupboard.

The name Rawding has certainly been one of excellence for Geneva women’s basketball for the past seven years. All-time leading scorer Jen Rawding passed the torch to her sister Renee three years ago and she has not disappointed. Renee Rawding currently sits 15^th on Geneva’s all-time scoring list and will be asked to provide even more offensive production in the upcoming season. Last year Rawding posted 17.0 points per game while knocking down a team best 61 three-point field goals. Along with Rawding, the Golden Tornadoes will seek scoring punch from senior Michawn Rich. Rich started 21 games last year and compiled 8.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest. Playing all five positions at one time or another during the 2007-08 season, Rich will most likely be used in a similar fashion this year.

Sophomores Christine Carugati, Rachel Berry and Valerie Hamilton will be asked to answer the challenge of improving their outputs this year. Carugati started 14 games last year and registered 4.1 points per contest. Most likely taking up one of the starting guard positions, she will be asked to score more while helping to manage a somewhat inexperienced line-up. Barry and Hamilton combined for eight starts last year and will also be asked to utilize that experience in helping to continue Geneva’s success.

The Golden Tornadoes welcome six freshmen to the program for the upcoming season. Each will look to provide a youthful spark for the new season as Geneva begins another run through the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. “I am very excited about the opportunity that I have been give,” said Russin. “We have some solid student-athletes in this program and I am confident that we continue build on the success that Coach Galbreath has established during his tenure.”

“We understand the challenge that lies ahead of our program, but we accept that challenge. When you lose so much production from a player like Allyson Clarke it is never easy to fully recover. However, our women are very confident in what we have accomplished as a program and what we still have in front of us. We are all looking forward to another solid season.”

As Coach Russin takes over for Geneva there is no reason to think the Golden Tornadoes will miss a beat. Confidence and a winning attitude can go a long way and there are not many other programs in the region that has been so used to winning in the past few years than Geneva’s women’s basketball team. They will accept the challenge that lies ahead in 2008-09.

GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (11-16 Overall, 5-9 PAC in 2007-08)
The Grove City College women’s basketball team returns four starters from a 2007-08 season in which the Wolverines showed great strides from the previous campaign.

Grove City capped the season by advancing to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2004.

Now, the Wolverines will look to continue their upward push in the PAC this winter.

The 2008-09 roster features just one senior in 5-foot-4 point guard Raenn Szelong, who will enter her third year as a starter. Szelong led the team in steals in 2007-08 and fired in 21 three-point goals, which ranked third on the squad.

While Szelong is the lone true guard among the returnees, several other versatile veterans can be used in a number of roles. Junior Krista Beechy is a two-year starter who finished second on the squad in scoring and field goals percentage.

The 5-9 Beechy also led Grove City in minutes played last season.

Like Beechy, junior Laura Miller is a two-year letterwinner up front. Miller, a 5-7 forward, started 26 games in 2007-08 and will likely start again this winter. She averaged six points and four rebounds per game.

Sophomore Christine Slater emerged as Grove City’s top scoring threat over the second half of her rookie season. Last year, Slater became the first freshman to lead Grove City in scoring since 1995.

Slate led Grove city in scoring (11.9) rebounding (7.2), field goal percentage (47.9) and three-pointers made (30) in 2007-08. She earned Second Team All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference last year and will be counted on for offensive production again this season.

Fellow sophomore Jenna Johnson is also back after finished her freshman season in strong fashion. She rebounded from an early injury to play in 11 games last year.

The 5-6 Johnson is a leading contender to fill the vacant starting spot.

Two newcomers are also expected to make immediate contributions – 5-8 forward Jayme Caldwell and 5-4 guard Megan Gebrosky.

SAINT VINCENT LADY BEARCATS (9-16 Overall in 2007-08)
Though it has lost a pair of four-year starters to graduation, hopes are high for the Saint Vincent women’s basketball team in 2008-09, thanks to a solid corps of returnees along with a talented freshman class.

 Last season, the team’s second as a provisional NCAA Division-III member, coach Kristen Zawacki’s Lady Bearcats finished with a 9-16 record, posting an 8-10 mark against Presidents’ Athletic Conference foes. 

Gone from that squad is guard Laura Klimchock, who graduated with 1,322 career points and earned two straight PAC Coaches Honors, as well as center Caryn Glassbrenner, who racked up 90 blocked shots over the past two seasons and totaled seven double-doubles as a senior.

Though the tandem combined to average 20 points per contest a season ago, the Lady Bearcats return 70 percent of their scoring from ’07-08, led by guard Janelle Reed.

Reed, a 5-9 senior, emerged as a premier scoring threat last season, as she averaged 17 points per game, good for fifth in the PAC, and connected on a conference-best 66 three point field goals.  She entered the school record books against Chatham on December 8^th of last season, sinking a school-best eight three pointers en-route to a 34 point performance.

A solid all-around player, Reed also finished ninth in the conference with 54 steals, while connecting on 87 percent (44-51) of her attempts from the free-throw line and averaging 2.9 rebounds.  She scored in double figures in 22 of SVC’s 20 games, and received PAC Coaches Honors.

Joining Reed in the backcourt is fellow senior Ashley Campbell, who has seen extensive time at point in each of her first three seasons at SVC.  The fastest player on the team, Campbell started 22 games last season, averaging 5.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, along with a PAC-leading 3.23 steals.

A third returning guard who made significant contributions a season ago is sophomore Maria Baroffio.  In her first season in the green-and-gold, she averaged 8.7 points, appearing in 24 games and starting 10.  She also averaged two steals per game and connected on 21 three-pointers, scoring in double-figures 11 times, including two 17-point performances and a career-high 18 points against Grove City on Feb. 20^th.

The guard position is Saint Vincent’s deepest, as Reed, Campbell, and Baroffio will all have quality backups.  Sophomore Kathy Bianco shared time with Campbell at the point, as she appeared in 24 games and made five starts.  A solid ballhandler with excellent basketball smarts, the 5 -9 Bianco averaged 2.3 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals in 11 minutes per game, and stepped in admirably late in the season when Campbell missed five games due to injury. 

Senior Maura Wahl is also back at guard, as she has appeared in 46 games, with 15 starts, over the past two years, during which she has averaged five points while draining 45 three-pointers.  Sophomore Kayla Marghella saw her role increase over the second half of last season, and showed that she could run the point as well as hold her own at the shooting guard spot.  Another sophomore, Brittany Hall, performed exceptionally at the junior varsity level, and should see her minutes increase during her second season in the green and gold.

The Lady Bearcat frontcourt will be led by senior Lauren Reilly.  The 5-10 forward has been a full-time starter throughout her career at Saint Vincent, and she has led the Lady Bearcats in rebounding in each of her three seasons.  Reilly has averaged 6.5 rebounds per game for her career, and will also be looked upon to be a big contributor offensively, as well.  A solid defender, Reilly blocked 15 shots a season ago, and should help fill the defensive role of the departed Glassbrenner.

The 5-11 junior Gabbie Kassis returns for her second season at Saint Vincent after transferring from Alderson-Broaddus.  Possessing excellent size and athleticism, Kassis appeared in 23 games with eight starts in ’07-08, averaging 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds while blocking 14 shots, including a career-high 11 rebound, six block performance against Penn State-Altoona on Nov. 29.

Six-foot sophomore Sarah Campbell served as Glassbrenner’s primary back up last season, and after making 18 appearances, looks to see her role increase.  The same can be said of Campbell’s classmate, 5-10 Chelsea Young, who made 11 appearances off the bench and grabbed 14 rebounds in just 3.6 minutes per game.  Hall has also shown the ability to play underneath, while another sophomore, 5-10 Elissa Eichler, enjoyed a fine freshman season on the JV squad and hopes to crack the Lady Bearcat lineup in her second season.

While the returnees are a deep and talented bunch, the Lady Bearcats also boast a solid group of six newcomers, highlighted by a trio of 1,000-point high school scorers.

Emily Fenton, a 5-7 guard from Greater Latrobe HS, will look to be counted upon immediately, after earning a pair of All-Section selections at the WPIAL Quad-A level and graduating with over 1,200 career points, twice leading her team to the playoffs.  

Another 1,000-point scorer, 5-9 Brittany Sedlock, brings an impressive resume to Latrobe from Northern Cambria HS, and will compete for time right away at the forward position for SVC.  A four-year starter and three-time all-conference selection, her team advanced to the PIAA state playoffs in both her junior and senior seasons, reaching the state championship game this past February.

Marguerite Sargent, a four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer at Washington HS, has experience at both guard and forward, and will add quality depth to both positions for the Lady Bearcats in 2008-09.

Guards Krista Franitti (Blackhawk) and Kasara Nee (Highlands) were both team captains as seniors, with Franitti participating in the Roundball Classic all-star game and Nee in the Cager Classic, while center Mary Fairley helped lead her Beaver Falls team to the 2007-08 WPIAL playoffs.

The Lady Bearcats will unofficially kick off the ’08-09 campaign with a November 1^st scrimmage against perennial D-II powerhouse Glenville State, before opening the regular season on Nov 15^th, traveling to Cleveland to face Ursuline College.

THIEL TOMCATS (7-18 Overall, 4-10 PAC in 2007-08)

The 2008-09 Thiel College women’s basketball team will be led by senior foursome Amber Bodrick, Jena Cook, Catie Seiber, and Taylor Radeff, the Tomcats are looking for 2008-09 to be a breakout year.  Bodrick is coming off a season-ending injury that led to the lowest scoring output of her career (377).  With all that said, she still managed to finish sixth in the conference in total points, tied for third in total rebounds (187), and sixth in blocked shots (29).  She was selected all-PAC first team and second team all-Great Lakes Region for the third consecutive year.

Seiber is coming off a junior campaign where she registered career highs in every statistical category. She finished the year ranked first in steals (46) and fourth on the team in total points (198).  Cook finished the season ranked fifth on the team in points per game and ninth in the conference in three-pointers made (31).   Radeff rounds out the returning seniors after finishing last season with a career-high 67 rebounds.

Also returning to the fold are starters Kim Stitt, Jasmin Jones, and Michelle George.  Kim Stitt is coming off a season where she finished second on the team in points per game (9.6) and third in rebounds per game (6.9).  She also led all PAC freshmen in offensive rebounds with 83.  Jones finished last season ranked third on the team in points (206) and sixth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.4). 

Depth will no longer be a question for the Tomcat’s with the arrival of ten talented newcomers.  This will bolster Thiel’s numbers from eight at the end of last season to 18 at the beginning of this season.  

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (29-1 Overall, 14-0 PAC in 2007-08)
The Thomas More College women’s basketball team is ready to continue the success it experienced last season.

A year ago, Head Coach Brian Neal’s team finished 29-1 overall and won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) regular season and PAC Tournament titles and advanced to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III National Tournament.  This year, Neal and the Saints are looking to build on what they accomplished during the 2007-2008 campaign. 

“Last season was rewarding because of the great things we accomplished as a team, but it was also a little disappointing the way it ended in the (NCAA) tournament,” said Neal, who enters the campaign with an 87-23 record in his four years at Thomas More.  “Hopefully, we can use both of those experiences to help us grow as a team this year.”

Neal won’t have to look hard for experience with nine letterwinners returning, including four starters from last season’s team.  Headlining the list of returners is 5-7 senior first team All-PAC guard Jayme Thiem, who averaged 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and had 23 blocks, 88 assists and a team-leading 97 steals.

Joining Thiem as a returning starter is 6-0 sophomore second team All-PAC center Nicole Dickman , 5-6 senior honorable mention All-PAC guard Alex Gee and 5-4 honorable mention All-PAC point guard Gabby Johnson .  Dickman scored 10.1 ppg., grabbed a team-high 7.2 rpg. and blocked 28 shots and had 37 steals.  Gee scored 7.3 ppg. and dished out 40 assists, while Johnson scored 4.2 ppg. and dished out a team-high 102 assists.

“I’m very excited about the potential of this team,” said Neal.  “We have both something new and something old, in terms of experience and youth.  We have several key veterans, who have proven themselves in the past and we also have a bit of a youth movement with some talented newcomers.  It should be exciting watching it unfold.”

Other returning players to look for are 5-7 junior guard Sarah Yeiser, 6-2 junior center Claire Noltemeyer  and 5-7 junior guard Carrie Fay all to be better with two years of collegiate experience.  Yeiser averaged 3.2 ppg., Noltemeyer averaged 2.9 ppg. and Fay averaged 1.8 ppg. and had eight steals.  In addition to the veterans and a solid recruiting class, Neal has the pieces for another run for a PAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

“Our goals haven’t changed over the last five years,” said Neal.  “When we take the floor, our goal is simply to be the best team we can be.  Obviously, we want to win the PAC, advance to the NCAA National Tournament and ultimately win a national championship.  But those are not things we focus on.  We focus on playing hard, playing together and getting better everyday.”

Thomas More opens the season on Friday and Saturday, November 21-22 when it travels to Danville, Kentucky for the Centre College Tip-Off Classic.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (23-7 Overall, 11-3 PAC in 2007-08)
The 2008-2009 edition of the Washington and Jefferson women’s basketball team will feature many of the same faces that helped the Presidents claim the 2008 ECAC Division III Southern Tournament Championship and tie a school-record for victories in a season after finishing 23-7 overall.

The Presidents will be looking for bigger and better prizes this season, focusing much of their attention on winning the PAC Championship and getting back to the NCAA Tournament. W&J last qualified for NCAA play in the 2005-2006 season. 

“I think the ECAC Championship definitely put us over the hump,” said fifth year Head Coach Jina DeRubbo.  “The coaching staff reminds our players every day what it felt like ending the season with a victory.  We enjoyed cutting the nets down and we hope to carry that momentum into this year.” 

Last season proved to be a milestone year for DeRubbo as she recorded her 200th career victory on December 8th versus Grove City.   Her career record to date stands at 217-85 (.719), which ranks her 29th amongst active NCAA Division III coaches and 33rd all-time based on winning percentage. 

“We have been fortunate to have good players every year I’ve been here,” she added.  “We run a team-oriented program.  However, until we do something on a national level, these numbers really don’t mean too much to me.  We need to get back that PAC trophy and find success in the NCAA Tournament.” 

First team All-PAC selection forward Maggie Gibson and second-team honoree point guard Kennan Killeen return to the starting lineup for their junior season.  Gibson posted 297 rebounds last season, which ranks her third all-time in W&J’s record books, and added a team-high 11.6 points per contest.  She led the conference in field goal percentage (.621) and was the second-leading rebounder (9.9 rpg).  Gibson was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District College Division Women’s Basketball Team as a third-team choice.

Killeen, last year’s ECAC Tournament MVP, assumes the quarterback role in the Presidents’ offense, as she has become one of the most reliable point guards not only in the conference, but the entire nation.  She led the conference in assists with 104 and free throw percentage (.903), which also ranked fifth in NCAA Division III.

“Kennan has been fantastic early on,” noted DeRubbo.  “She is coming off a foot injury, but after last year’s postseason, she is playing with great confidence.  She is our leader.  Maggie has made huge strides since her freshman year.  She works incredibly hard and if she improves her consistency on offense, she is going to be a fabulous player.”   

Senior Emily Hays will again be counted on to be a mainstay in the Presidents’ frontcourt, which finished last season ranked 11th in the country in rebounding average (+10.5).  Hays averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest, while ranking 11th in the PAC in scoring with 332 points.  

Senior guards Lindsey Hyre and Veronica Kust will provide veteran leadership both on and off the court for this year’s squad.  Kust is a two-year starter, who will again look to secure a spot in the starting five for the Presidents after starting all 30 games a year ago.  Last year, she averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 assists per game. Hyre has been a key reserve guard off the bench throughout her career and will continue to contribute in a similar fashion this season.  She averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 assists per game last season.

The seniors have made three-straight postseason appearances, including the Presidents’ last NCAA appearance in 2006.   

“These seniors know what it takes to win a PAC Championship and we expect them to step up and lead us every day,” said DeRubbo.  “We need them to be mentally tough.  They know they have great players surrounding them so they don’t have to carry the load on a nightly basis, but we need them to be steady."

Junior guard Stephanie Smith returns as the squad’s leading threat from beyond the arc, as she ranked third in the PAC in three point percentage (.379).  Smith tied a school record in the first round of last season’s ECAC tournament against Moravian, knocking down eight three-point field goals.   

Junior forwards Kayla Curtiss and Ada Hennigan have also shown improvement and will add to the Presidents’ depth.  DeRubbo will also look to sophomores guard Catlyn Kriston and forwards Jamie McKitrick and Alyssa Young to provide key minutes. 

DeRubbo has put together a solid recruiting class to surround the already established nucleus of returning veterans.  The class is highlighted by a pair of guards, Blair Cotton (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Vanessa Rivera (Reading, Pa.), and also includes swing player Kayla Strimel (Morgantown, W.Va.). 

“One strength that I have noticed early on is how many good players we will have coming off the bench,” added DeRubbo.  “Our main area of focus right now is becoming better defenders.  We have the potential to put a lot of points on the scoreboard, but our defense must get better to become a great team.” 

Washington & Jefferson has won 20 or more games for six consecutive seasons.  The program is as strong as it’s ever been, but two-straight years without a PAC title and the continuing quest of the school’s elusive first NCAA Tournament victory is what motivates this year’s roster. 

“We definitely have a competitive non-conference schedule with games against perennial regional powers Baldwin-Wallace, Otterbein and Case Western Reserve,” she concluded.  “It’s important for our players to be challenged early in the season.  Hopefully, we can win a few of those games early on to give us confidence heading into the conference portion of our schedule.  We have the experience and talent.  We just need to work hard and play with confidence.” 

WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (1-25 Overall, 0-14 PAC in 2007-08)

A new chapter in the history of the Waynesburg women’s basketball program begins this year as new head coach Sam Jones replaces nine-year veteran Terry Acker at the head of the Yellow Jacket bench.

Jones comes to Waynesburg after four years (2003-2007) as an assistant with Mount Union, three with the men’s team and one, most recently, with the women’s squad.

Jones comes to a program that is looking to regroup after posting a disappointing 1-25 record last season. Last year’s Lady Yellow Jackets also went winless (0-14) in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) play.

So far, according to Jones, his first season as a head coach has gotten off to a solid start.

“It’s been a steep learning curve, but we’re doing okay,” Jones said. “I think [the team] has bought into the new system and how we’re going to do things.”

This year’s team will have a much different look from last year’s team as three starters return, but only a total of six players are back.

Leading the group of returners is sophomore forward Elisha Jones.

An honorable-mention selection to last year’s All-PAC team, Jones is the team’s leading returning scorer (11 ppg) and rebounder (6.0 rpg). The 5-11 Jones also made her presence known defensively, rolling up a team-best 18 blocks.

“We’re going to use her strengths, some of which were not capitalized on in the past. We’re designing offenses to capitalize on those strengths,” Jones said. “We have seven or eight good players to plug in around her, so she doesn’t need to carry the load, but she can if she needs to.”

Also looking to pick up minutes in the low post is senior forward Jeannette Wonsettler. Last year, the Waynesburg native finished second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game. She also chipped in seven points per contest.

The Jackets also return junior guard Johnna Deco, who started all 26 games last year. The 5-8 swing player averaged 5.5 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per contest. Deco also finished second on the team in 07-08 with just under two assists per game.

Other key players back for Jones’ first year at the helm include defensive specialist Celina Gomez (14 steals in 24 games) and senior guard Kaylyn Chapas, who averaged 3.0 ppg and 1.2 rpg.

Along with this year’s veterans, ten new faces make up the bulk of this year’s roster. Leading the group is sophomore guard Jennifer Scarborough, who transferred before the 2007-2008 season from PAC rival Bethany.

Scarborough had to sit out last year because she transferred within her own conference.

As a freshman with the Bison, Scarborough played in 25 games, starting five of them, and averaged 3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1.0 assists per game.

“We’re excited to have her and she’s going to be a good asset to the program,” Jones said of Scarborough.

While Jones is still going through the arduous steps to putting together a starting lineup and bench rotation, he knows he will be starting a freshman at point guard.

One candidate for the job is 5-5 Hannah Hunter, who comes to Waynesburg from Pennsylvania high school powerhouse Hopewell, where she was a second-team all-section pick with the Lady Vikings.

With a very young roster under his leadership for his first season as a college head coach, Jones knows that long-term goals are just as important as his win-loss record in 08-09.

“I want to take the core base of girls that will play significant minutes this year, and establish a solid, much-improved base to build upon with good recruiting classes,” Jones said. “We’re going to be a lot better than last year.”

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the Jackets’ offense and defense, Jones commented that his team will look to an offense that is heavy on set plays, and will play mostly man-to-man defense, while working to put good pressure on the ball.

Helping Jones out during his first year as leader of the women’s program is assistant coach Rachel Dillon.

Dillon is a former four-year starter at point guard for the Jackets and enters her second season as an assistant coach.

Waynesburg gets their season underway on Nov. 21 when they travel to Meadville, Pa. to take part in the National City Tip-Off Tournament, which is hosted by Allegheny College.

Conference play for the Jackets begins on Dec. 3 when the team travels to Thiel to take on the Tomcats.

WESTMINSTER TITANS (17-11 Overall, 7-7 PAC in 2007-08)
What do you expect from a team that lost two seniors who accounted for half of the team’s scoring the previous season? And what if one of those players accounted for a third of the team’s points as the nation’s third-leading scorer with 23.5 points per game?

That’s exactly what Westminster College women’s basketball head coach Rosanne Scott will have to determine as her Titans enter the 2008-09 season without Emilee Ackerman, the team’s all-time leading scorer and first player to earn an All-America honorable mention.

Westminster compiled a 17-11 record and a 7-7 mark in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) before coming on strong at the end of the season and advancing to the PAC Tournament championship game for a second straight year.

“Our goal is to always give ourselves that opportunity to make the final game,” said Scott, whose six seasons at Westminster include trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2007. “That’s our expectation.”

OK, but there has to be more pressure on someone to score more points, right?

“I don’t see it as pressure,” Scott said. “It’s going to be more of a team effort. Everyone has more of a role this year and they are going to feel more important.”

Three returning starters and five returning lettermen along with a solid group of incoming freshmen will be among those bearing the void of what Ackerman and departed senior forward Terese Marszalek left behind.

“We still have a lot of experience and the transition is going to be easier,” Scott said. “Each player brings something different.”

Senior guard Gina Brunetti started the last two years and averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last year. Brunetti is considered by Scott as the team’s “coach on the floor.”

The two other starters are junior guard Lynn Riley and sophomore point guard Kaitlin McCarthy. Riley’s season was cut short because of an ACL injury and subsequent surgery after 23 games and 16 starts. McCarthy only averaged 5.4 points last year but is expected to score more this year. 

Six-foot junior guard Amy Dolsak came on strong at the end of the season as she started five games in Riley’s absence. Dolsak averaged 6.6 points per game including 11.6 as a starter and a career-high 19 points in the Titans’ win over Chatham in the first round of the PAC Tournament. Dolsak also led the Titans with a .364 shooting percentage (32-88) from 3-point range.

Like Riley, 5-foot-10 senior forward Katherine Khattab is expected to be fully recovered from off-season knee surgery. Khattab made two starts and played in all 28 games.

“We are working hard and we are very excited,” Scott said. “The hardest thing is being consistent. It may be rough at the beginning (without the two seniors from last year) but we should be right where we need to be.”

Scott is not concerned with the players that the Titans lost last year but rather with sustaining the characteristics of the recent Westminster teams. 

“The bottom line is that our philosophy will stay the same,” Scott added. “We want to out-work and out-rebound teams. That’s where our focus is.”

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