2011-2012 William Penn Women’s Basketball Preview

William Penn's Orielle Thomas drives for 2 versus AIB last season

2010-2011 record: 23-10 (12-4 MCC, T-2nd)
Starters returning/lost: 2/3
Letterwinners returning/lost: 5/14

Notable returners:
Orielle Thomas So. Waynesville, Mo.
(First-team all-MCC, 9.8 points/game, 8.1 rebounds/game)
Sarah Martin Sr. Anthem, Ariz.
(5.8 points/game, 2.5 assists/game)

Notable losses:
Christa Subbert
(Three-time NAIA All-American)
Rachel Butler
(Two-year letterwinner)
Samantha Darley
(Honorable-mention all-MCC)
Ashton Perez
(Two-year letterwinner)

Notable newcomers:
Sam Abens Jr. Knoxville
Susan Smith Jr. Eugene, Ore.
Brittany May Jr. Gladstone, Ore.
Morgan Evans Jr. Creston

Minus one of the best players in program history, the 2011-2012 Lady Statesmen basketball team will look to continue its recent chapter of success with many new faces.

The program’s career scoring leader Christa Subbert concluded her collegiate eligibility last winter, and since then Head Coach Brian Spielbauer has searched high and low to find someone to fill at least part of her shoes. Subbert’s contributions (2,155 points) helped the navy and gold to once again be a player in the Midwest Collegiate Conference title hunt. The 2010-2011 team finished 23-10 (12-4 MCC) and advanced to the program’s first MCC Tournament Final since 2004.

“Last year was a great year for us,” Spielbauer said. “We had a fantastic campaign that saw us finish one win shy of the national tournament. We unfortunately lost a great amount of talent with our senior class and now we are trying to regroup and remain at the top of the league.”

A strong recruiting class filled with transfers and freshmen alike has hopefully bridged the gap and allowed William Penn to again fight for conference supremacy this winter. While most of the roster will be different from last season, starters Sarah Martin (Sr., Anthem, Ariz., Boulder Creek HS) and Orielle Thomas (So., Waynesville, Mo., Waynesville HS) return to bolster the squad with experience and leadership.

“We brought in some really good transfers and I am very happy with the effort our freshmen group is giving,” Spielbauer said. “We will rely heavily on Orielle and Sarah to get us through the early weeks and while there will be a lot of new ladies on the floor and at times it will be frustrating, it will also be very exciting.”

Point Guard

Martin guided the offense last season, averaging 2.5 assists (5.8 points per game), but she will be pushed for her starting role by transfer Susan Smith (Jr., Eugene, Ore., Lane CC) and freshman Janay Pritchett (Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Washington HS).

“We should be really solid up top with Sarah leading us,” Spielbauer said. “Her and Susan are both great ball handlers and bring a lot to the table. Janay will battle for minutes as well.”

Shooting Guard

With Subbert gone, several talented perimeter shooters look to make their marks on the program’s scoring list.

Carissa Berger (So., Waukon, Waukon HS) and Megan Evangelista (So., Chanhassen, Minn., Chaska HS) return to provide experience, while newcomers Sam Abens (Jr., Knoxville, Southwest Minnesota State), Brittany May (Jr., Gladstone, Ore., Lane CC), and Katie Golomski (Fr., Milwaukee, Wis., Pius Xi HS) will battle for time in their first seasons in the program.

Berger averaged 2.0 points in 11 contests, while Evangelista played in a dozen games before suffering a season-ending injury.

“Carissa is a hustler and is a great finisher at the bucket,” Spielbauer said. “Megan has had a good fall so I expect a lot from our returners.”

“Sam is extremely crafty with the ball and is a good outside shooter, while Brittany is coming off an injury, but once she gets healthy, she will be a huge asset,” Spielbauer added. “Katie is a pure shooter, but also has a good all-around game.”

Forward

Thomas is the team’s most logical choice to recover some of Subbert’s scoring after posting 9.8 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds per contest. A first-team all-MCC selection, she tallied seven double-doubles a year ago.

“Orielle is an extremely athletic player,” Spielbauer said. “She worked a lot on her jump shot since last year and we hope she has a huge season and can be our go-to player.”

Morgan Evans (Jr., Creston, Southwestern CC) is a talented transfer who figures to provide depth at the forward position..

“Morgan is competitive and athletic,” Spielbauer said. “We expect her to provide quality depth for us.”

Center

A pair of newcomers will post up on the blocks this year as Jessi Krueser (Fr., Mendota Heights, Minn., Henry Sibley HS) and Alisha Moritz (Sr., Emily, Minn., Minnesota-Crookston) become Lady Statesmen.

“Jessi is coming along nicely this fall,” Spielbauer said. “She runs the floor well and has good hands. We are excited about what she can do down low.”

“Alisha has great size and will add defense, rebounding, and intimidation–all things we have missed over the last few years,” Spielbauer added. “With these two, we feel good about our center position.”

Schedule

The non-conference slate will not be an easy one, beginning with the team’s season opener on October 28 at home versus Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).

“We are excited to start our season off during Homecoming week,” Spielbauer said. “Hannibal-LaGrange has improved since last year and we are pretty much new across the board, so it should be a tough, fun game to open the year.”

William Penn then hits the road for much of its pre-MCC campaign, playing in tournaments hosted by Midland (Neb.), Concordia (Neb.), and Northwest Missouri State. The Lady Statesmen also host perennial NAIA powerhouse Morningside during November in addition to scheduling matchups against NCAA Division II programs Truman (Mo.) and William Jewell (Mo.).

“This is probably one of the toughest non-conference schedules we have had in my tenure, but it will show us early who we are and where we need to be,” Spielbauer said.

Conference

According to Spielbauer, the 2011-2012 MCC standings may have the feel of a sequel with usual suspects Iowa Wesleyan, St. Ambrose, Grand View, and Mount Mercy battling with William Penn in a dogfight for the title.

“I really do not see any great teams out there so the crown is up for grabs,” Spielbauer said. “It will just come down to who progresses the most and makes the best adjustments throughout the year.”

“We have a brand new team and with that there are some uncertainties,” Spielbauer said. “We are ready for the challenge, though, and expect to be fun and exciting to watch.”

Posted by on Oct 21 2011. Filed under College Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Comments are closed

         

Search Archive

Search by Date
Search by Category
Search with Google
Log in | Copyright by Oskaloosa News