With the return of four of their top five scorers from a 2008-09 season that ended with a 14-12 overall record, the Wittenberg Tigers head into a new season with high hopes of returning to the top of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
To do that, Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz must find ways to take pressure off first-team All-NCAC post Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley), who led the team in scoring and rebounding a year ago. Now a senior, Boardman's totals of 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest ranked second and fifth in the NCAC, respectively. She also led the Tigers in steals (37) and minutes (28.7 per game), while ranking among the team leaders with 30 assists.
She also led the Tigers in turnovers with 80, evidence of the constant double-teaming and defensive pressure she faced as the 2008-09 season went along.
Boardman's partner in the post, sophomore Sarah Watson (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), is a good place for the Tigers to start in seeking relief for Boardman. Watson, whose father Alan was a Tiger basketball standout as well, averaged 6.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game off the bench a year ago.
Stephanie Boardman
The Tigers are better stocked on the wing, where senior Carrie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley), a two-time All-NCAC honoree, and junior Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) both return to the starting line-up after stellar 2008-09 campaigns. Ranking second and fourth on the team in scoring a year ago, the tandem combined for more than 12 rebounds per contest as the Tigers led the NCAC in rebounding margin (11.9). Hueter ranked second on the team and among the best in the NCAC a year ago with 6.9 boards per outing.
A key for the Tigers will be better ballhandling after the 2008-09 squad averaged three more turnovers per game than its opponents. Sophomore Allie Leopard (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), who averaged 4.2 points per game a year ago, is the top returner at the point position. She will be joined in the backcourt by senior Elise Jenkins (Elida, Ohio/Elida) and senior Kellsea Vasileff (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), both of whom are three-year letterwinners off the bench.
A solid class of recruits adds depth in 2009-10, including a pair of versatile 5-11 players in Kelsee Rehm (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) and Kim Replogle (Houston, Ohio/Houston) and 5-7 wing Aimee Carpenter (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran West).
2009-10 Team Information |
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Letterwinners Returning: (8)Stephanie Boardman (P, 5-11, Sr.)Carrie Dyer (W, 5-9, Sr.) Elise Jenkins (W, 5-7, Sr.) Amber Lough (F, 5-11, Sr.) Kellsea Vasileff (W, 5-7, Sr.) Katherine Hueter (W, 5-11, Jr.) Allie Leopard (G, 5-9, So.) Sarah Watson (P, 6-0, So.) |
Letterwinners Lost (4)Katie GardnerRachel Dixon Victoria Leali Kelsey Casey |
Other Returning Players (5)Lauren Cassel (W, 5-8, So.)Lindley Bell (G, 5-3, So.) Alexandra Cummins (W, 5-7, So.) Kali Parmley (F, 5-10, Jr.) Lyndsey Clark (F, 5-8, So.) |
Newcomers (7)Aimee Carpenter (W, 5-7, Fr.)Ashanta Robinson (F/W, 5-10, Fr.) Kelsee Rehm (F, 5-11, Fr.) Kim Replogle (F/P, 5-11, Fr.) Kirsten Holmes (G, 5-4, Fr.) Ann Tomko (F, 5-9, Fr.) Sarah Skidmore (G, 5-5, Fr.) |