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Things are looking up for MC
women’s basketball
Release Date: November 9, 2006
MONMOUTH, Ill. — For nearly a
decade, the Monmouth College women’s basketball team has been
looking up at the majority of its Midwest Conference foes. But
entering the 2006-07 season, “looking up” refers to their outlook
and to the way opponents will be “looking up” at the Fighting Scots’
overall size.
“We have a great group returning, and we supplemented that with a
great freshman class,” said Jones, who guided Monmouth to a 10-13
mark in her rookie year. Jones has served as either a player,
assistant or head coach since the 1999-2000 season and she says
without hesitation that “this is easily the best team we’ve had
since I’ve been connected with the program. We’re athletic, we’re
deep, and we have height.”
Six of the team’s top eight regulars return, including four post
players and another, senior Mallory Mulvihill, who at 5-foot-10 will
be tall for her new point guard position. She’ll be joined in the
backcourt by two other tall players, freshmen Elyse Waldorf (Canton)
and Libby White (Galesburg), who stand 5-11 and 5-10, respectively.
While the guards are tall, the posts are even bigger. All-conference
junior Ashley Yeast returns after ranking fifth in the nation last
season with her average of 12.0 rebounds per game. The 6-2 center
had 13 double-doubles on the year on her way to an 11.2 scoring
average.
“Ashley does everything she can to get her game back as quickly as
possible,” said Jones, who had the rebounding machine in practice
for the first time this week after Yeast completed her MC volleyball
season. “I expect a lot out of her very early.”
Also back are 6-1 supersub Laura Jahn, who came off the bench in all
23 games and averaged 9.4 points, and 5-11 Tanesha Hughes, who
emerged as a threat in the second half of the season and finished
with averages of 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds.
“Laura will start for us this year at the four spot,” said Jones.
“She can run the floor like nobody else. She’s tall, athletic and
very quick. She even did triathlons this summer with her sister and
had some pretty respectable times. Nobody in our league has posts
like we do.”
That also includes Hughes, who will take on Jahn’s “supersub” role.
“Tanesha has raw physical power,” said Jones. “She’s like a train
down low – you’re not going to stop her. She’s the kind of player
who will take the ball straight up right through someone’s
nostrils.”
Knox found that out last season, when Hughes came off the bench to
score 17 points and grab 12 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.
“She was our go-to player that game,” said Jones.
The tall post trio will be joined by 5-10 junior Cassie Jensen, who
shot 47 percent from the field last season while playing eight
minutes a game. Newcomers include 6-1 freshmen Megan Baum (ROWVA)
and Courtney Dolezil (Gordon Tech).
One of the Scots’ comparatively shorter players, Melissa Gorski,
proved to be one of their best last year. The 5-9 sophomore guard
had a great freshman campaign, leading the team in scoring with her
12.3 average. She knocked down a team-best 16 three-pointers,
grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game and dished out 74 assists.
“Her game’s just so solid all-around,” said Jones. “And along with
Laura, she really led us in our offseason workouts, which were the
best they’ve ever been. We had a great fall.”
The Scots were led in the assist category by All-MWC point guard
Courtney Scherrer, and her loss to graduation is certainly a concern
for Jones. But Mulvihill has looked good there after switching over
from a wing position, and White is also capable of directing the
offense.
“Mallory does a great job of pushing our uptempo game,” said Jones.
“She’s a four-year starter, and she knows who needs to get the ball.
You always want a senior with the ball in their hands.”
Jones calls White “a diamond in the rough” who has her best
basketball ahead of her. “I think college will be her time to
shine,” said Jones. “I think she can be a great point guard for us
now and in the future.”
On the wing, Waldorf is emerging as a talent, and her size will
present matchup problems.
“Elise will start for us at the three,” said Jones. “Her game is
very similar to (Gorski’s). She’s a huge player for us, and she
represents the future of this program.”
Also challenging for playing time on the wing will be last year’s
transfer addition, Katie Sheets, and freshmen Lindsey Emmons
(Havana) and Lynsey Barnard (Pekin).
“We lacked a three-point shooter last year, and Katie and Lindsey
will give us that element this year,” said Jones. “Lynsey Barnard
can score, and she’s incredibly fast. She’s also a sprinter in
track. We’re looking for all of them to be huge sparks off our
bench.”
Rounding out the 19-player roster are sophomores Crystal Myers and
April Wishecoby and freshmen Lisa Miller (ROWVA), Barb Payonk (Mt.
Assisi), Amanda Grady (Urbana, Iowa) and Kelly Sheets (Princeville).
The Scots open their season Nov. 17 at home against Cornell, and
they’ll play the majority of their games at Glennie Gym, hosting 14
contests and only hitting the road nine times. The key homestand
will come Feb. 2-3, when the Scots host Lawrence and Carroll. Both
schools were picked by the league coaches to earn playoff berths
this year, with Carroll earning the top ranking. Monmouth was picked
fifth in the preseason poll.
“We’ve set our sights very high this year,” said Jones. “We have
lots of goals, and one of them is to make the playoffs. Our best
season in history was 16-8, and I’d like to see that record brought
down.”
When all’s said and done, it’s safe to say that Jones believes this
will be the year the rest of the Midwest Conference looks up to
Monmouth.
Women's Basketball
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