Women’s Basketball Conference Season Set to Tip-Off
November 30, 2007
GREENWOOD , IN – The 2007-08 women’s basketball conference schedule opens up this weekend as eight of the nine member schools’ will compete in conference play Saturday and continue Wednesday, December 5. After the conference games on December 8, the conference schedule will not resume until January 5.
The Transylvania women’s basketball team will have to wait until Wednesday, December 5 to open up the HCAC campaign. The Pioneers have a non-conference affair with Spalding down in Lexington Saturday evening. Transy sits 1-3 on the year with their only win coming in overtime at Asbury 90-84. TU will enter this weekend’s contest after an 81-47 set back at Albion. Transylvania leads the HCAC with 73.5 points per game, but is also surrendering a league worst 85.8 points per game. Junior guard Jackie Distler (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart) and freshman center Sara Sexton (South Shore, Ky./Greenup Co.) have led the Pioneers with 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Transy will open the conference season Dec. 5 against Anderson.
Anderson comes into Saturday’s game with Defiance holding a 2-2 mark on the year. The Ravens lost 40-37 to Baldwin-Wallace and 61-57 at Tri-State. Junior forward Kayla Martin (Bedford, Ind./ Bedford North Lawrence) has paced AU with 12.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. Martin led the Anderson scoring attack in both victories this season. The junior scored 16 points in a 69-44 win over Marian ( Wis.) and netted 21 points in the Ravens 54-44 win against St. Mary’s. As a team, AU leads the HCAC in scoring defense, surrendering only 47.2 points per game.. Anderson will welcome Defiance to town Saturday before traveling to Transylvania Dec. 5.
Bluffton has had a successful start to their season, claiming a 3-2 record in the process. The Beavers are coming off an exciting 81-80 overtime win against Tri-State this past week. Senior guard Angie Lee (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio/Vanlue) scored 21 points in the win and has led the Bluffton scoring effort in four of the five games this season. Lee ranks second in the conference with 15.8 points per game and has also averaged 4.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Lindsay Bush (Howard, Ohio/East Knox) has put together a solid start to the season, averaging 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Bluffton will look to get off to a good conference start at home against Franklin this weekend and then tangle with rival Defiance next Wednesday.
The Defiance Yellow Jackets split their first two games of the 2007-08 season and sit 1-1. DC opened the year with a 76-66 win over Siena Heights before losing to Hope 93-70. Freshman guard Holly Stein (Fort Recovery, Ohio/H.S.) leads the HCAC in scoring this young season, averaging 17.5 points per game. Defiance has not played since November 21 and will be hungry to get back on the court Saturday at Anderson. The Jackets will welcome Bluffton to town for their conference home opener Dec. 5.
Franklin has posted a 2-2 record to start the season and will look to get back above .500 when they travel to Bluffton Saturday. The Grizzlies are coming off a 73-61 loss to Division I IPFW this week. Sophomore center Heather Harper (Mooresville, Ind./H.S.) leads the FC scoring with 12.5 points per game and also contributes 4.5 rebounds per game. Franklin leads the HCAC in shooting percentage, connecting on 44.3% of their field goal attempts. The Grizzlies’ wins were against Earlham and Spalding. Franklin will travel to Bluffton Saturday before a road date with Rose-Hulman Dec. 5.
Hanover College has won two straight games since dropping their season opener to Berea and holds a 2-1 record. The Panthers claimed a 64-62 win against Midway before drilling Simmons ( Ky.) 71-48. Junior forward Rachel Walters (Ladoga, Ind./Southmont) is averaging a double-double with 11.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. Her 13.7 rebounds rank first in the conference. Freshman center Molly Martin (Terre Haute, Ind./ North Vigo) also averages 11.7 points per game and is adding 9.0 rebounds per game. Hanover will look to get off to a good start in the conference schedule as they head to Rose-Hulman Saturday and return home for a date with Mount St. Joseph Dec. 5.
Manchester enters the season as the defending conference champions and as the pre-season conference favorite according to the pre-season coaches’ poll. The Spartans lost to Wilmington in the Championship game of the Wilmington College Fred Raizk Tournament 56-38, snapping a three game win streak. MC holds a 3-2 record after the first few weeks of the season. Junior forward Kelly Meiklejohn (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) leads the Spartan effort with 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Manchester will begin their quest for the conference crown Saturday at home against Mount St. Joseph.
Mount St. Joseph earned an 89-69 win over Earlham in their last game to claim their first victory of the season. The 1-3 Lions have relied on the efforts of senior forward Ashleigh Stallkamp (Paulding, Ohio/H.S.) this season. Stallkamp ranks third in the conference in scoring with a 14.2 points per game average, and is also averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. The Mount will have a tough test to open conference play at Manchester Saturday before traveling to Hanover to take on the Panthers Dec. 5.
Rose-Hulman will have a tough task to duplicate their season from a year ago. The Engineers are off to a 1-2 start to begin the year, with their lone win being a 59-36 win over Earlham. Freshman center Donna Marsh (Mobile, Ala./Baker) leads the team with 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. As a team, Rose ranks last in the HCAC with 47.3 points per game and a shooting percentage of 33.8%. RHIT will look to improve on those offensive statistics as conference play opens at home against Hanover Saturday. The Engineers will welcome Franklin to town next Wednesday night.
Women’s Basketball Schedule Dec. 1-Dec. 5
Dec. 1 |
Hanover at Rose-Hulman |
1:00 PM |
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Defiance at Anderson |
3:00 PM |
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Franklin at Bluffton |
3:00 PM |
|
Spalding at Transylvania |
4:00 PM |
|
Mount St. Joseph at Manchester |
5:00 PM |
|
|
|
Dec. 5 |
Anderson at Transylvania |
7:30 PM |
|
Franklin at Rose-Hulman |
7:30 PM |
|
Bluffton at Defiance |
7:30 PM |
|
Mount St. Joseph at Hanover |
7:30 PM |