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Holy Family University Women's Basketball Begins 2009-10 With Exhibition Game at La Salle Tonight (11/6/2009) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Holy Family University women's basketball team begins its 2009-10 season with an exhibition contest against Division I La Salle University at Tom Gola Arena tonight at 7 p.m. The game is free to attend. 2009-10 Season Preview The Holy Family University women’s basketball team will have a different look entering the 2009-10 season. The team itself looks similar to the one last season with nine returning players, three of them starters. But for the first time in 15 years, the team will have a new leader sitting on the bench in first year head coach Mark Miller. Miller came to Holy Family after being the head coach at Division III Norwich University for three seasons. He inherits a very talented team that went 26-6 last season, won the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) southern division for the second consecutive year and made its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the East Region semifinal. Even though, the team has a new coach, the task at hand is still the same, win the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), return to the NCAA Tournament and try to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Forwards/Centers The Tigers have a loaded front-court entering the 2009-10 with eight players, two of them starters, to be the physical presence for the team. Leading the charge up front are returning starters: forwards Catherine Carr and Christine McCollum. Carr was a Women’s Division II Bulletin All-American third team in her sophomore season. She also was selected as the CACC and ECAC player of the year. Carr enters the year on the Women’s Division II Bulletin Pre-Season Super 16 list. She recorded 15.3 points per game (ppg), 5.9 rebounds per game (rpg), 69 assists, 29 steals and 15 blocks during the 2008-09 season. Carr finished eighth in the CACC in scoring and 11th in assist to turnover ratio (1.08). McCollum was tabbed as an All-CACC second team selection in her junior campaign. It was her second time on the All-CACC team. She led the Tigers in rebounding (8.3 rpg), steals (49) and blocked shots (38). McCollum also dished out 78 assists. McCollum is a threat from behind the three-point arc, finishing second on the team with 42 made three-pointers and a percentage of .350 (42-140). In the conference, McCollum finished second in assist to turnover ratio (1.59), fifth in blocks and ninth in rebounds. Aside from Carr and McCollum, Miller inherits a lot of experience up front with seniors Nya Daley and Sheala Belte and juniors Meghan Gibson and Lindsey Tennett. Last season was Daley’s first in Holy Family’s system after transferring from Division I Georgia Southern. She appeared in all 32 games for the Tigers as a reserve, contributing 101 points, 94 rebounds and 21 assists. Daley is also a talented shooter, connecting on .404 percent (42-104) of her shots. Belte came back to the team after redshirting in the 2007-08 season with a knee injury. She had 30 points and 10 rebounds in 19 games during her junior year. Gibson primarily came off-the-bench during the 2008-09 season, but did make four starts for the Tigers. In her 28 appearances, Gibson had 66 points, 46 rebounds and 21 assists. Tennett was most often the first option off-the-bench in all 32 games a year ago. In her reserve role, she averaged 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. She connected on .488 percent (61-125) of her attempts from the field. Adding to the frontcourt for the Tigers will be freshmen forwards Erin Mann and Kelly Brady. Mann was tabbed as an All-Catholic League and Main Line Times first team selection in her senior campaign at Villa Maria. During her senior season, she played in the All-Star Labor Classic and the Chester County All-Star game. She was her team’s MVP in 2008-09. Brady poured in 1,158 points in just three seasons at Ocean City High School. She added nine rebounds and four steals per contest in her junior and senior seasons. Guards The Tiger backcourt will once again be controlled by sophomore point guard Lauren Peters. As a freshman, she led the team with 107 assists to go with 8.1 ppg and 33 steals. She is also a three-point threat after connecting on .438 (46-105) percent of her attempts a season ago. In the CACC, she was second in three-point shooting, third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.32) and in assists. Senior Alana Arthurs will have an expanded role after making 30 appearances, two starts, in the 2008-09 season. She averaged 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds along with 27 steals and 24 assists. Arthurs was a .371 (49-132) shooter from the floor, including a .310 (13-42) percent clip from beyond the arc. Senior Jenna Johnson will also be expected to play meaningful minutes in her final season with the Tigers. Last year, Johnson appeared in 17 games. She scored 17 points, hauled down 16 rebounds and dished out five assists. Freshman Molly Hanlon will be called upon to add depth to the backcourt in her first collegiate season. In high school, she was a three-time All-Central and All-Main Line first team selection. As a junior, she was tabbed All-Southeastern PA honorable mention. She helped Lower Merion reached the PIAA quarterfinals as a senior. Hanlon totaled 1,045 points and hit a school recorded 165 three-pointers. Schedule Miller and the Tigers have a tough non-conference schedule awaiting them this season. Holy Family will take on four NCAA Tournament teams from 2008-09 (American International, Bentley, College of Saint Rose and Millersville). Kutztown, a 20-win team a year ago, is also on the slate. In conference, the Tigers will be met with an improving conference, including challenges in the southern division by Wilmington (Del.) University and defending champion Philadelphia University. |
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