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“It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
—John Wooden
The Tri-State University women’s basketball team is enthusiastic and optimistic about the 2007-08 season. The Thunder has 10 letter-winners returning, has added another solid recruiting class, and looks to improve upon its 6-19 record.
The Thunder returns one senior, Dana Dunham. Dunham will be relied upon to provide leadership to the underclassmen on and off the court.
Rachel Grove and Kara Graham, along with transfer Jordan Loveberry, will round out the junior class. Grove and Graham both saw significant playing time in their sophomore campaigns, and will continue to help the program grow this season. Loveberry transfers to TSU from Davenport University, where she was a starter for two seasons. A shooting guard, Loveberry will also help toughen up the Thunder defense.
The Thunder will return a talented sophomore class. This class had to learn on the job as freshmen, as they were relied upon heavily in their first season of college basketball. Sarah Howe and Kristen Julian started all 25 games for the Thunder. Howe led the team in scoring (13.6 PPG) and rebounding (7.0 RPG). Kelly Rogers came on strong in the second half of the season, and led the team in three-point shots (44). Laura Hoeppner will see significant playing time this year after suffering a season-ending injury as a freshman. Julie Swisher, Heather Stennett, and Ashley McClendon also return for the Thunder this season.
The coaching staff is once again excited about the freshman class. “Even with 11 returning players, many of our freshmen will compete for spots on the varsity team this season. They are talented and competitive,” said coach Jennifer Rushton.
Liz Gehrig, Jade Gaston, and Jennifer Wall will all compete for time on the varsity team. The remaining freshmen include Kimberly Allen, T.J. Cunningham, Allie DeCaro, Erica Ehinger, Ellie Mulnix, Aja Powers, and Alexa Surdell.
“We knew that last season was a rebuilding year for us. The coaching staff could not have been more pleased with the progress of our young players last season. We truly believe we are in position to make a strong move in the MIAA,” said Rushton.
The coaching staff is also excited about expanding this season, adding a full junior varsity schedule for the first time since 1999. “Our ability to have a full junior varsity schedule is very exciting. This gives some of our younger players time to learn and adjust to the college game while gaining experience,” said Rushton.
The Thunder will open up the 2007-08 campaign by taking a tour of the Heartland Conference. They open at the Rose-Hulman Tip-Off Classic, where they will play Rose-Hulman and Franklin College. They return Nov. 20 to open up their home schedule versus Manchester College. They will also play Anderson and Bluffton before beginning conference play on Dec. 1.
“The MIAA is without a doubt one of the top conferences in the nation for basketball,” said Rushton. “The conference race will once again be exciting, and we are in a good position to make a move this year.” The team will also travel in December to Los Angeles, Calif., where they will play the University of LaVerne and Chapman University.
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