Lady Cougar Season Outlook

The University of Saint Francis Women's Basketball Team will have a mix of returning veterans along with a great recruiting class. There are high expectations for the Lady Cougars this season.

We are returning Toni Burney, who was first team all MCC last season and Marie Kaufmann who was second team. They were are 2 leading scorers last season. We are expecting big years out of both of them. Jamika Banks is also returning and she has really showed up in great shape. Also returning from last years team are Angie Roy and VIni Dawson.

"We are counting on our returnees to have good seasons for us." Says Coach Gary Andrews.

We also have a great recruiting class coming in. With Chelsea Joseph, Jessica Teubert, Courtney Lusk, Stacia Shepherd, Kym Bowsher, Nataly Ross, Jana Reese and Molly Getts.

"We have a chance to be a very good team this season. We have a lot of size inside and we might have the best outside shooting team we have ever had. I am really looking forward to this season."

"It is going to take us awhile to jell, but when we do I think we have the potential to beat anyone in the country. We have a very balanced and deep team. We are going to need to work hard and keep improving throughout the season. If we can keep getting better and better I feel that the sky is the limit for this team.

Posts

I feel that we will have one of the best post games in the country. " I am very excited about our post play. We are have depth and good size and athleticism. It is going to be hard for other teams to match up with us inside.
"Marie was our leading scorer last year and we expect her to be a dominate player inside for us. "Marie has great post moves and a very nice shooting touch. She is also a very good defensive player. We need Marie to dominate this season for us."

Jamika is a very strong, athletic and physical post player. "Jamika has shown up in great shape. She is has improved her shot and her post moves. She could be a dominate post players this season. Jamika is a great rebounder and she runs the floor very well. She will be one of the best rebounders in the country this season.

Chelsea is a transfer is a transfer from The University of Charleston. Chelsea is a very athletic, versatile player. "Chelsea can do a lot of things for us. She is a good defensive player and our best shot blocker. She can handle the ball, take the ball to the basket, score inside and she is a good passer. Her strength is her versatility. She will be a huge asset for us."
Another post is Nataly Ross. Nataly is an athletic player from Pioneer High School. "Nataly is athletic and she is going to get better and better."

Kym Bowsher is a freshman from Allen East High School in Ohio. " Kym is going to play inside and out for us. She is a very versatile player. She can handle the ball, score inside and play good defense. Kym is also a very good shooter. Kym is going to be a very good player for us."

Guards

Andrews has high hopes for his backcourt this season. " I am really excited about our backcourt. We have the most 3 point shooters we have ever had. I really like our guards. We have a lot of depth in our backcourt, which we will need."

Toni Burney is a returning first team all MCC selection from last year. "Toni is going to do a lot of things for us. She can score off of the dribble, she can score cutting off picks, and she is a good passer. I am expecting big things from Toni this year.

Stacia Shepherd is a transfer from Stetson University. Stacia can play either guard position. "Stacia is a very good shooter, she comes off of picks real well. She is a very good passer and she is a smart player."

Jessica Teubert is a transfer from IPFW. "Jessica is a great shooter. She has good quickness, plays hard and she does a good job moving without the basketball. We are expecting her experience to really help us this year.

Jana Reese is a transfer from Vincennes University. Jana can play both guard postions. "Jana has good quickness. We are going to need her to use her quickness and apply good ball pressure for us."

Vini Dawson is a returning guard for the Lady Cougars. "Vini is one of our best on the ball defenders. Vini is also one of our hardest workers. She moves well without the ball and she is a good shooter."

Courtney Lusk is a transfer from Jackson Community College. "Courtney is a smart player who has good athleticism. Courtney plays good defense and can take the ball to the basket. Her experience we really help us this year.

Angie Roy is a returner to the team this season. " Angie is a hard-nosed player for us. She has very good athleticism and has a nice shot. Angie has the potential to be a good player for us."

Molly Getts is redshirted last season for the Lady Cougars. "Molly can play point of off guard. She is a very hard worker and a good athlete. She will provide depth for us."

Schedule

The Lady Cougars are playing a very tough schedule as always. The MCC will again be one of the best conferences in the country. The Lady Cougars were picked by the MCC coaches to win the conference followed by Indiana Wesleyan, Taylor, Huntington, and Bethel. "Our conference is always going to be tough. We have so many great players and coaches in our conference."

The Lady Cougars non-conference schedule is also very tough. They play NCAA II member St. Joe college, along with NAIA II tourney qualifiers in Davenport, Cornerstone, Aquinas, Rio Grande, Shawnee State. They also play Notre Dame Ohio and Cedarville, 2 perennial powerhouses.

"It is going to be a very demanding schedule. We our going to have our work cut out for us, but I am excited about the season. Our goals our to win the conference and the National Championship."