The University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team is ready to contend for a GLVC title and a NCAA II Tournament berth in 2009-10, and there is plenty of reason to believe the Screaming Eagles can do both as they return eight players including four starters off a squad that was 14-13 in 2008-09.
Under the direction of 11th-year Head Coach Rick Stein, the program’s all-time winningest coach, the Eagles have been one of the most competitive squads in the GLVC and the Midwest Region the last 10 seasons.
This season, Stein has a much more experienced group as his squad features a pair of seniors, six juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. He also has the good fortune of returning 73.8 percent of the squad’s scoring from last season, the most by a Stein-led team in the previous 10 seasons.
Only three times during that span has Stein returned more than 50 percent of the previous year’s scoring, and two of those times the Eagles claimed GLVC Tournament championships.
Arguably the biggest strength for the Eagles this season is at the guard position. Juniors Ellen Young, Amie Newhart, Lauren Meneghetti, and sophomore Rinesha Soaper give the Eagles one of the most formidable backcourts in the region.
Young was an All-GLVC performer a year ago after finishing 12th in the GLVC with a team-best 13.1 points per contest. Young reached double digits in the scoring column 18 times last season, including a season-best 22 points in USI’s double-overtime victory over Drury University, a contest that was recognized by the women’s Division II Bulletin as the Game of the Month in February.
Newhart continued her strong play at the point guard position in her sophomore campaign. She was 17th in the GLVC and second on the team with 11.8 points per contests. She was ranked in four GLVC statistical categories, including three-point field-goal percentage (.414/9th), free-throw percentage (.789/12th), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.08/15th).
Meneghetti had somewhat of a breakout year as she averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per appearance last season. She began the season with a career-high 26 points against Southeastern Oklahoma State University at the St. Edwards Shootout.
Soaper was one of the top freshmen in the GLVC a year ago as she averaged 9.1 points per game during her first season at USI. Soaper ranked eighth in the GLVC with 1.88 steals per outing and had a season-high 26 points in the Eagles’ win over Wayne State University.
Another freshman that made a big impact in the backcourt a year ago was sophomore guard Cootie Leeberg, who gave the team a strong defensive presence with her hustle and intensity.
The addition of 5-10 junior guard Stephanie Gehlhausen, 5-11 freshman guard/forward Chantiera Johnson, and 5-11 freshman guard Ladi Stallard gives the Eagles more size in the backcourt. Gehlhausen transferred to USI after spending three years at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where she averaged 5.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Johnson earned All-State honors as a senior after leading Hazelwood High School to a third-place finish in the 2009 MHSAA Class 5 State Tournament, while Stallard averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest as a senior at Olney East Richland High School (Olney, Illinois).
Stein is counting on his senior class to fill the void of the Eagles’ most glaring loss from last season, the production in the paint. The graduation of forward/centers Brittany Neuman and Ninette Evans left the Eagles in need of an additional 17.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game from last year’s team.
Senior forward Abby Williams, a NJCAA II All-American, averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a junior last season and figures to see her production increase as she enters her second and final year with the Eagles.
Fellow classmate Anaris Sickles, who makes the transition from Division I to Division II, also will help USI’s frontcourt after helping the University of Evansville to the Missouri Valley Conference title and a berth in the NCAA I Tournament a year ago.
Junior forward/center Courtney Perry and sophomore forward/center Leigha Thompson should see their production increase this season after seeing limited playing time last year. Perry, who scored a career-high six points against Grace last season, averaged 1.2 rebounds in 23 games as a sophomore.
Stein also brought in two junior college transfers and a freshman to strengthen USI’s frontcourt. Junior forward/center Stephanie McSparin averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a sophomore at John A. Logan College (Carterville, Illinois) last year, while sophomore forward/center Ashton Mertens averaged 9.6 points and 8.0 rebounds as a freshman at Kankakee Community College before injury cost her the 2008-09 season.
Freshman forward Simone Swary also is expected to contribute to the Eagles’ frontcourt. Swary was named to the Indiana Class 4A East All-Star team after leading Northrop High School (Ft. Wayne) to a sectional title last year.
USI wastes little time getting on the court this season as it begins the year October 30-November 1 at the Disney Division II West Coast Tip-off Classic in Anaheim, California. Following the three-game, classic-style tournament, the Eagles visit Indiana State University November 8 for an exhibition game before resuming regular-season play November 15 with a trip to Detroit, Michigan, to take on Midwest Region foe Wayne State.
The Eagles open their 14-game home schedule November 18 when they host Urbana University. USI’s home schedule includes its GLVC-opener December 3 against Bellarmine University as well as bouts with defending GLVC Tournament champion Northern Kentucky University (December 5), defending GLVC West Division champion Quincy University (January 16), and NCAA II Midwest Region finalist University of Indianapolis (February 13).
GLVC play will be different than previous seasons as the conference has been divided into three five-team divisions (East, West, North). USI plays home-and-home series with East Division foes Bellarmine, Northern Kentucky, Indianapolis, and Kentucky Wesleyan College; and meet North and West Division foes one time throughout the regular season.
