Friday, November 16, 2007
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Christina Baxter |
2007-08 Mercy Women's Basketball Ready for Next Step
The Mercy College women's basketball team posted one of the best turnarounds in program history last year, putting an end to a pair of winless seasons and starting a new era by registering a 7-19 overall record, barely missing out on an East Coast Conference (ECC) Tournament berth at 5-15. But, Head Coach Ashlee Kelly, now in her second year, sees it as only the beginning.
"We're very proud of where we came from, but it was a stepping stone to where we're going to be this year," said Kelly. "With a lot of new faces, along with the returning players, we've got a great foundation to build upon."
While last year's squad made those great strides, they lacked an overall inside presence to get them to the next level. This year's campaign will feature the operative word of "balance," as Kelly focused on recruiting to that need, bringing in several new players who will contribute down low.
"Now, not only do we have talented perimeter players, but we can also rebound inside more consistently," said Kelly. "We have all the components to be successful."
Headlining the returning components is junior guard Christina Baxter, a Preseason All-ECC Second Team selection after earning All-ECC Third Team honors at the end of her sophomore season. Baxter is a team leader who can be the Mavericks' quarterback on the court and produce big numbers. Last year, she ranked second in the ECC in assists (4.0 apg), fourth in steals (2.40 spg), fifth in scoring (13.8 ppg), and 11th in field goal percentage (.448).
Also back are junior guard Jazmin Steele and sophomore forward Samantha DeVore, while junior guard Tannyka Bent will miss the year as a medical redshirt. Steele broke on to the scene as a newcomer last year, netting 11.8 points per game, and 4.9 rebounds per game. DeVore was one of the top rookies at 8.3 points per game, and cracked the ECC top 20 at 5.8 rpg.
A highly touted group of first year players starts with forward/center Delmara Reece. After redshirting last year, Reece will be expected to display her skills and athleticism inside and knows the system well. Also on the inside, the Mavericks will look for freshmen Ashley Finnegan and Aida Kranzburg to provide a presence on the boards and contribute in the scoring column.
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Jazmin Steele |
Along with improving the team's strength near the basket, Kelly also continued to add to her corps of perimeter players, bringing in freshmen Ashley Borofsky and Aimee Levine, and junior college transfers Tracey Garnett and Sasha Bowen. Borofsky is a deep threat, scoring over 1,000 points during her high school career, and Levine runs the court well, coming out of one the top scholastic programs in Christ the King. Bowen will see time at the point guard, and Garnett is another quick, slashing guard that can run the floor.
"They all came from winning programs and will bring that with them as we move forward," said Kelly. "We haven't been together long as a team, so we're all still learning roles, but our returning players have been through it and know what to expect. It's good to have those experienced leaders on the court."
Kelly will have to look to those leaders early on as she has upgraded Mercy's non-conference schedule. This year's slate will see the Mavericks take on first year Division I program North Carolina Central, three Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opponents, a pair of Northeast-10 Conference foes, and Newberry College from the South Atlantic Conference.
"We have a nice well-rounded group of non-conference opponents right from the start this year," said Kelly. "It will be a good gauge of where we are and what we need to do. Then we have two big-time opponents on the road down south. We're going to let the girls go up against programs that have been there and played at the highest levels."
The Mavericks will get things going at the DoubleTree Doc Jacobs Classic on November 17 and 18, where they will face Franklin Pierce and host Saint Michael's. Mercy will then square off against Nyack on November 20, before opening ECC play on November 28 at Queens, followed by four more league tilts against New Haven, Dowling, Concordia, and NYIT.
Mercy will resume non-conference action on December 15, at Felician, and close out the calendar year with a trip south to take on Newberry on December 29, and North Carolina Central on December 30.
Next up is a stretch of 12 straight ECC opponents, beginning with a home game versus Adelphi on January 5. The Mavericks travel to Caldwell for a non-conference outing on February 20, followed by three more ECC games, culminating with a tilt at Bridgeport on March 1.
"Conference play will be very good again this year, very competitive," said Kelly. "There are no easy opponents. The ECC is improving every year and every game will be a challenge. We're shooting to make the conference tournament and start with double-digit wins. I think we're a team capable of doubling what we did last year."
