Local Sports

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Women's Basketball: UF returns five starters

By BRIAN LESTER

STAFF WRITER

No one could blame the University of Findlay women's basketball team for feeling a little empty at the end of last season.

The Oilers posted their first winning campaign in five seasons, finishing 14-13 overall. But that wasn't enough. UF wanted to play in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

The opportunity, though, was lost on the last day of the season because of a tiebreaker. Lake Superior State defeated Northern Michigan in the season finale to keep the Oilers out of the postseason.

"They accepted the disappointment of last year and turned it into something positive," fourth-year head coach Kate Cummings said. "I was worried it would crush them. But they've worked hard, they are hungry and they are playing with a chip on their shoulder."

That chip will be on the shoulders of a team that returns all five starters, including Audra Mihalic. The senior point guard is one of five seniors -- guards Maggie Gompers and Candace Black, center Jessica Vorst and forward Megan Sellers.

"This class has had a long road and has changed the way the program is run," Cummings said. "They have done a great job of taking on leadership roles and are on a mission for success."

Mihalic will lead the charge as she looks to build on a stellar junior season -- 15.9 points per game, school-record 134 assists and 48 steals -- en route to earning first-team all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors.

"Audra leads with effort and is a physical and emotional leader," Cummings said. "The big thing she does is that she makes the players around her better."

Vorst and Gompers averaged 12 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Gompers is a dangerous threat from the outside and buried 68 3-pointers. Vorst pulled down 192 rebounds.

Sellers led the team with 224 rebounds. Black (1.8 points per game) will give UF experience off the bench.

Then there is sophomore Laura Bardall, who is already on pace to become one of the best in school history. As a freshman she earned second-team all-GLIAC honors, averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. She had a 36 steals in a starting role.

Bardall led the team in scoring six times over the last seven games, scoring 20-plus points three times and never scoring less than 18 points.

"Laura will be at the top of every scouting report," Cummings said. "It will be a challenge for her but she is so much tougher and stronger than she was a year ago. The experience is going to help her become a better player. She also understands what she can do to make the players around her better."

Sophomore guard Emilee Ritchie (2.3 points per game) and sophomore forward Kaitlyn Nelson (2.7 points per game, 71 rebounds) also have experience.

The freshmen class is promising as well. Guard Ashley Andrews scored 11 points in an 80-50 exhibition loss to Bowling Green while forward Kayla Brown, a former Riverdale standout, added 7 points. Center Tai Dotson scored 4 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.

The three combined for 11 points in UF's 55-36 exhibition win over Eastern Kentucky last week.

The Oilers averaged 70.5 points per outing last season and allowed 68.5. UF shot 41.1 percent from the field and held opponents to 40.3 percent shooting.

"I know we are going to be able to score. The key is playing defense," Cummings said. "We have more depth and can play up to 10 players a night. We won't be as tired and that should help us play better on defense."

The Oilers are expected to contend for a GLIAC South Division title. They are picked to finish third in the preseason poll after going 9-13 in the conference last year, good for fourth in the division.

Being in contention, though, hinges on making the plays they didn't make a year ago in losing six games by less than 10 points.

"We have to finish plays," Cummings said. "Talent-wise, I think we are close to everyone else in the league. But we have to be able to take that extra step to win games."

Cummings believes that aside from Michigan Tech, the preseason No. 1 team in NCAA Division II, the league is wide open.

"Getting to the GLIAC Tournament is at the top of our list," Cummings said. "We had it pulled away from us last year. We know we will have to work harder because we won't sneak up on anyone, but this team is ready for the challenge."

UF Women's Schedule

Nov. 15 at W. Liberty St., Wheeling, W. Va., 4

Nov. 16 at Wheeling Jesuit, 7

Nov. 24 at Michigan-Dearborn, 5

Nov. 28 Rio Grande, 2

Dec. 3 at Saginaw Valley State (x), 6

Dec. 5 at Lake Superior State (x), 1

Dec. 10 Ferris State (x), 5:30

Dec. 12 Grand Valley State (x), 5:30

Dec. 17 at Hillsdale (x), 6

Dec. 19 Urbana, 1

Jan. 2 Hillsdale (x), 1

Jan. 7 Wayne State (x), 5:30

Jan. 9 Northwood (x), 1

Jan. 14 at Northern Michigan (x), 5:30

Jan. 16 at Michigan Tech (x), 12

Jan. 21 Tiffin (x), 5:30

Jan. 23 Ashland (x), 1

Jan. 28 Lake Superior State (x), 5:30

Jan. 30 Saginaw Valley State (x), 1

Feb. 4 at Grand Valley State (x), 6

Feb. 6 at Ferris State (x), 12

Feb. 11 at Northwood (x), 6

Feb. 13 at Wayne State (x), 1

Feb. 18 Michigan Tech (x), 5:30

Feb. 20 Northern Michigan (x), 1

Feb. 25 at Ashland (x), 5:30

Feb. 27 at Tiffin (x), 1

(x) -- Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games

Lester: 419-422-5151,

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