2008 Woodie Awards
Underdog women's basketball looks to turn heads in PSAC
By Randy Klins
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Sports Extra
After a disappointing end to the 2004-05 season, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team is looking to have its first winning campaign since 2002 and finally get back to the playoffs.
Last season, SRU beat conference opponents Edinboro and Lock Haven, but then lost two of its final three games to miss the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs by one game for the second straight year.
Rock head coach Laurel Heilman said the team is overdue to get back to the playoffs.
"We continue to have that hunger to turn the corner and go back to the playoffs," Heilman said. "We've been close."
SRU enters this season with 12 combined freshmen and sophomores, along with four seniors.
The Rock will also be without first team All-PSAC West forward Stacey Green and third leading scorer Erin Frankovich. Green led the team in scoring and rebounds last season, averaging 12 points and nine rebounds per game. Green also finished her career as the seventh most prolific scorer in school history.
The absence of Green and Frankovich along with the injury to 6 foot 2 freshman Ana Nikolic will leave the Rock without much size in the middle.
"She was our only true center," Heilman said. "Without her, we drop down to 5'll" across the board. We are going to be outsized."
Heilman said the interior defense needs to get better in certain areas to compete in the conference because many of the other teams have multiple players over six feet tall.
"We're going to try to get the other team's post (players) away from the hoop," Heilman said. "It's a concern but we can only do the best we can with the hand that we've been dealt."
That hand includes junior forward and returning starter Amanda Chojnacki who was fourth on the team in scoring last year with almost six points per game and third in rebounds. Chojnacki, at 5-10, only averaged 19 minutes a game last season but her role will be increased this year.
"She (Chojnacki) needs to step up her game as a leader on the inside," Heilman said.
Last season, SRU beat conference opponents Edinboro and Lock Haven, but then lost two of its final three games to miss the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs by one game for the second straight year.
Rock head coach Laurel Heilman said the team is overdue to get back to the playoffs.
"We continue to have that hunger to turn the corner and go back to the playoffs," Heilman said. "We've been close."
SRU enters this season with 12 combined freshmen and sophomores, along with four seniors.
The Rock will also be without first team All-PSAC West forward Stacey Green and third leading scorer Erin Frankovich. Green led the team in scoring and rebounds last season, averaging 12 points and nine rebounds per game. Green also finished her career as the seventh most prolific scorer in school history.
The absence of Green and Frankovich along with the injury to 6 foot 2 freshman Ana Nikolic will leave the Rock without much size in the middle.
"She was our only true center," Heilman said. "Without her, we drop down to 5'll" across the board. We are going to be outsized."
Heilman said the interior defense needs to get better in certain areas to compete in the conference because many of the other teams have multiple players over six feet tall.
"We're going to try to get the other team's post (players) away from the hoop," Heilman said. "It's a concern but we can only do the best we can with the hand that we've been dealt."
That hand includes junior forward and returning starter Amanda Chojnacki who was fourth on the team in scoring last year with almost six points per game and third in rebounds. Chojnacki, at 5-10, only averaged 19 minutes a game last season but her role will be increased this year.
"She (Chojnacki) needs to step up her game as a leader on the inside," Heilman said.
