2008 Woodie Awards
Women's basketball must compensate for lack of size in '05 season
By Randy Klins
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 12/9/05 Section: Sports
Compared to the rest of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Western division, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team is short, real short.
SRU only has one player in its rotation right now that is six feet tall in freshman Jessica Schake, while other PSAC West teams have multiple taller players.
Up at Edinboro, coach Stan Swank has added quite a front line to his arsenal in 6-foot-3 Agnes Michalow, 6-foot-4" Kim Mardis, and 6-foot-5 Jessica Trotter.
At California, 6-foot-2 Kim Nowakowski is the reigning PSAC West player of the week with back-to-back double-doubles, while the Vulcans have more than a few girls over six feet tall.
Another PSAC West rival Shippensburg only has one girl on its roster that is shorter than 5-foot-7. Shanna Oaddams, at 6-0, scored a career-high 35 points against Kutztown this week.
With SRU loaded in the backcourt and trying to find bodies that can play on a consistent basis underneath, it can only mean one thing: The Rock has to find other ways to beat taller teams.
"Yeah, I think we can win," Rock coach Laurel Heilman said. "You have got to be disciplined and the key is to play to our strengths."
Heilman is going to have to find someone that can carry the load on the inside to free up some of the shooters on the outside.
Since the graduation of Erin Frankovich, the Rock only has one true post-player on its roster in freshman Ana Nikolic, and will be sidelined for awhile.
At 6-foot-2, Nikolic has been out the entire season with multiple injuries. As a result, Schake has been learning how to play at the power forward position and junior Amanda Chojnacki has been playing in the middle.
Schake was a point guard in high school while Chojnacki, at 5-foot-9 is used to playing at either forward position. With sophomore Amanda Kaufman and freshman Stephanie Schwartz not getting a good amount of playing time, Chojnacki is going to be the one dealing with the tallest of the West.
SRU only has one player in its rotation right now that is six feet tall in freshman Jessica Schake, while other PSAC West teams have multiple taller players.
Up at Edinboro, coach Stan Swank has added quite a front line to his arsenal in 6-foot-3 Agnes Michalow, 6-foot-4" Kim Mardis, and 6-foot-5 Jessica Trotter.
At California, 6-foot-2 Kim Nowakowski is the reigning PSAC West player of the week with back-to-back double-doubles, while the Vulcans have more than a few girls over six feet tall.
Another PSAC West rival Shippensburg only has one girl on its roster that is shorter than 5-foot-7. Shanna Oaddams, at 6-0, scored a career-high 35 points against Kutztown this week.
With SRU loaded in the backcourt and trying to find bodies that can play on a consistent basis underneath, it can only mean one thing: The Rock has to find other ways to beat taller teams.
"Yeah, I think we can win," Rock coach Laurel Heilman said. "You have got to be disciplined and the key is to play to our strengths."
Heilman is going to have to find someone that can carry the load on the inside to free up some of the shooters on the outside.
Since the graduation of Erin Frankovich, the Rock only has one true post-player on its roster in freshman Ana Nikolic, and will be sidelined for awhile.
At 6-foot-2, Nikolic has been out the entire season with multiple injuries. As a result, Schake has been learning how to play at the power forward position and junior Amanda Chojnacki has been playing in the middle.
Schake was a point guard in high school while Chojnacki, at 5-foot-9 is used to playing at either forward position. With sophomore Amanda Kaufman and freshman Stephanie Schwartz not getting a good amount of playing time, Chojnacki is going to be the one dealing with the tallest of the West.
