SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Basketball begins in a big way this weekend from Heiges Field House as the Shippensburg University men's and women's basketball teams compete in the season-opening Wolf's Bus Lines Classic on Saturday and Sunday. A total of eight games will be played in two days.

Shippensburg will face Saint Michael's of the Northeast-10 conference in its season opener at 6 p.m. Saturday. If it wins, it will play at 4 p.m. on Sunday. A loss would result in an 11 a.m. tip-off. The opponent will either be Chowan or Charleston. A full season preview of the women's squad is listed below.

Saint Michael's was picked eighth in the 2011 Northeast-10 preseason coaches poll (the conference has 16 members). The Purple Knights went 16-11 overall and 13-9 in the NE-10 last winter, setting a school record for conference victories. SMC overcame a 15th-place prediction in the preseason poll to grab seventh place in the regular-season standings. Saint Michael's also notched its first postseason win since 1992, advancing to the league quarterfinals.

Chowan went 15-13 overall and 11-7 in the highly competitive CIAA last year. Chowan's top two returners, Ransheda Jennings and Talaya Lynch, were tabbed with All-CIAA Preseason honors. Both earned All-CIAA honors a year ago. With two top CIAA players returning, the Hawks were tabbed to finish third in the North Division of the CIAA. The Hawks won in the opening round of the CIAA tournament last year over Limestone.

Charleston, which won the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title a year ago, earned one first-place vote this year as the team was chosen fourth in the 2011 WVIAC preseason coaches poll. The Golden Eagles were 24-8 last year but have to replace All-American Lindsey Kentner and a crop of three additional departed seniors who accounted for 54.5 points per game in 2010-11.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:

Saturday, November 12

1 PM
(Women's Game)
Chowan vs. Charleston

6 PM
(Women's Game)
Saint Michael's vs. Shippensburg

Sunday, November 13

11 AM
(Women's Game)
Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 3

4 PM
(Women's Game)
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 3

WOMEN's PREVIEW:

The Shippensburg women's basketball team returns four starters and 10 total players for the 2011-12 season from a squad that finished last season averaging 70.1 points per game – its highest single-season mark since 2006-07.

Despite the loss of three-time All-PSAC forward Kasey Gardner, the sixth-leading scorer in school history, SU enters the season with balance among its scorers and enough depth to provide plenty of options on both offense and defense.

“It's going to be a different team and different look this year,” head coach Kristy Trn said. “For the last three years we have been pretty much one- or two-player reliant in terms of Kasey Gardner and Lauren Beckley. We have a lot more balance to the team this year offensively and we're going to use our speed to try get at our opponents.”

After posting a 12-14 overall mark and a 7-7 record in PSAC Eastern Division play, Shippensburg is seeking a berth in the PSAC Tournament after missing out on the postseason the last three years. In order to do so, it will need to surpass the fifth-place prediction for the club affixed to the team by the league's coaches in the preseason poll for the second straight year.

“I was not disappointed that we were picked fifth, but I think we are better than fifth,” Trn said. “We have really come together as a team and we have some people who are now healthy that could have complemented us well last year. I think we're going to be underestimated a little bit because we are going to be relying on all of our returning players, and I think that gives the other coaches a false sense of security of what they're going to see. We're going to give them a whole different look.”

BACKCOURT

Last season, the Raiders led the PSAC and ranked third in all of Division II with a 77.6 percent proficiency at the free-throw line. A big part of that success was from twin guards junior Shawna Wert and junior Dana Wert, who each shot 85 percent from the free-throw line and combined for 263 made free throws.

“When those two are working together, they create so many opportunities offensively,” Trn said. “They give us such a good 1-2 punch. They both can penetrate, they both can hit the three and they are both extremely good passers. More than that, they have the ability to lock down defensively.”

Dana finished the year with 121 assists – the most by a Raider in a season since 2007-08 – and averaged 4.7 assists per game, ranking fifth in the PSAC and 36th in Division II. She was 114-of-133 (85.7 percent) at the free-throw line for the third-best proficiency in the PSAC and the 15th best in Division II. Dana also averaged 10.1 points per contest, shot 41.7 percent from three-point range (making 30 three-pointers) and contributed at least four points and two assists in every game.

Shawna ranked second on the team with 12.2 points per game, 318 total points, 77 assists and 31 steals. She led the PSAC during the regular season with 149 made free throws, making 85.1 percent of her attempts from the free-throw line to rank fourth in the PSAC and 23rd in Division II. Shawna averaged 3.0 assists per game, reached double figures for points in 18 of 26 contests and had at least six points in every game.

Sophomore Sarah Strybuc played in all 26 games as a freshman and averaged 6.2 points per contest. Strybuc ranked fourth on the team with 20.5 minutes per contest in 2010-11, averaging 6.2 points per game. She hit 27 three-pointers, scored at least one point in 24 of 26 games and posted double figures in five games.

Redshirt sophomore guard Morgan Taylor was performing well at the point guard position as a freshman in 2009-10 before an injury limited her play and forced her to miss the entire 2010-11 season. Taylor is back and ready to perform this season and will work her way into the lineup as she continues to acclimate herself back to game situations.

Senior Erin Varley is the most experienced player on the roster, having played in 70 games for Shippensburg over the last three seasons. Varley is one of the hardest workers on the team and is a valuable possession guard who can chip in defensively. She has shown the ability to distribute the basketball in her career with 143 assists through three seasons.

Sophomore Raediah Lyles is poised for a breakout season after appearing in 18 games as a rookie and averaging over 13 minutes per contest. She began to show some of her scoring touch while solidifying the defense with some rock-steady work against opposing guards.

Sophomore Codi McMaster is another solid defender who has the ability to play both guard positions. She saw time at point guard last season and is emerging as a viable option in the backcourt for the Raiders.

Shippensburg also boasts three new players who will debut this season from the backcourt: Freshmen Samantha Damiano, Kayla Jerido and Jen Kalinowski.

FRONTCOURT

Senior Lindsay Howard has emerged as a valuable post player for the Raiders. In addition to scoring a career-high 120 points last season, Howard played steady defense and recorded 36 blocked shots — the 10th most in SU single-season history and most since Kim Strickland (51) in 2005-06. Howard continues to get stronger and has the potential for her best offensive season to date.

Junior Caitlin Bamberger has battled with nagging injuries in her career and hopes to breakout this season as a regular impact player. Bamberger has been a valuable post option for Shippensburg when healthy and has displayed double-double potential when on the floor. She averaged 8.8 points per game in the final four contests of last season in which she started each contest.

Senior Monae Baker averaged 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in 16 games with the Raiders last season but also battled nagging injuries a season ago. Baker has the double-double potential as well and has the potential to be one the team's leading scorers and rebounders when SU takes the floor.

“Right now we have a group where we don't have that forefront all-star that is going to put up 20 points a game for us,” Trn said. “We have a lot of people involved and they get excited to play. They have trust in each other. Hopefully, we are going to create different looks that are going to make it difficult for opponents to focus on one person.”

SCHEDULE

One important difference with the 2011-12 schedule involves the inclusion of every PSAC Western Division team as an opponent. Additionally, all crossover matchups will count in the standings in addition to the already scheduled home-and-home series against Eastern Division opponents. Therefore, 22 of the team's 26 contests this season will be considered “conference” games.

“It changes your approach and really the urgency of what you need to work on right away,” Trn said. “Your third game of the season could make or break whether you get into the playoffs or not. We're very excited about that challenge.”
Shippensburg opens its season inside Heiges Field House against Saint Michael's and either Charleston or Chowan in the annual Wolf's Bus Lines Tournament. The season-opening games are back to a tipoff format, with the winners on Saturday facing off the next day.

Before January, the Lady Raiders will have also faced UDC – an NCAA tournament team two years ago – along with PSAC West powerhouses IUP and California (Pa.). West Virginia Wesleyan, always among the WVIAC's elite, comes calling in December along with Merrimack from the NE-10.

Despite the mandated PSAC crossover schedule resulting in Shippensburg facing California (Pa.) and Indiana (Pa.) on the second weekend of the season, the Lady Raiders have the luxury of playing their first seven games at home before finally hitting the road on December 9 and 10 for crossovers at Clarion and Gannon.

Shippensburg is in its fourth season as a member of the PSAC Eastern Division after spending 21 seasons in the PSAC West. Since joining the Western Division prior to the 1987-88 season, the Lady Raiders won six PSAC West titles, the most of any current Western Division team. SU's divisional opener will be on January 11 against Bloomsburg.