SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team will kick off the home portion of its 2010-11 regular season schedule by hosting the annual Wolf's Bus Lines Classic from Heiges Field House this Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20.
Shippensburg will be facing Wheeling Jesuit for just the second time under head coach
Kristy Trn. In 2004, the Cardinals dropped a 67-59 decision to Shippensburg in the first round of the Wolf's Bus Lines Tournament. Current SU assistant coach
Jen Grassel led all scorers in that game with 20 points, including a 10-of-10 performance at the free-throw line.
West Liberty enters with a No. 24 preseason ranking and already having played twice - defeating Elizabeth City State but losing to Saint Augustine's. Saint Paul's will be playing its first of three games in three days, as the Tigers head to UDC after the game.
Shippensburg will be facing West Liberty for the first time since the Hilltoppers ended the 2001-02 season for the Lady Raiders in the NCAA Tournament. That marks the only time that head coach
Kristy Trn has faced West Liberty in her career. However, SU's women's squads under Trn enter the weekend with a 31-18 record against WVIAC competition.
Saint Augustine's, picked third in the CIAA's Southern Division, enters on a wave of momentum having defeated West Liberty earlier this season. Meanwhile, Wheeling Jesuit will be playing just its second game of the year after playing SU on Friday.
Shippensburg is fresh off an exciting 94-92 double overtime victory at Shepherd. Junior
Monae Baker earned PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week honors for scoring 20 points and grabbing 18 rebounds against the Rams.
SU returns eight letterwinners to this year's squad, including its lone senior, All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team selection and Daktronics All-Atlantic Region Second Team selection
Kasey Gardner. After finishing third in the league in scoring last season and totaling 1,268 points through three years of play, Gardner was picked to the Preseason All-PSAC Eastern Division Team.
Gardner will also be one of three team captains this season along with junior guard
Erin Varley and redshirt sophomore forward
Caitlin Bamberger.
Live stats of all tournament games will be available at the links above.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
1 PM
WOMEN: West Liberty vs. St. Paul's
3 PM
MEN: Philadelphia at Mercyhurst
6 PM
WOMEN: Wheeling Jesuit vs. Shippensburg
8 PM
MEN: Nyack vs. Shippensburg
SATURDAY
1 PM
WOMEN: Wheeling Jesuit vs. Saint Augustine's
3 PM
MEN: Nyack vs. Mercyhurst
6 PM
WOMEN: West Liberty vs. Shippensburg
8 PM
MEN: Philadelphia vs. Shippensburg
