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2008-09 Women’s Basketball Season Preview
November 4, 2008
Senior Angela Viggiani will lead the Storm's front-court in 2008-09.
After not winning the NEAC Championship for the first time in five years last season, Keuka’s strong sophomore class will look to get the Storm back atop the NEAC in 2008-09.
Seven second-year players return to help Keuka improve on its 14-10 overall record and 13-3 NEAC mark. Keuka was ousted in overtime in the semifinals of last season’s NEAC Tournament after finishing second in the regular season.
Coach Dave Sweet will rely on his surplus of talented guards to help replace the loss of high scoring forwards Pam Gardner and Abby Brewer. Leading the returnees is sophomore point guard Courtney Lincoln (Waterloo, N.Y./Waterloo), who dished off 74 assists while also finishing third on the team in scoring at 6.9 points a game. The 5-6 guard also grabbed 71 boards, collected 46 steals, and shot 40 percent from the floor, including 42 percent from behind the arc (11-for-26).
Also returning to the back-court will be junior Melissa Thurston (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) and sophomore Nicki Zahn (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua). The duo combined to start 24 games while finishing fifth and sixth in scoring, respectively. Thurston netted 5.9 points a game while leading the Storm with 49 steals. Zahn averaged 5.4 points to go with 60 rebounds.
Fellow sophomore guards Brittany Schrock (Elmira Heights, N.Y./Thomas Edison) and Jessica Fink (New Oxford, PA/New Oxford) return after gaining valuable experience last season. Schrock
Sophomore Brittany Schrock returns as the Storm's top 3-point shooter.
led the Storm in 3-point shooting with 23 while scoring 4.2 points a game. Fink came on strong in the second half and was second on the team in 3-pointers with 12.
In the front-court will be senior Angela Viggiani (Kent, N.Y./Albion) and sophomores Heather Fish (Newfield, N.Y./Newfield), Nadia Madmoune (Rome, N.Y./Rome Free), and Mindy Buck (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua). Viggiani pulled down 69 rebounds (3 a game). Fish averaged 2.4 boards and 3 points a contest. Madmoune pulled down rebounds in bunches with 40 (3.1 a game) in just 13 contests. Buck dished off 10 assists while scoring 13 points.
New to the team this year will be guards Elena Augustus (Geneva, N.Y./DeSales), Alecia Steeves (Rochester, N.Y./Gates-Chili), Morgan Engelbert (Elmira Heights, N.Y./Thomas Edison), and Deanna Nortier (Marion, N.Y./Marion). Helping out in the front-court will be Courtney Manhard (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) and Joycelynn Crapp (Sylvester, GA/Worth County).
The Storm will open its 2008-09 campaign with a home game against the Herons of William Smith College on Saturday, Nov. 15 beginning at 1 pm.
