Lehigh has something to prove in 2007-08
11/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Mountain Hawks will add many new faces to the mix this year, as they add four new freshmen to the squad, a transfer from
THE GUARDS
Despite the loss of two seniors from last year’s backcourt, the Mountain Hawks look to be very strong at the position and have one of the best one-two combinations in Claire Sullivan and Alex Ross. One area where they struggled last season was three-point shooting, ranking seventh in the Patriot League in both shooting percentage and defense.
In the 2005-06 season, Sullivan was one of the nation’s leaders in assists, ranking seventh with 180. That same season, Lehigh ranked first in the Patriot League, with a 0.88 assist to turnover ratio. After sitting out the 2006-07 season with an injury, the Mountain Hawks expect she can return to her form and distribute the ball evenly around the court.
Freshman Erica Prosser will rotate in at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. By adding Prosser into the mix, it gives head coach Sue Troyan a lot of different looks from her backcourt. Sullivan is more of a leader and general on the court while Prosser provides athleticism and an ability to find open space anywhere on the court. At
Sophomore Alex Ross will switch from the point to shooting guard, after showing a lot of promise at the point last season. Filling in for the injured Sullivan, Ross ranked tenth in the Patriot League in field goal percentage (.428) and sixth in three-point percentage (.368). She was able to adapt to the college game early, scoring 21 points in just the third game of the season and leading the team in scoring five times. She will be forced to fill some big shoes, as she takes over for Sara Ellis, who ranks sixth in school history in scoring.
Senior Kaela Pearce will also play the off guard position with Ross. Pearce started in eight games last season and played excellent defense, forcing 24 steals. She has proven herself as one of the best perimeter defenders on the team.
At the swing guard position, Tricia Smith will return from an injury, but will have to be on top of her game all season, as sophomore Kristen Dalton proved she can be just as versatile as Smith. In 2005-06, Smith averaged 5.1 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game, while
Also expected to see time at guard this season is freshman Kristen Iafolla. A pure scorer, Iafolla recorded over 1,300 points as a member of the
IN THE PAINT
With all the experience and depth Lehigh has at the guard position, they are lacking in these areas down low. The departure of senior Adrienne Blount has left them in search of a younger player to step in and become a dominating force on the boards. Last season, Blount ranked first in the Patriot League in rebounding (8.3 per game) and was able to turn those rebounds into points, ranking sixth in scoring (12.5 per game).
Junior center Melissa Rich flourished last season, averaging eight points and five rebounds per game in her first season as a starter. Troyan will need her to do much of the same this year, as the 6’2” center, is expected to pick up the majority of the rebounding duties. Sophomore Wendy Szczerbiak will miss the first part of the season with an injury, but is expected to see more playing time during critical league games. In just 17 games last season, she shot 45.2% from the floor and averaged 3.1 points per game.
At power forward, junior Haley Crites will take over for Blount. Crites is not a natural scorer like Blount, however she plays excellent defense and at 6’1” she will fill up more space down low. Last season, she led the team with 21 blocks and also average 3.1 rebounds per game. However, they will need her to stay out of foul trouble, as she was second on the team with 63 personal fouls. Sharing time with Crites will be senior Natalie Green, who appeared in just seven games last season. Her playing time is expected to increase greatly this season, with the departure of Blount.
Courtney Dentler and Gabby Contro, both freshmen, could also see playing time in the post for the Mountain Hawks this season. Dentler is learning the system and could compete for minutes early on in the season. For
Lehigh starts the 2007-08 season at home against the
