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Junior guard Maura Hall will be looking to build off |
Despite having just one senior on the roster, The College of Wooster women's basketball team will return a relatively experienced group in 2012-13, and combined with an exciting freshmen class, the Fighting Scots will look to show improvement on the court, which they hope will ultimately make a difference in the win-loss column by season's end.
"Our motto this year has been to move forward," said third-year head coach Ashley Reid. "In order to experience growth you have to have struggled…and we have. But now we want to improve and get better, and we're going to start by continuing to play strong defense."
Wooster led the North Coast Athletic Conference in defensive rebounding (27.0 rpg) last year, and ranked second in defensive field goal percentage (.367), thanks in large part to its all-conference center Jessica Wingen. The 6-1 senior paced the NCAC with 8.3 rebounds per game, with 6.3 coming on the defensive glass, and was also second in blocked shots (2.4 bpg) en route to her second consecutive honorable mention certificate.
"We think that 'Jess' is the best post player in the conference," stated Reid. "We're going to be looking to get a lot out of her. Her rebounding and shot blocking skills are so important to us. She wants to be the program's all-time blocks leader, so she's motivated. Offensively, she's impressive, because she does a lot of her scoring while being double and triple teamed. It's our job now to find new ways to get her more opportunities."
Wingen averaged 10.8 points per game a season ago, which was good for 13th in the league, and that number increased to 12.3 against conference opponents. She is likely to be the focal point on offense once again, although the junior trio of Karley Walker, Suvi Puripattarapan, and Maura Hall, who each provide a unique dynamic at the guard position, will be looking to help Wingen shoulder the load.
Walker has started in nearly all of Wooster's games since arriving on campus (41-of-47), and has flashed exciting scoring potential at times. After averaging nearly 10 points per game her freshman year, her average dipped to 6.4 last season, though she still reached double-digits six times, giving her 18 such games in her career. Walker's best attribute is being a 3-point threat, where she ranked seventh and ninth in the league as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, and will look to add to her 64 career makes.
Puripattarapan is the team's best on-ball defender, having averaged the third-most steals in the league last season at 2.1 per game. Playing as Wooster's starting point guard at times last season, Puripattarapan used her speed and explosiveness to push the pace and get to the rim where she does her best work. Against Ohio Wesleyan University (Jan. 25), she showed her upside as a penetrator by scoring a career-high 20 points – which included an 11-of-12 effort at the free throw line – highlighting a campaign where she averaged 6.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
Last year's biggest surprise came courtesy of Hall, who emerged from role player to starter around the season's midway point by displaying impressive hustle on both ends of the court. Hall used her aggressive rebounding skills (5.3 rpg) to create scoring chances, oftentimes drawing fouls under the basket where she was among the league-leaders with 77 makes from the free throw line.
Other returning guards that are looking to carve out bigger roles are junior Mallory Band, who played in 19 games last season, and sophomore Lindy Howard, who is healthy after dealing with injuries a season ago. In addition, sophomore forward Danielle Spinden will return to add depth in the frontcourt.
The Scots are also excited about the prospects of six incoming freshman, several of which Reid believes will make an impact right away. Most notably, Rachel Huxhold has worked her way into contention at the point guard position, while Katelyn Dymek and Sydney Grier have impressed early on as well. Reid is also excited to have two-sport athlete Lauren Hancher join the team, after she earned all-conference honors with the women's soccer team during the fall.
"We are experienced, yet young," added Reid. "The older players are leading the way, but the younger players are pushing the older ones to get better, too. Practice has been extremely competitive. There were so many games last season that came down to just a few possessions…we've been close. Now it's time take the next step and win those games."