2015-16 Women's Basketball Preview
DEFIANCE, OHIO – The Defiance College women’s basketball team will have the advantage of experience in 2015-16 as almost the entire roster from a year ago returns, including four out of five starters. Despite not having one senior on this year’s team, DC will be led by four juniors and three sophomores who all saw significant playing time last season.
DEFIANCE, OHIO – The Defiance College women's basketball team will have the advantage of experience in 2015-16 as almost the entire roster from a year ago returns, including four out of five starters. Despite not having one senior on this year's team, DC will be led by four juniors and three sophomores who all saw significant playing time last season.
Last season, the Yellow Jackets finished with a 9-16 overall record and 8-10 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. placing seventh overall.
DC was picked in a tie for sixth in the 2015-16 HCAC Preseason Coaches Poll with Manchester (Ind.) University. Transylvania (Ky.) University was picked as the favorite after winning its third consecutive conference crown last season. Rival Bluffton University was second and Hanover (Ind.) College rounded out the top three schools.
GUARDS
Defiance will return its entire backcourt this season in juniors Erica Smay (Defiance/Tinora), Ashley Williams (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) and sophomore Whitney Schalk (Bellevue). All three players started all 25 games last year with Smay finishing third on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game while shooting 29.0 percent (65-of-224) from the field. She led the team in three-point attempts (143) and was second in triples made (38) and had a 26.6 shot percentage. In addition, she averaged 3.1 rebounds per game and was amongst the team leaders in assists (38) and steals (28). Following the season, Smay was selected to the HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Williams finished just behind Smay in scoring with a 7.2 ppg. average. She led the team in three-pointers made with 45 and was second in attempts with 142. Williams was also second in both assists (55) and steals (29). She recorded six games of 10 or more points, including a season-best 14-point effort in an 83-64 win against Earlham (Ind.) College in January.
Schalk was the team's starting point guard and led the team, and was sixth in the HCAC, in assists with 82. She averaged 2.9 ppg. and grabbed 3.0 rpg. Defensively, Schalk was fourth in steals with 21.
In addition to the three returning starters, look for sophomores Mekai White (Cincinnati/Winton Woods) and Brittany Osborne (Union City, Ind./Union City) to see their share of playing time off the bench.
White had a solid first season with the program in 2014-15 fiinishing fifth in scoring at 4.2 ppg. and was third in three-pointers made (29) and attempts (88) with a 33.0 shot percentage. She also tallied 46 rebounds (1.8 rpg.) to go along with 10 assists and seven steals.
Osborne could see playing time at both the guard and forward positions. A year ago, Osborne played in 24 games as a backup and scored 93 points (3.9 ppg.) while shooting a team-best 49.4 percent (38-of-77) from the field. She was also amongst the team leaders in free-throw shooting at 73.9 percent (17-of-23). Osborne averaged 3.3 rpg., including finishing second in offensive boards with 26, in addition to 12 assists, a blocked shot and 12 steals.
FORWARDS
The Yellow Jackets will look to replace one starter at the forward position from last season, but will return two-time first-team All-HCAC forward Kelsey Tietje (Deshler/Patrick Henry) for her third season. As a sophomore, Tietje ranked inside the Top-10 in the HCAC in 10 different categories. She was first in rebounds per game (12.8), total rebounds (320), defensive rebounds (240), and free-throws made (176). She was second in points per game (19.4), blocks (54), and offensive rebounds (80). Third in field goals made (155), fifth in field goal percentage (49.1%), and ninth in free-throw percentage (79.3%). Tietje secured a double-double in 20 games and scored in double figures in all but one game.
In addition to Tietje, fellow junior Keri Conine (Ottawa (Pandora-Gilboa) will also be returning this winter.
Conine played in 24 games last season and scored 63 points (2.6 ppg.) and grabbed 38 rebounds (1.6 rpg.). She also had nine assists, three blocked shots and seven steals.
SCHEDULE
Defiance will begin the 2015-16 season on Saturday, Nov. 14 with an early tough opponent in No. 11 preseason nationally-ranked Hope (Mich.) College at the Karl H. Weaner Center. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The schedule won't get any easier for the Yellow Jackets following the matchup against Hope as they will face the No. 6 preseason nationally-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and No. 8 preseason nationally-ranked Wheaton (Ill.) University in back-to-back games as part of the Wheaton College Beth Baker Classic on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 20-21. DC then returns home to face No. 15 preseason nationally-ranked Ohio Northern University on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
The Yellow Jackets then open HCAC play against Manchester on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at home.
"I couldn't be more excited about the upcoming season!," said Head Coach Jess Morris. "Our returners have been working very hard to come back ready to go, understanding the expectations of what needs to be done to compete at a new level this year in the HCAC. Our freshmen and transfers are excited to join our DCWB Family, and are getting a taste of what it takes to play at this level. I can already tell this is going to be a very special group. And I look forward to the heights they are going to be able to achieve together as a team."