SCOUTING URSULINEReturning in the backcourt for Ursuline will be junior Erica Huber (Anna/Anna) who as a freshman won the G-MAC Freshman of the Year and last season averaged 10.5 points per game along with 3.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Huber was fourth in the conference in steals per game (1.9) and eighth in minutes played with an average of 33.1 per contest.
The front court returns a pair of sophomores in Camille Gist (Toledo/Toledo Christian) and Camryn Hill (Strongsville/Strongsville) who both played significant time in 2014-15. This unit will get a boost from the return of redshirt sophomore Laney Lewis (Lynchburg/Lynchburg Clay) who missed last season due to an injury. In 29 games last season, Gist averaged 5.8 points per game and pulled down 2.9 rebounds. Hill played in all 29 games and started 15 while averaging 6.3 points per game and 5.8 rebounds.
SCOUTING MOUNT VERNON Mount Vernon (3-0) is already out to a hot start in 2015 under first-year head coach Amanda Learned. The Cougars compete in NAIA Division II and started their season with a 68-52 win over Cincinnati Clermont and followed that up with a 77-58 win over Cincinnati Christian on November 6.
The Cougars are led by Megan Beidelman who is averaging 17.6 points and 13.5 rebounds. She had a season high 22 against Emmaus Bible College on 11-for-15 shooting on November 7. Mount Vernon has also gotten double figure scoring from guard Sierra Basista who is averaging 17 points per game over the first three contests and Natalie Carpenter who has put in 13 points per game.
Mount Vernon has put up 78.3 points per game while holding opponents to 56 points per game. As a team they are shooting 49% from the field and 41% from behind the three-point line. The Cougars hold a 47-33 rebounding average over their opponents as well through three games.
THE COACHES Shannon Sword, the fourth head coach in UC basketball history, turned around the program in her second season. After going 4-22 and winless in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2012-13, the Arrows finished the 2013-14 season at 14-14 overall and 8-8 in conference play. It was just the third time in the 13-year history of the program that a team had a winning percentage of .500 or better and first since 2008-09.
The 14 wins in 2013-14 were one win shy of tying the school record for most in a season, set in 2006-07. It becomes more impressive when you take into account that three freshmen (Jenny Grigsby, Erica Huber and Tajanee Wells) started all 28 games in 2013-14 and junior Emma Ricketts, a transfer in her first year with the program, made 25 starts.
Sword pushed her team to get out and run and the 2013-14 team averaged 76.5 points per game, up from 53 points per game the year before.
Amanda Learned enters her first season as the head coach at Mount Vernon. Learned previously coached at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. Learned also played at Trinity Christian College where she had a career total of 1,424 points and 813 rebounds which ranked her seventh and sixth in school history.
Projected Starters Mount Vernon #50 Megan Beidelman (17.7ppg, 13.7 rebounds, 66% FG)
#15 Cassidy Cain (14.7ppg, 3.3 rebounds, 56% FG)
#32 Natalie Carpenter (13.0ppg, 4.0 rebounds, 42% FG)
#10 Rachel Parks(6.7ppg, 2.0 rebounds, 46% FG)
#22 Sierra Basista (14.7ppg, 3.3 rebounds, 56% FG)
Ursuline So. #33 Camryn Hill (6.3ppg, 5.8rebounds, 43% FG)
R-So. #21 Laney Lewis
Fr. #11 Natalie Koenig
Fr. #3 C.J. Jefferson
Jr. #5 Erica Huber (10.5ppg, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists)
MEDIA COVERAGE The game will be live streamed through Mount Vernon's athletic site. You can follow the link below to watch and listen to the game.
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/mvnu/ NEXT UP The Arrows return home on Tuesday, November 17 to host Lake Erie College at 7:00pm. It will be the first-ever home game for Ursuline in the new Sister Diana Stano Athletic Center.
