|
"We are going to be interchanging a lot
of players, especially early in the season as we search for the
right combination," said Wilson. "We are going to be small, and we
will need to do all of the little things correctly if we are going
to win any games. We need to take care of the basketball and play
solid defense. We need to continue to work hard and hit the boards
hard since we don't have much height.
"Our schedule is probably tougher than
any time I have been at LC, with six teams ranked in the preseason
polls. We aren't going to be able to walk on the floor and know we
have a win; we are going to have to out-hustle and outwork our
opponents."
Five sophomores return for a second
season, headed by Erica Ernst, Lincoln College's leading scorer and
rebounder from last season. Also returning are Nicole Dearing, Becky
Spears and Kanisha Pettis. "These girls all need to stay healthy, as
injuries have been a problem in the past and they are a little
banged up right now and we haven't played a game yet," said Wilson.
The LC mentor continued: "Erica needs
to duplicate and improve on her game from last season, while Nicole
is one of our better passers and sees the floor well. She should be
able to post up some guards to help us out. Becky is going to need
to rebound on both ends of the court and needs to take more shots.
Kanisha and Maria both shoot the 3 well, and Kanisha needs to
improve her defense, while Maria needs to take the ball to the
basket and stay under control."
[to top of second column in this
article] |
Several freshmen have been showing
signs of helping in the early practices. "Jessica Hamman has strong
inside moves and could be a force inside for us," said Wilson.
"Brittany Ingram is a lefty guard who sees the floor well and will
see playing time, as she plays well off the dribble. Kristin Rucks
has shown some good inside moves and will help out in the post. She
is a good rebounder and will be a key for us. Nocole White is very
quick and can stop an offensive player when she puts her mind to
it. Dominique Gore has shown a good outside touch, and Erica Rodgers
has displayed a good jump shot and some quickness."
Wilson
begins her sixth season at Lincoln College and has an 84-72 record
in the first five years, including 16-15 last season. Ernst scored
362 points and pulled down 211 rebounds in 30 games last season.
Dearing had 283 points and 108 rebounds with 115 assists. Pettis
totaled 137 points, while Spears had 83 and Coronel had 122.
| Player |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Hometown |
| Jehnyah Leach |
5-7 |
F |
Des Plaines |
| Nicole White |
5-7 |
F |
Chicago |
| Coretta Evans |
5-7 |
F |
Evanston |
| Eric Rodgers |
5-6 |
F |
Champaign |
|
Brittany Ingram |
5-5 |
F |
Beason |
| Irma
Cruz |
5-4 |
F |
Wheaton |
|
Kanisha Pettis |
5-3 |
S |
Waukegan |
| Becky
Spears |
5-7 |
S |
Peoria |
|
Denise Hill |
5-6 |
F |
Naperville |
|
Nicole Dearing |
5-7 |
S |
Valparaiso, Ind. |
|
Dominique Gore |
5-7 |
F |
Skokie |
| Maria
Coronel |
5-7 |
S |
San Antonio, Texas |
|
Jessica Hamman |
6-0 |
F |
Highland, Ind. |
| Erica Ernst |
5-7 |
S |
Geneseo |
| Kristin Rucks |
5-7 |
F |
Mount Pulaski |
| Mickey Coleman |
5-7 |
F |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Christy Rivera |
5-3 |
F |
Chicago |
[Bill
Martinie,
Lincoln College
sports information director]
|
