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The Lynx are coming off
a losing season (12-20) and Wilson hopes to get back on the winning
track. However, she said, "It is going to be tough, as everyone in
our conference is improved over last season. Illinois Central is
ranked second in the nation and is probably head and shoulders above
the rest. Lakeland, John Wood and Lincoln Land are all improved, and
the rest of the teams in the conference should be about equal.
"We are going to be very short, but we
do have some quickness. For us to be successful, we need to rebound
well and cut down on our turnovers. At the present time no one has
stepped up and earned a starting spot. It could be a revolving door,
with everyone fighting for playing time. I know in my mind which
players should be starting, but they just haven't stepped up at this
time. The ones that play defense, rebound and play with energy will
see the floor."
Jessica Hamman is the top returnee from last season, with an average
of 12 points per game. She also led the team in rebounds with 246,
96 coming on the offensive end. Other top returnees are Kristin
Rucks, Nicole White and Brittany Ingram. Rucks is a graduate of
Mount Pulaski High School and Ingram from Lincoln High School.
"The four sophomores will be counted on
heavily to bring leadership and play both ends of the floor," Wilson
said. "All four need to step up and show improvement over last
season. Hamman should be our go-to person in the post, and she needs
to become more physical and hit the boards.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
 "We have spent a lot of
time on fundamentals in the early practices sessions, as several of
the players need a better understanding of the game. Two freshmen
have shown a lot of promise early, with Tiffany Tungate showing a
great knowledge of the game. I look for her to get a lot of quality
minutes on the court as she makes heady plays, although she lacks
quickness. Carmen Weaver has also been impressive early on, and we
will need for her to score. She is a good shooter who can hit the
3-pointer. Those two are likely to see the most playing time as
newcomers, although several others have shown they will be able to
help if they continue to work hard in practice and make
contributions."
Returning sophomores include Mickey Coleman, Irma Cruz, Dominique
Gore, Jehnyah Leach, Erica Rodgers and Joni Carey. Joining the squad
as freshmen are Sarah Franklin, Tykeia Gunn, Latoria Lane and
Michelle Goodrum.
[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College] |
