McWILLIAMSCLASSIC
Game 1 W&L (0-0) at Washington University
(2-0) November 24, 2001 3:00 pm
Game 2 W&L (0-0) vs. Swarthmore (1-1)
or Wisconsin Stout (2-0) (at Washington University) November
25, 2001 1:00/3:00 pm
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PROBABLE STARTERS: 2000-2001 Stats
#22 Emily Barker, Fr., F, 5-11 N/A
#24 Bethany Dannelly, Fr., G, 5-5 N/A
#34 Megan Babst, Sr., C, 6-1 15.7 ppg., 11.9 rpg.
#44 Jessica Mentz, Sr., F, 5-9 20.7 ppg., 10.1 rpg.
#40 Sarah Schmidt, Sr., G, 5-7 6.8 ppg., 3.6 rpg.
OFF THE BENCH
#10 Alison Kudlacik, Sr., G, 5-8 2.5 ppg., 1.4 rpg.
#12 Peggy Altman, Fr., G, 5-6 N/A
#20 Heather Coleman, So., G, 5-8 2.8 ppg., 1.3 rpg.
#30 Michelle Wentz, Fr., G, 5-6 N/A
#32 Elizabeth Igo, Jr., G, 5-6 1.5 ppg., 0.5 rpg.
#42 Carter Thomas, Sr., G, 5-8 2.9 ppg., 3.5 apg.
#50 Austin Calhoun, Jr., F, 5-10 N/A
LAST YEAR: After tying a school record with 13 victories against
12 losses in 1999-2000, the Generals compiled a record of 8-16 under
first-year Head Coach Janet Hollack. W&L finished ninth in the
ODAC with a mark of 6-14 and just missed out on a berth in the ODAC
Tournament. The Generals averaged 58.8 points and 36.5 rebounds per
game and shot 41 percent from the floor for the season.
THE HEAD COACH: Janet Hollack (Florida International 88) enters
her second season at the helm of the General womens basketball
team. Hollack guided the Generals to an overall record of 8-16 last
year, including a 6-14 mark in the ODAC. Hollack came to W&L from
Brown University where she served as the associate head womans
basketball coach for seven seasons. Bryan Snyder, a 1995 graduate
of W&L, begins his second season as an assistant coach. Snyder
led the W&L volleyball team to a 30-5 record and the NCAA South
Regional Semifinals in the fall. For his efforts, Snyder was named
the ODAC Coach of the Year.
AND YOU ARE?: The McWilliams Classic will mark the first time W&L
has met any of the other three competing schools on the hardwood.
WELCOME BACK, AGAIN: Senior forward Jessica Mentz and senior center
Megan Babst will begin their fourth and final season as frontcourt
starters. Last season, the two combined to post some big numbers,
as they averaged 36.4 points and 30.0 rebounds per game. The duo accounted
for 62 percent of the Generals scoring.
14 AND COUNTING: Senior foward Jessica Mentz begins her senior season
as the most decorated player to ever don the Blue and White at Washington
and Lee. Mentz already holds 14 records and could break three more
this season. Mentz is the W&L all-time leader in career points
(1,223), single season points (496), points in a game (37), career
points per game (16.3), season points per game (20.7) and career field
goal percentage (53.6) among others. Records that could be in jeopardy
this season include free throw percentage in a season and a career.
Mentz also needs to play in 25 games this season to reach 100 for
her career and become the leader in that category.
PAINT PREDATOR: Senior center Megan Babst has made a career lurking
around in the paint. She is the all-time leader in blocked shots at
W&L with 137. Last year, Babst rejected a single season record
57 shots. Babst has also been a force on the glass, grabbing 663 rebounds
for her career, including a W&L single-season record 285 last
year.
LENDING A HELPING HAND: Senior guard Carter Thomas begins the season
with 197 career assists, including a W&L single-season record
85 last year. Thomas is just 32 helpers shy of breaking the all-time
record of 228 assists set by Jessica Morton.
THE FAREWELL TOUR: W&L seniors Megan Babst, Alison Kudlacik, Jessica
Mentz, Sarah Schmidt and Carter Thomas will begin their fourth and
final seasons for W&L. In their four years with the program, the
group has combined to post an overall record of 46-54, including a
36-45 mark in the ODAC.
FRESH FACES: Head Coach Janet Hollack welcomes five new players to
the program, including four freshmen and one junior. Freshman Bethany
Dannelly will get the nod as the starting point guard, while classmate
Emily Barker will also be in the starting lineup as the small forward.
Hollack will also receive depth in the backcourt from freshmen Michelle
Wentz and Peggy Altman and in the frontcourt from junior Austin Calhoun.
FIRST GAME JITTERS: The Generals will try to solve the opening game
problems that have troubled them in their first eight years of competition.
Washington and Lee is 1-7 on opening day with the only victory coming
in 1997-98, a 73-55 win over Marietta in the Carnegie Mellon Tournament.
Last season, the Generals were defeated by Coe (Iowa) on opening day,
61-57, in the Haverford Tournament.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON U.: Washington University won its fourth consecutive
Division III National Championship last season and finished with a
record of 28-2. The Bears lost four starters to graduation, but welcome
back six-foot junior center Jennifer Rudis who averaged 7.5 points
and 5.3 rebounds per contest last season. Six-foot junior forward
Meg Sullivan and 5-foot-7-inch junior guard Laura Crawley also return
to lead the Bears. The Bears enter the season on an 11-game winning
streak, a 54-game home winning streak and a 20-game NCAA Tournament
winning streak. The Bears are led by Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin 81),
who has compiled a 352-63 (.848) record in 15 years.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN-STOUT: The Blue Devils, who were hit by several
key injuries last season, lost only two of their regulars from last
seasons 18-7 team. Senior guard Stacie Anderson, an all-conference
selection in 1999-2000, returns after missing last season with a knee
injury. Senior point gurad Amy Zelinger, who averaged a team-high
13.4 points per game, also returns. The Blue Devils claim much youth
with 10 freshmen, six sophomores, two juniors and three seniors on
their roster. Head Coach Mark Thomas enters his 15th season on the
sideline with a record of 220-136 (.618).
SCOUTING SWARTHMORE: The Garnet captured the Centennial Conference
Championship last season and compiled an overall record of 23-5. Senior
Heather Kile, a First Team All-Centennial Conference selection last
season, returns for the Garnet after averaging a team-high 16.9 points
per game and shooting .519 from the field. Junior guard Alison Furman
also returns after setting a school record with 66 three-pointers
last season. Sophomore point guard Katie Robinson also set a school
record with 104 steals in 2000-01. Swarthmore is led by sixth-year
head coach Adrienne Shibles (Bates 91).
-- GENERALS --