SCRANTON DIVERSIFIED INVITATIONAL

Game 1 • W&L (0-0) vs. Richard Stockton (0-0) (at University of Scranton) • November 22, 2002• 6:00 pm

Game 2 • W&L (0-0) at Scranton (0-0) or vs. Elmira (0-0) (at University of Scranton) • November 23, 2002• 1:00/3:00 pm

PROBABLE STARTERS: 2001-02 Stats
#12 Louisa Feve, Fr., G, 5-8 N/A
#22 Emily Barker, So., F, 5-11 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 apg
#24 Bethany Dannelly, So., G, 5-5 3.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.8 apg
#32 Elizabeth Igo, Sr., F, 5-8 1.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.5 apg
#50 Austin Calhoun, Sr., C, 5-11 0.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.1 spg

OFF THE BENCH: 2001-02 Stats
#10 Casey Sharpe, So., G, 5-3 N/A
#20 Heather Coleman, Jr., G, 5-8 0.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.4 apg
#30 Sarah Williamson, Fr., G, 5-5 N/A
#34 Ashley Brown, Fr., G, 5-2 N/A

THE HEAD COACHES: Bryan Snyder (W&L ‘95) is in his first year as the Generals’ Interim Head Coach. Snyder has been the assistant women’s coach the last two seasons, aiding the development of last year’s ODAC Player of the Year (Jessica Mentz) and a Second Team All-ODAC selection (Megan Babst). In the fall, Snyder is the head coach of the W&L volleyball team. The reigning two-time ODAC Coach of the Year, he guided the Generals to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance this season and a school-record 32-8 mark overall. Snyder is assisted by Amy Forbes (Salisbury ‘01). Forbes is also the assistant women’s soccer coach, and this year helped lead the Generals to their first ODAC Championship, first NCAA Tournament, first national ranking and a school-record 17 wins. Richard Stockton is led by 10th-year Head Coach Joe Fussner, who has accumulated a .593 winning percentage. Mike Strong (Concord College ‘67) owns a 529-119 career mark and has been the head coach of the University of Scranton since 1979. He guided the Lady Royals to the 1985 National Championship. Elmira is led by fourth-year head man Kevin Kudla (Holy Cross ‘95). Last season, he guided the Soaring Eagles to a 9-16 overall record.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The Generals have never taken the court with Richard Stockton, Scranton or Elmira, the three other teams in the Scranton Diversified Invitational.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: W&L has opened its season on the road in each of the past three years. Last year, the Generals travelled to St. Louis, Mo., to participate in the McWilliams Classic. Prior to that, the Generals opened their season in 2000-01 in Haverford, Pa., at the Haverford Classic, and in 1999-2000 they were in Wellesley, Mass., for the Wellesley Invitational.

ON TAP: Next week, W&L begins conference play as it travels to Lynchburg, Va. to face Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. Last year, the Generals swept the season series, winning 54-39 on the road (1/10), and 60-52 in the Warner Center (1/30).

LAST TIME OUT (2/21/02): Sixth-seeded W&L fell, 75-58, to Emory & Henry in the first round of the ODAC Tournament in Salem, Va. With the loss, W&L wrapped up its season with a 12-14 record overall. The Wasps were led by Kelly Smith who totaled 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Erin Connelly who collected 14 points and 18 rebounds. In their last collegiate games, ODAC Player of the Year Jessica Mentz and Second Team All-ODAC selection Megan Babst each racked up double-doubles. Mentz had a game-high 29 points and 18 boards, while Babst chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow senior Sarah Schmidt added 13 points, including 3-of-3 shooting from three-point land.

SCOUTING RICHARD STOCKTON: Tonight is the season-opener for Stockton as well. The Ospreys welcome back their leading scorer, senior forward Kelli Bakanowsky (16.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg) from a squad that went 18-10 a year ago. Also returning to the fold are their second- and third-leading scorers, junior forward Takisha Pride (11.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and junior guard Christina Mason (10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg).

SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Elmira Soaring Eagles are a possible opponent for W&L on Sat. Nov. 23. Elmira lost 70 percent of its scoring and rebounding to graduation from last year’s team which compiled a 9-16 mark overall. Head Coach Kevin Kudla’s leading returnee is sophomore point guard Erin Eaton, who averaged 7.1 points and 2.7 assists per game a year ago.

SCOUTING UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON: Like all the teams in Diversified Invitational, tournament-host and possible opponent Scranton lost its last game a year ago. However, unlike the rest, the No. 8 Lady Royals’ loss was in the NCAA Tournament, a 72-57 defeat at the hands of King’s College in the Sweet 16. The 1985 National Champions welcome back junior guard Kate Pierangeli, who averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest a year ago for a team that finished 25-5 overall. Also back are senior forward AnneMarie Russo (12.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and junior guard Katie Dougherty (9.8 ppg, 3,5 rpg, 2.5 spg).

STUMBLING OUT OF THE BLOCK: W&L has dropped four consecutive season-openers. The last time the Generals opened with a win was during the 1997-98 campaign, when they defeated Marietta, 73-55, in the Carnegie Mellon Tournament. Last season W&L dropped a 75-54 decision to Washington University (Mo.). Previously, W&L had fallen to Coe (Iowa), 61-57, Wellesley (Mass.), 71-53 and Shenandoah, 62-53, in season-openers.

BO KNOWS: A la famous multi-sport athlete Bo Jackson, five different members of the Washington and Lee basketball team play more than one sport. Sophomore guard Casey Sharpe and freshmen guards Ashley Brown and Sarah Williamson all run cross country, while junior guard Heather Coleman and sophomore forward Emily Barker are members of the soccer team.

ELDER STATESMEN: The lone seniors and the Generals’ co-captains, center Austin Calhoun (5-foot-11) and guard/forward Elizabeth Igo (5-foot-8) will be asked to take on larger roles now that W&L can no longer rely on last year’s frontcourt tandem of Jessica Mentz (ODAC Player of the Year) and Megan Babst (Second Team All-ODAC). Last year, Calhoun and Igo combined to average 1.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
YOUNG’UNS: Six of the nine players on W&L are sophomores or freshmen. There are three sophomores (Emily Barker, Bethany Dannelly and Casey Sharpe) and three freshmen (Ashley Brown, Louisa Feve and Sarah Williamson).

TERRIBLE TWOS:
Second-year players Emily Barker and Bethany Dannelly are the leading returnees for the Generals. Barker, a 5-foot-11 forward, is the team’s leading returning scorer (6.2 ppg) and rebounder (3.0 rpg), while Dannelly, a 5-foot-5 point guard, is back after establishing a W&L single-season record for assists with 152. Her per-game average of 5.8 assists was the ninth highest in NCAA Division III. She also averaged 3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

-- GENERALS --