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Pair of all-NESCAC veterans set to pace women’s hoops

Despite the graduation of four key players, the women’s basketball team has a promising outlook for the ’04-’05 campaign. The Lady Cardinals hope to continue the success of the past two years, during which they compiled a 41-8 record. The team has a solid core of returning players, featuring two all-NESCAC selections, two co-captains and six letter-winners, in addition to four talented rookies.

“I think it’s going to be another great year for Wesleyan women’s basketball, and I believe we can get more wins and make it further in the NESCAC tournament,” said co-captain Nora Bowman ’05, referring to last year’s finish when the team came up one ranking short of an NCAA Division III championship bid.

“We lost four great players to graduation, but everyone on the team has really stepped it up, and the newcomers are working hard,” she said.

The Cardinals will face the season’s first test this coming Saturday at a tip-off tournament hosted by Eastern Connecticut State. The three weeks of practice, combined with an entire off-season of pick-up games, team workouts and weightlifting, have given the women the confidence to enter the season as a well-prepared team.

“Practices have been extremely productive these past few weeks,” said co-captain Sue Frost ’05. “Every day we walk onto the court prepared to be challenged and to get better. We run hard, play hard and enjoy it. This weekend is full of great competition and challenges, but we are ready to get this show on the road.”

The women are scheduled to open with Bridgewater State on Saturday. A victory means playing the championship game on Sunday against the winner of host Eastern Connecticut and Johnson & Wales.

Along with Frost and Bowman, other veteran starters include Hannah Stubbs ’06 and Ashley Mastrangelo ’06, both first team all-NESCAC selections from the ’03-’04 season. Stubbs led last year’s squad in points and rebounds a game, with 13.1 and 7.9 respectively. Meanwhile Mastrangelo added 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds on average.

The team does lose two starters in Amy Posocco ’04 and Meeghan Ward ’04. Posocco paced last year’s squad in assists, and was second in points and minutes per game.

“We are definitely not going to have the same identity as we had last year. We have already developed our new identity as a team with new leaders, new contributors, and new teammates, but the success of women’s basketball will not change. We have more goals to accomplish,” Frost said.

While the Cardinals have the confidence for a successful season, they recognize the tough competition of their league, with challenging games expected against Williams, Bates and Bowdoin.

“All I can say about NESCAC is that there is no easy game. Every team comes ready to play. There is a lot of pride in the NESCAC conference,” Frost said. “But as for Wesleyan basketball, we have plenty of games before conference play to concentrate on.”

Conference play does not begin for the women until after winter break, with the first NESCAC game at Williams on Jan. 14. Prior to that, the team prepares for league rivals by playing 11 non-conference games, with no effect on the conference standings.

“I am really excited to start playing games because this team has the potential to make a lot of noise in the NESCAC,” Bowman said.

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