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Nov. 13, 2007
CLARION - Experience is the key word for the 2007-2008 Clarion University women's basketball team. The Golden Eagles return all five starters from the end of last season and seven of their top eight scorers from a squad that went a deceiving 9-17 overall and 4-8 in the PSAC-West. Clarion came about as close as a team could come to being 15-11 overall and 8-4 in the PSAC-West but lost some heartbreaking games including four PSAC-West contests by six points or less. "We need to be more consistent," Clarion's 19th year head coach Margaret "Gie" Parsons said. "We had every part of the game there but not on a consistent basis. We need to make sure it is there every game." The Eagles hope their experience helps turn those loses into wins this season. "I think for the first time in years we are going to have a more mature team, a team with a lot of experience," Parsons said. "I think that experience is going to be a key factor in winning some of those close games." The most experienced player is point guard Ashley Grimm who has started all 83 games in her Clarion career leading the Golden Eagles to 44 wins in that time including a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs as a freshman. She enters her senior season needing two assists to become the third player in school history with 400 helpers and 72 to tie the school record of 470 set in just two seasons by Shelly Respecki (1991-92). Last season, Grimm led the PSAC and was 24th in the nation in assists per game (5.27). Her 1.83-to-1 assists to turnover ratio was the best at Clarion in over a decade, and she added 6.8 points per game. Grimm, who averaged 7.6 apg in her final seven games a year ago, had a season-high 17 points, 9 assists in the season-finale vs. Slippery Rock Feb. 25. "To have her as our quarterback on offense with all the savvy will make a difference," Parsons said. "She will make people better with her intelligence on and off the court. We expect a lot from her. She finally understands that she is one of our better shooter, and she is going to look to score more this year." Many of Grimm's helpers over the last four years have gone to fellow senior Jessica Albanese. "Kentucky" was a PSAC-West second-team selection two years ago and led Clarion in scoring and finished 12th in the PSAC with 13.5 ppg last year. She also led Clarion and finished eighth in the conference in rebounding with 6.6 per contest and was the No. 2 shooter in the PSAC (56.1 percent). She enters her senior season with 933 points and has a chance to become the 13th player in school history with 1,000 career points. Albanese scored 15 or more points 12 times last season including a season-high 20 vs. NCAA Division I Youngstown State. She had a career-high 15 rebounds vs. UPJ. "I can't ask any more from her than she asks from herself," Parsons said. "She is very self motivated." Junior shooting guard Katrina Greer was a second-team PSAC-West selection last year marking the eighth straight season Clarion has had an all-conference choice. She averaged 12.7 ppg including 13.9 ppg in conference play and finished seventh in the PSAC in free-throw shooting (81.1 percent), the fifth highest mark in school history. Currently the third-best free-throw shooter in Clarion history (80.4), Katrina has 624 career points in just two seasons. Greer set a career-high with 23 points vs. West Chester while also adding 21 vs. Shippensburg. She had a career-best 12 rebounds vs. IUP. "About halfway though last season a light went on and she started playing like we knew she could when we brought her in," Parsons said. "She is a hard worker, and all that hard work is paying off." Two first-year starters a year ago also return. Senior My'Kea Cohill, a transfer from Youngstown State before last season, averaged 10.2 ppg and 2.15 apg. She scored a season-high 20 points vs. Lock Haven while adding 17 points three other times. Sophomore Sara Pratt started 13 games last season including the final five PSAC-West contests and averaged 3.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg. She had a season-high 10 points vs. Edinboro and eight rebounds vs. Mansfield. Two additional key returnees from last season are sophomore guard Bethany Koch and red-shirt sophomore forward Janelle Zabresky. Koch averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.8 rpg and had a career-high 10 points, 11 rebounds in a 63-52 win over Kutztown. Zabresky contributed 2.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg while working off rust from an injury that caused her to miss the entire season two years ago. She had a season-high seven points and 10 rebounds in a win over Georgian Court. Two players who saw action two years ago before sitting out last season will also provide minutes for Clarion. Junior forward Rachael Franklin played in 23 games two seasons ago averaging 2.3 ppg and 1.8 rpg, while sophomore guard Chelsey Grabigel scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in 2005-06. Three newcomers will also provide depth for the Golden Eagles including red-shirt freshmen Shaina Smith and Ann Stinson, who is also a member of the Clarion track team, and senior Sarah Fries, who has been a key member of the Golden Eagle volleyball team the last four seasons. GOLDEN EAGLES NOTES - Parsons, the winningest coach in school history, will coach her 500th career game at Clarion in the Golden Eagles season opener. She is 270-229 in her 18 years at Clarion and 380-302 in 26 years a head coach. Clarion has made 6 NCAA DII and 9 PSAC Playoff appearances in her tenure including two NCAA DII "Elite 8" trips (1994, 1991). ... Clarion opens the season by hosting the Clarion Classic Nov. 16-17. The Golden Eagles face Davis & Elkins at 6 p.m. Nov.16 and Pitt-Johnstown at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 ... Slippery Rock is the fourth team in the Classic. Clarion opens PSAC-West play Jan. 16 at IUP and hosts its PSAC-West opener a week later with Lock Haven. |
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