BEREA, Ohio -- The 2014-15 Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team will need to develop an inside presence this winter if it hopes to repeat as an Ohio Athletic Conference champion.
A year ago,Veteran Head Coach Cheri Harrer's Yellow Jackets finished 22-7 overall, won an OAC title and advanced to the NCAA Division III "Sweet 16" where it lost to the eventual national champion. This season, she returns 11 letter winners and a pair of starters, but lacks depth on the inside.
"We will be very inexperienced at the post (inside positions) but are solid on the perimeter," said Harrer, who is 488-179 in her 24-year career and the second winningest women's basketball coach in OAC history. "We won't know until we start practice if any of the returning players improved from last year but are hopeful.
"Defense and rebounding will be keys for us in our pre-season focus," continued Harrer. "We also are hopeful that some freshmen can be solid contributors for us but again. Until we start practice we can't know that for sure. We will work hard, compete, and see what happens."
At the post, sophomores Clara Lemmon (Canton/Louisville) and Gabrielle Vitez (Copley/ Revere), junior Marissa Hellisz (Parma/ Normandy) and freshmen Megan Schubert (Ayersville) and Kelsey Erslan (Barboursville, Ky.) will compete for playing time. Lemmon played in 22 games last season and averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds-per-game.
At the forward spot, Harrer will look to junior Alissa Munro (Mansfield/ Lexington), sophomore Sydney Clark (Parma/ Lake Ridge Academy) and freshman Katie Swanson (Elgin, Ill./ St. Edward Central Catholic) to battle for a starting role and playing time. Munro scored 9.6 ppg., grabbed 3.0 rpg. and led the team with 58 three-pointers. Hellisz played in 11 contests.
Harrer does return a group of significant perimeter players. They are senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC wing Shari Mangas (Leipsic), senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard/ forward Audrey Smolik (Strongsville), juniors Janaya Feaster (Akron/ Archbishop Hoban), Allyson Helleis (Rocky River), Erin Allen (Girard, Pa.), Ally Dehart (Beaver, Pa.) and She'kiera Brooks (Stow/ Woodridge) and sophomore Mackenzie Colombo (Strasburg).
Mangas earned second-team All-OAC honors last season when she averaged 10.8 ppg. and had 48 triples. Smolik, an All-OAC pick two years ago, led the team at 11.9 ppg., grabbed 4.1 rpg. and added 29 treys. Feaster played in 28 games and scored 4.3 ppg. and had 70 assists and 30 steals. Helleis played in 29 games and scored 2.2 ppg. and had 47 assists. Allen played in 25 contests and scored 1.6 ppg. Dehart played in 29 games and scored 1.6 ppg. and had 17 assists and 15 steals. Brooks played in 19 contests and scored 1.4 ppg. Colombo, who started at the point guard position, scored 3.2 ppg. and had 55 assists and a team-leading 31 steals.
In addition, Harrer feels that freshmen Casey Midlik (Medina), Geena Gabriel (Andover/ Pymatuning Valley) and Katie Smith (Fairview Park/ Fairview) all will push for playing time.
"We must stay healthy, particularly at the post, to have another successful season," said Harrer.
The Yellow Jackets open the season on Tuesday, November 18 at Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University in the first game of a men's and women's doubleheader at 6 p.m. The first home game is on Friday, November 21 versus Bethany (W.Va.) College in the nightcap of the first round of the BW Invitational. The first OAC contest is on Wednesday, December 3 at the University of Mount Union at 7:30 p.m.
