WBB: Landmark Conference

[kate]

Selfishly, i'm glad that Moravian is hosting, down the road & around the corner for us.  Particularly nice if it's a night game, which i'm sure it will be.

[saratoga]

Exactly. Highly questionable decision. When the doors to the NCAA thought process are finally opened, I'd love to hear the justification for this one.

[saratoga]

Kate: Yes, you'll be able to catch Desales in your back yard now. However, if the game were at 17th. & Chew I bet that extra 10 minutes would not have stopped you.

[TheGrove]

2008-09 All-Landmark Conference Women's Basketball Team
First Team
Pos-Name, School, Class, Hometown(High School)
G-Claudia McDowell, Juniata, Sr., Alexandria, Pa. (Juniata Valley)
G-Kate Harrison, Moravian, Jr., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (Cold Spring Harbor)
G-Megan Kopecki, Scranton, So., Millington, N.J. (Watchung Hills Regional)
G-Stephanie Waller, USMMA, Sr., Brookfield, Wis. (Brookfield East)
F-Brianna Peterson, Catholic, So., Garnerville, N.Y. (North Rockland)
F-Kelly Ashcraft, Juniata, Sr., Bellefonte, Pa. (State College)

Second Team
Pos-Name, School, Class, Hometown/High School
G-Rachael Hughes, Susquehanna, So., Gordon, Pa. (North Schuylkill)
F-Alyssa Bisci, Moravian, Jr., Easton, Pa. (Easton)
G-Ryan Mooney, Scranton, Jr., Spring City, Pa. (Pius X)
F-Amber Smith, Goucher, Jr., Baltimore, Md. (Institute of Notre Dame)
F-Libby Shober, Susquehanna, Fr., Barnesville, Pa. (Marian Catholic)
F-May Marie Hayes, USMMA, Sr., Pearland, Texas (Pearland)

Player of the Year: Megan Kopecki, Scranton
Defensive Player of the Year: Claudia McDowell, Juniata
Rookie of the Year: Libby Shober, Susquehanna
Coaching Staff of the Year: Susquehanna University (Head Coach, Jim Reed)

Congrats to all the honorees, especially Susquehanna's! Nice job, Coaches Reed and Geise!

[saratoga]

Congratulations to Univ. of Scranton Coach Mike Strong, his staff & certainly his players for reaching yet another Sweet 16. Many people (myself included), were just hoping these kids would continue to progress & hopefully challenge for a Landmark playoff spot. What this edition of the Lady Royals have accomplished thus far is nothing short of incredable.

[ronk]

   Lady Royals scramble to a win over York in the "swimming pool" 50-46. They overcame a 12-0 run by York at the beginning by forcing 25 TOs and making 5 3s to York's 2. York controlled the boards and got loose for several backdoor baseline layups, but the Royals, as they have done all year, found a way to take the lead late in the 2nd half and held on.
  They'll play The College of New Jersey,upset victors over hometown Rochester. Their strength is the inside play of Klimowicz(D1 transfer) and Gregorek and one 3 pt-shooter(Michaela?).
  Congrats Lady Royals and take it to them.

[kate]

Good Morning Ronk, i'm sincerely happy for you & the Lady Royals - Coach Strong and that team have done a magnificent job from November to date.  Believe me, i do miss Scranton & the competition.  Manhattanville, & of course, DeSale's are the teams to beat this year.  i'm sure King's will re-surface.  Anyway, you are being followed - incidentally, TCNJ is nothing to sneeze at 

[ronk]

   The Lady Royals run in the NCAA tourney ended tonight with a 54-48 loss to TCNJ. They had another stifling defensive effort with a +9 in forcing TOs and a +7 in steals combined with remarkable 17-21 foul-shooting but couldn't solve TCNJ's matchup zone defense with satisfactory post passing to free up open shots on the perimeter, resulting in 3-24 3-pt shooting.
   After trailing 29-23 at the half, the Royals had a 44-41 lead with 3 mins to go and Megan in the process of stealing a pass with nobody between her and the basket but she grazed the sideline and TCNJ scored the next 8 points to go ahead 49-44. A woulda been moment.
   Still, the ladies made a run this year well beyond anybody's expectations, putting their own stamp on a chapter in the successful tradition that is Lady Royals bball, so congrats to them and Coach Strong for a job well done..

[saratoga]

This edition of the UofS Lady Royals should have their own section of prominance in the hallowed halls of the Long Center. This is a TEAM that wasn't even picked to win their own conference championship let alone make it all the way to the Elite 8. They are a perfect example of how determination & resolve mixed in with passion & relentless defense can turn a pretty good team into one that just missed a Final Four with probably less actual talent than at least 50 other squads.
  Coach Strong & his staff did a remarkable job with essentially all sophs & freshmen. Nothing to feel bad about...this group rode it as far as possible when few, if any, of the so called experts even noticed them until 3 weeks ago.
  From what many of us have heard, this will be another fantastic recruiting year for the Lady Royals...so perhaps next years TEAM will not have the luxury of flying under the radar. Congratulations again to what is perhaps the most consistant basketball program in the history of DIII.

[ronk]

 Next year's schedule is up on team web site; Muhlenberg tournament probably available on Internet TV.

[kate]

Hello Ronk! - can not believe you and the Lady Royals will be in the town next store, so to speak, for your opening tournament!  If we weren't going to Annville that weekend, we would undoubtedly be hitting one of your games!  Coach Rohn  and Muhlenberg run a very classy tourney (we were there three years ago), so  you all should have a great time! 

[ronk]

Kate,
Saw Lebanon Valley play twice in the Gettysburg tournament and they'll return the major part of their team, so youll have a good test if you play them.

[TheGrove]

Boy it's quiet in here...

Susquehanna's new sports site launched today: http://www.gosusqu.com/

[kate]

Good morning, Grove - new athletic web site looks good, but for a second there, i thought you guys changed your name from Susquehanna U to Landmark U    very prominent!

[TheGrove]

That's just cause our athletes generate a lot of Landmark awards.