Women's basketball opens preseason practice
10/20/2008 1:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bolstered by one of the most exciting recruiting hauls in Sam Houston State women's basketball history and with the return of six talented letter winners, head coach Brenda Nichols looks for the Bearkat program to turn an important corner during the 2008-09 season.
"We're very excited about the potential of our team this year. We have more height, more speed, more depth and a ?can do' attitude that definitely will make a difference," Nichols said.
Four starters plus two other letter winners return to give the 2008-09 squad a foundation of experience.
Lydia Gonzales, a 6-1 senior post player, and Whitney Smith, a 5-11 junior forward, head the list of returning starters.
Last year Gonzales and Smith became the first Bearkat women's basketball players since the 2004 season to score in double figures with their identical 12.4 point averages. Gonzales ranked No. 2 in the Southland Conference in rebounds. Both ranked No. 12 in scoring in the league. Smith scored in double figures in 22 contests while Gonzales had 19 double figure scoring nights.
Leasa Ailshie, a 5-3 senior, returns at point guard where she averaged 4.5 assists playing in the final 16 games of the year after returning from a preseason wrist injury. Brittany Brooks, a 5-4 junior, started 20 games on the perimeter in 2007-08, scoring 9.8 points per contest.
Ausha Hartley, a 5-4 sophomore guard, averaged 4.7 points and 3.6 assists as a true freshman. The back court gets an added boost with the return of 5-4 junior Ratysha Alexander who red-shirted due to a knee injury last year. Alexander is an athletic guard who provided 5.5 points and 2.4 assists per game as a sophomore in 2006-07.
"We're blessed to have a quality group of returning players like this to provide leadership for our young team," Nichols said. "Five of the six have been with our program each of the past two years and understand what we need to do to succeed."
Six freshmen and one junior college transfer look to infuse the women's program with a strong dose of talent. With four new players six feet or taller, the newcomers will bring much needed help to the Bearkat inside game. Last year, opponents out-boarded the Kats by more than 12 rebounds per game.
Derneccia Livingston, a 6-2 Dallas product, help lead Lincoln High School to a state title last season. She averaged 7.2 boards per game on a 29-4 squad.
Bre Agnew, also 6-2, averaged 13.9 points and 11.7 rebounds while leading Nacogdoches High School to a 25-9 record.
Britni Martin, a 6-0 athlete from Conroe, averaged 17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists to earn All-Greater Houston honors last year.
Therese Hager, a 6-0 post player from Independence Community College in Kansas, brings international experience from her native Norway.
Also looking to help up front will be 5-11 Mary Beth Renz who was a three-time Oklahoma Class AAA performer at Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City. She averaged 18.1 points and 5.2 rebounds as a senior.
Candace Brown, a 5-10 freshman from Lewisville, earned All-District honors Flower Mound High School.
New in the back court are 5-6 freshmen Micalyn Slemmons and Khamra Echols. As a senior at Granbury, Slemmons led the Fort Worth area in assists (5.3) and steals (5.2) and averaged 13.1 points. Echols was a two-time All-District selection at Skyline High School in Dallas.
"This group is not going to shy away from any challenge," Nichols said. "In our first two years here at Sam Houston, we've done a lot to create a new attitude surrounding women's basketball. The players are excited among the coming season and look to represent the university well."
