Women's basketball seniors (left to right) Jordi Cook, Brittney Benzio, Danielle Spencer, Lacie Dowling and MiMi DuBose.
Women’s Basketball Looks to Take Next Step
11/7/2013 10:07:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. - There was improvement in the Georgia Southern women's basketball program in 2012-13. It takes more than a cursory glance at the Eagles' record or their statistics or even a trip to a game early in the season to find it, but it was there. The coaches saw it and more importantly, the student-athletes know it.
Changes in offensive and defensive systems were implemented and a new culture along with a new identity was created. A solid foundation was laid, and subtle signs of improvement became evident as the season progressed. The Eagles won four of their last eight, moved up two spots in the Southern Conference standings and won a SoCon tournament game for the first time since 2010. They were small strides but so important to the psyche of a program in the midst of a process.
The way the season ended helped give the program momentum into the offseason. The highly-motivated returning Eagles worked hard through the summer, picked up some new pieces in three freshmen and two transfers and are helping them learn the systems and the culture.
"We're building a championship program at Georgia Southern, and it's going to be a constant process," said head coach Chris Vozab. "One of the keys in moving the process forward is that every person associated with the program believes in what we're doing and how we're doing it and the easiest way for them to do that is to get a taste of success. We got a taste last season, and now we want more."
The process is moving forward, and with four starters and nine letterwinners back, the Eagles hope to see even more fruits from their labor in 2013-14.
Guards
Three of the Eagles' returning starters are guards as MiMi DuBose, Anna Claire Knight and Alexis Sams are back. Sams worked her way into the rotation in December, started the final 22 games of the campaign and wound up averaging 28 minutes a contest.
"Lexi has proven to be very steady in getting us up the floor at a good pace and into our offense, and we're looking for her to continue that as well as look for her own scoring opportunities," said Vozab.
DuBose, the only player to start all 31 games, led the Eagles in scoring while Knight was third in scoring and led the team in rebounding. The duo will be expected to carry some of the scoring load again this season.
"MiMi just continues to get better," said Vozab. "I think she was labeled as a shooter coming into last year but has proven she is a scorer who can create her own shot. AC became more and more aggressive and assertive as the year went on, and we expect her to continue creating plays for herself and her teammates."
Seniors Jordi Cook and Lacie Dowling will push for a spot in the rotation along with freshmen Danielle Roberts out of South Brunswick High School in Dayton, N.J., and Angel McGowan from JL Mann High School in Greenville, S.C. Cook was one of three Eagles to play in all 31 games last season, and Dowling saw action in 14 contests, including two starts.
"Jordi is almost always in the right place at the right time, and Lacie provides athleticism and explosiveness at either guard position," said Vozab. "They are two senior leaders who have bought in to what we're doing, and we expect them to be key contributors for us this season."
Forwards/Centers
Size became a problem last season as injuries took their toll, and the Eagles wound up playing their final 12 games with only one player listed over 6-foot on the roster available in Danielle Spencer. She returns for her senior campaign after averaging five points and 5.1 rebounds a contest.
"Danielle really got better as the year went on, and her improvement was a key to our finish," said Vozab. "She put a tremendous amount of time and effort in during the offseason, and we hope the strides she made will help her take another step forward."
Sophomore Sierra Kirkland, who was one of three Eagles to play in all 31 games, returns along with sophomore Briana Jones, a transfer from James Madison who sat out last year because of NCAA rules. Senior Brittney Benzio, who missed a majority of the campaign because of an injury, is also back.
Kirkland was in and out of the starting lineup and played 15.3 minutes a game, while Jones was able to learn the offensive and defensive systems as a practice player. Benzio averaged 7.5 minutes a contest off the bench in the first six games of the season.
"Sierra and Briana are long and athletic with the ability to run the floor," said Vozab. "Britt has the ability to read and anticipate the play and always seems to be in good position. She has a great understanding of how to play and a knack for making the right play on each possession."
Kelsey Corcoran, a sophomore transfer from Utah State, and freshman Jessica Marcus out of Berry Academy in Charlotte, N.C., will also make their debuts for the Eagles. Another post will be waiting in the wings as Patrice Butler, a transfer from Furman, will sit out the season in accordance with NCAA rules.
"We want to play with pace, and to do that properly, we need multiple post players who can run the floor," said Vozab. "It will be nice to have that depth in our post positions."
Schedule
Games at SEC opponents Kentucky and Auburn and two holiday tournaments highlight the Georgia Southern women's basketball schedule.
A total of five squads on the schedule played in the NCAA Tournament or WNIT a season ago. Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, while Auburn won its way to the round of eight in the WNIT. Southern Conference opponents Chattanooga (NCAA Tournament), Davidson (WNIT) and Appalachian State (WNIT) also advanced to the postseason.
"We are excited to test our mettle against top-caliber teams in intense environments," said Vozab. "Playing games against quality competition will provide an accurate assessment of our strengths and weaknesses so we can continue to improve."
Georgia Southern's home schedule features 12 games, including nine SoCon contests. The home slate begins Saturday Nov. 16, against Jacksonville State, in a tripleheader with the Eagle volleyball and men's basketball teams.
For the first time in four seasons, Georgia Southern will open the SoCon portion of its schedule at home. The Eagles host Furman Dec. 7 and Wofford Dec. 16 in their first two league games. For a third straight season, the SoCon Tournament returns to Asheville, N.C., at the U.S. Cellular Center and Kimmel Arena March 7-10.
"The Southern Conference is full of talented players and great coaches who will present difficult challenges for us each and every time we take the floor," said Vozab.
The process to building a championship program continues for the Eagles in 2013-14, and one of the mantras for the Eagles is to pursue perfection.
"Perfection is the name of a drill we use in practice, which we've also turned into an acronym describing the landmark values of our program," said Vozab. "At its core, it means to focus on each play rather than get caught up in worrying about the final outcome. If we strive for perfection in everything we do, than the big picture will take care of itself."
Changes in offensive and defensive systems were implemented and a new culture along with a new identity was created. A solid foundation was laid, and subtle signs of improvement became evident as the season progressed. The Eagles won four of their last eight, moved up two spots in the Southern Conference standings and won a SoCon tournament game for the first time since 2010. They were small strides but so important to the psyche of a program in the midst of a process.
The way the season ended helped give the program momentum into the offseason. The highly-motivated returning Eagles worked hard through the summer, picked up some new pieces in three freshmen and two transfers and are helping them learn the systems and the culture.
"We're building a championship program at Georgia Southern, and it's going to be a constant process," said head coach Chris Vozab. "One of the keys in moving the process forward is that every person associated with the program believes in what we're doing and how we're doing it and the easiest way for them to do that is to get a taste of success. We got a taste last season, and now we want more."
The process is moving forward, and with four starters and nine letterwinners back, the Eagles hope to see even more fruits from their labor in 2013-14.
Guards
Three of the Eagles' returning starters are guards as MiMi DuBose, Anna Claire Knight and Alexis Sams are back. Sams worked her way into the rotation in December, started the final 22 games of the campaign and wound up averaging 28 minutes a contest.
"Lexi has proven to be very steady in getting us up the floor at a good pace and into our offense, and we're looking for her to continue that as well as look for her own scoring opportunities," said Vozab.
DuBose, the only player to start all 31 games, led the Eagles in scoring while Knight was third in scoring and led the team in rebounding. The duo will be expected to carry some of the scoring load again this season.
"MiMi just continues to get better," said Vozab. "I think she was labeled as a shooter coming into last year but has proven she is a scorer who can create her own shot. AC became more and more aggressive and assertive as the year went on, and we expect her to continue creating plays for herself and her teammates."
Seniors Jordi Cook and Lacie Dowling will push for a spot in the rotation along with freshmen Danielle Roberts out of South Brunswick High School in Dayton, N.J., and Angel McGowan from JL Mann High School in Greenville, S.C. Cook was one of three Eagles to play in all 31 games last season, and Dowling saw action in 14 contests, including two starts.
"Jordi is almost always in the right place at the right time, and Lacie provides athleticism and explosiveness at either guard position," said Vozab. "They are two senior leaders who have bought in to what we're doing, and we expect them to be key contributors for us this season."
Forwards/Centers
Size became a problem last season as injuries took their toll, and the Eagles wound up playing their final 12 games with only one player listed over 6-foot on the roster available in Danielle Spencer. She returns for her senior campaign after averaging five points and 5.1 rebounds a contest.
"Danielle really got better as the year went on, and her improvement was a key to our finish," said Vozab. "She put a tremendous amount of time and effort in during the offseason, and we hope the strides she made will help her take another step forward."
Sophomore Sierra Kirkland, who was one of three Eagles to play in all 31 games, returns along with sophomore Briana Jones, a transfer from James Madison who sat out last year because of NCAA rules. Senior Brittney Benzio, who missed a majority of the campaign because of an injury, is also back.
Kirkland was in and out of the starting lineup and played 15.3 minutes a game, while Jones was able to learn the offensive and defensive systems as a practice player. Benzio averaged 7.5 minutes a contest off the bench in the first six games of the season.
"Sierra and Briana are long and athletic with the ability to run the floor," said Vozab. "Britt has the ability to read and anticipate the play and always seems to be in good position. She has a great understanding of how to play and a knack for making the right play on each possession."
Kelsey Corcoran, a sophomore transfer from Utah State, and freshman Jessica Marcus out of Berry Academy in Charlotte, N.C., will also make their debuts for the Eagles. Another post will be waiting in the wings as Patrice Butler, a transfer from Furman, will sit out the season in accordance with NCAA rules.
"We want to play with pace, and to do that properly, we need multiple post players who can run the floor," said Vozab. "It will be nice to have that depth in our post positions."
Schedule
Games at SEC opponents Kentucky and Auburn and two holiday tournaments highlight the Georgia Southern women's basketball schedule.
A total of five squads on the schedule played in the NCAA Tournament or WNIT a season ago. Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, while Auburn won its way to the round of eight in the WNIT. Southern Conference opponents Chattanooga (NCAA Tournament), Davidson (WNIT) and Appalachian State (WNIT) also advanced to the postseason.
"We are excited to test our mettle against top-caliber teams in intense environments," said Vozab. "Playing games against quality competition will provide an accurate assessment of our strengths and weaknesses so we can continue to improve."
Georgia Southern's home schedule features 12 games, including nine SoCon contests. The home slate begins Saturday Nov. 16, against Jacksonville State, in a tripleheader with the Eagle volleyball and men's basketball teams.
For the first time in four seasons, Georgia Southern will open the SoCon portion of its schedule at home. The Eagles host Furman Dec. 7 and Wofford Dec. 16 in their first two league games. For a third straight season, the SoCon Tournament returns to Asheville, N.C., at the U.S. Cellular Center and Kimmel Arena March 7-10.
"The Southern Conference is full of talented players and great coaches who will present difficult challenges for us each and every time we take the floor," said Vozab.
The process to building a championship program continues for the Eagles in 2013-14, and one of the mantras for the Eagles is to pursue perfection.
"Perfection is the name of a drill we use in practice, which we've also turned into an acronym describing the landmark values of our program," said Vozab. "At its core, it means to focus on each play rather than get caught up in worrying about the final outcome. If we strive for perfection in everything we do, than the big picture will take care of itself."
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