The Otterbein women’s basketball team has jumped to a strong start to the 2011-2012 season with four combined wins at the Ohio Northern Classic and the Washington & Jefferson Tip-off Tournament and have a strong cast of returnees with experience to improve their record.
The Lady Cardinals started off the season at Washington and Jefferson College with a 58-49 victory over Defiance College on Nov. 18, then tallied another win against host Washington and Jefferson 70-59 on Nov. 19.
The Cardinals then improved to 4-0 with a 65-50 win over Ohio Wesleyan University and a 75-65 win against St. Mary’s College (Ind.)
“Our goal is to win every non-league game and that’s what we decided we were going to do at the beginning. It was good competition for the most part,” sophomore forward Chelsea Cannon said.
In the Cards’ 2010-2011 campaign, they held a record of 11-15 record overall and a 7-11 in the OAC. Their season ended in a 72-52 loss to Mount Union during an OAC quarter final conference tournament match which the Cards entered as the eighth seed.
“I think the difference in that wealth and that experience from last year is that they have learned and grown from last year and it’s taken them to the position to finish games,” head women’s basketball coach Connie Richardson said.
However, this season has more optimism as the Cards are ranked fourth, tied with Capital University in the OAC coaches’ poll and have returned 10 players.
The Lady Cards’ vitality relies heavily upon the All-OAC guards junior Shea McCoy and senior Kristi Kotterman, as well as a strong bench.
Kotterman averaged 13.2 ppg and was second in the OAC in steals totaling 63. She had also led the 2010 team with 57 assists and averaged 5.9 rpg.
Kotterman is a strong free-throw shooter as she ranked in the top ten in the OAC averaging .759. She has begun the season with 79 points and 13 steals in the last four matches.
McCoy tallied 39 points to surpass the 1,000 point mark achieved at the W & J Tip-off Tournament. As another offensive weapon for the Cardinals, McCoy will be instrumental as last season she led the team and was ranked fifth among the OAC in scoring with 14.6 ppg. McCoy’s ability to shoot from the arc as she ranked fourth in the OAC with 1.77 three-pointers made per game will be an additional asset.
Another key returnee, expected to provide the spark from the bench for the Cardinals is junior Hannah Day. Last season, Day scored 9.7 ppg and snagged 5.5 rpgs as a sophomore.
“Hannah Day is crucial coming off the bench she gives us that spark because she’s a bigger guard which we need at times,” Richardson said.
Others to note will be the post players in juniors Rachel Snedegar, Bourke Kelley, Chelsea Cannon and senior Natalie Conkle, who was removed from the 2010 season with an injury.
“Rachel Snedegar, who made all-tournament team at Washington and Jefferson coming off the bench … Bourke and Natalie our two post kids give us our size and can be a little bit more aggressive and contribute a little bit point wise and will get better as we go along,” coach Richardson said.
Snedegar averaged 5.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg last season while Kelly contributed a defensive presence with 20 total blocks in her 16 games played last season. Cannon brings experience with 21 games played while contributing 58 points on the season.
Also sidelined with an injury and who’s return is key is junior Allie Leopard.
Starting in only four matches in the 2010 season before bowing out, Leopard averaged 7.0 ppg.
In this 2011 season, freshmen like Tabatha Piper, who has played in all four games while starting two of them, has contributed 17 points and 7 blocks and steals. Other freshmen to be seen working their way in will be Madi Miller and Chelsea Reed.
The Cardinals plan to play fast, use the depth of players from the bench and stay tough and simple on defense.
“The bench is crucial for us to be successful because if I can’t get anything out of the bench then we are going to be in trouble,” Richardson said.
Richardson also noted, “I have approached the year (defensively) as everything very simple so there is not a whole lot of thinking involved so they can play a little bit more. So basically we are playing man, here are our basic principles and go.”
The Cardinals will play Oberlin College Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at home and will open their conference play with nationally ranked (13th) Mount Union Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.
