Sports News: Fall 2003

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

GREYHOUND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- The 2003-04 Moravian College women’s basketball team has been selected to finish third in the Commonwealth Conference this season in a poll of the conference’s head coaches released Tuesday.

Lebanon Valley College claimed the top spot with 59 points, and the Flying Dutchmen received five first place votes. Messiah College was selected second with 56 points and two first place votes while the Greyhounds had a total of 53 points and one first place vote in the third spot. Widener University was selected fourth with 36 points while Susquehanna University was picked fifth with 31 points. Rounding out the conference poll were Elizabethtown College in sixth place with 21 points and Albright College and Juniata College tied for seventh with 16 points.

Head coach Mary Beth Spirk enters her 17th season at Moravian with an experienced team that has five players returning who played more that 14 minutes per game on last winter’s 20-8 squad, which also hosted the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Tournament.

The Greyhounds top returnee is senior guard Kim Hughes (Manasquan, NJ/St. Rose HS), who was a member of the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team. Hughes, who enters the season 49 points shy of 1,000 in her career, averaged a team high 12.9 points per game and made a team high 56 three-pointers a year ago.

Joining Hughes in the backcourt for the third consecutive year will be junior guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS). Behagg dished out 81 assists while committing just 63 turnovers in a team high of 26 minutes per contest. She also added 53 steals and 5.5 points per game.

Giving depth to the Greyhounds in the backcourt will be sophomore Catherine Golden (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS), who was the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year last winter after averaging 7.6 points per contest. Also returning at the guard positions will be sophomore Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS).

Leading the returners in the frontcourt will be senior forward Tracie Shipman (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan HS). Last winter, Shipman started 12 contests for the Greyhounds, and she contributed 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Sophomore forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) will challenge for a starting position in the frontcourt after a strong rookie season. Seaman averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds a contest while seeing action in all 28 games and starting three.

Sophomores Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) and Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) scored 3.8 points and 2.0 points per game respectively last season and give the Greyhounds some depth in the frontcourt.

Moravian will begin the 2003-04 season on Saturday, November 22nd versus Curry College in the first round of the Swarthmore College Tip-Off Tournament. The game is slated to start at 2:00 p.m. The Greyhounds will open their home season on Tuesday, November 25th in a non-conference game with local rival DeSales University at 7:00 p.m.

2003-04 Commonwealth Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank School (first place votes)
Points
1. Lebanon Valley College (5)
59
2. Messiah College (2)
56
3. Moravian College (1)
53
4. Widener University
36
5. Susquehanna University
31
6. Elizabethtown College
21
T7. Albright College
16
T7. Juniata College
16