Tuesday, October 26, 2004

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD PICKED THIRD IN
COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team has been selected to finish third in the Commonwealth Conference in the 2004-05 Commonwealth Conference Preseason Poll conducted by the conference coaches releases Tuesday.

Head coach Mary Beth Spirk enters her 18th season at Moravian with an experienced team that has seven players returning who played more that 15 minutes per game on last winter’s 19-10 squad, which hosted the Commonwealth Championship game and reached the semifinals of the ECAC Southern Tournament for the second consecutive season. Moravian returns a total of 11 letterwinners and three starters.

Junior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team last year while sophomore forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS) was named the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year.

Seaman led the Greyhounds in rebounds and steals with 7.7 rebounds per game and 58 steals. She was second in scoring with an average of 10.7 points per game and also had 34 assists and 15 blocked shots. In her debut season with the Greyhounds, Hackleman contributed 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game to go along with 37 assists, 33 steals, and a team high 34 blocked shots.

Returning to lead the Greyhound backcourt is senior guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS). Behagg led the team in assists with 106, while adding 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season. She also had 14 three-pointers, 19 blocked shots and added 57 steals.

Sophomore forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) contributed 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game with 25 blocks, 18 steals, and 13 assists in her first season with the Greyhounds. Classmate Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) added 7.4 points per game, 66 rebounds, 21 three-pointers, 41 steals, 26 assists and eight blocked shots.

Junior forward Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) contributed 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 16 three-point field goals, 22 assists, 22 steals, and six blocked shots, while sophomore guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) added 5.8 points per game, 76 rebounds, 15 three-pointers, 62 assists, 38 steals, and nine blocks. Junior guard Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) added 53 points, 41 rebounds, ten steals and nine assists.

Junior forward Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) had 25 points, 28 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Junior guard Dianna DeFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS) contributed six points, six boards, six assists, and two blocks, while classmate Catherine Golden (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) had two points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in limited action.

The Greyhounds will begin their 2004-05 season in the Catholic University Tip-Off Tournament in Washington, D.C. on Friday, November 19th in 6:00 p.m. game versus Gwynedd-Mercy College.

2004-05 Commonwealth Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll