Tuesday, November 13, 2001

MORAVIAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PICKED FIFTH IN THE 
COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE

ANNVILLE, PA --- The 2001-02 Moravian College women's basketball team, which opens its season this weekend, November 16th and 17th at the Southwestern (TX) University Tournament in Georgetown, Texas, has been picked to finish fifth in the eight-team Commonwealth Conference by the conference coaches in the 2001-02 Coaches Preseason Poll.

The Greyhounds, who were 10-14 last season and 4-10 in the Commonwealth Conference earned 34 points, four behind Lebanon Valley College in fourth place and three ahead of Elizabethtown College in sixth place.  Messiah College, which placed for the national championship last season and is ranked #1 in several preseason polls, earned the top spot in the Commonwealth Conference poll.

Moravian hopes to continue the improvement the team showed last year with just one senior, which has occurred for the second straight year.  Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk heads into her 15th season as head of the Greyhound program with a strong core of players that still has two years to play together.

Junior guard Tara Wozniak (Roseland, NJ/West Essex Regional HS) was named to the Commonwealth Conference All-Star Second Team after leading the Greyhounds with a scoring average of 15.6 points per game. In just two seasons, Wozniak is well on her way to scoring 1,000 points for the Greyhounds with a total of 619 points.  Sophomore guard Kim Hughes (Manasquan, NJ/St. Rose HS) provided a spark for the Greyhounds last season, scoring 14.6 points per contest.  Hughes led the team with 53 steals and had 70 rebounds, 43 assists and 34 three-pointers.

Junior forward Kelly McLean (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS) averaged 13.8 points per game and led the squad with 7.8 rebounds per contest. McLean, like Wozniak, is on her way to 1,000 points in her career with 641 points after two years with the Greyhounds.

Junior forward Kristen Sarnocinski (Harleysville, PA/Germantown Academy) looks to bounce back from two injury-plagued seasons this winter.  Sophomore center Tracie Shipman (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan HS) pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game and scored 4.3 points per contest.

Sophomore guard Kim Smith (Gilbert, PA/Pleasant Valley HS) scored 56 points last year despite missing 11 games with an abdominal injury.  Sophomore guard Jackie Buschta (Whitehall, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) had 46 rebounds, 43 steals, 31 points and 28 assists but will miss the entire 2001-02 season after a knee injury and surgery during soccer season while sophomore guard Sarah Onkotz (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua HS) netted 54 points for the Greyhounds. Sophomore guard Meghan Silverman (Wyomissing, PA/Wilson West Lawn HS) provides a spark off the bench and added 21 points.

Junior forward Sue Creelman (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) will contribute off the bench for coach Spirk after adding 49 points and 37 rebounds in 19 games. 

Senior forward Mary Morgans (Center Valley, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) played just the second half of last season after off-season surgery limited her action in the first half of the year. Morgans hopes to be a major contributor as the only senior on this season's team.  Sophomore forward Liz Brogan (Point Pleasant, NJ/St. Rose HS) added ten rebounds and seven points last winter and will add depth to the squad.

New additions to the Greyhound squad are expected to be freshman guard Jen Behagg (Hamburg, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) and junior forward Lorie Khalil (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua HS), a transfer from Delaware Valley College.