2009-10 Women's Basketball Season Preview
Head
Coach Sharon Rissmiller could not have written
a better script for the 2008-09 Pacific women’s
basketball season, let alone a more dramatic one.
After a first year that saw the Boxers win just four games and a non-conference start to the year where they lost seven of their first eight games, Pacific came together to amass a 10-6 Northwest Conference record, finishing in a tie for third place and appearing in their first NWC Tournament since 1996.
The turnaround was dramatic and one that Rissmiller credits to focusing on the basics of the game, which made a difference between winning and losing in November and December. “We were losing games during the non-conference season because weren’t doing the little things correctly. We improved on the little things and started winning.”
The numbers illustrated the turnaround well. Pacific finished ranked third in the NWC in scoring after finishing eighth in the category the previous season. The 2007-08 Boxers were outscored by an average of 13 points per game. In 2008-09, the Boxers outscored their opponents by nearly a point per contest.
As the Boxers enter the 2009-10 season, the table is set to repeat that success. Pacific returns all five starters, including all-conference selections Rochelle Reeves-Howe (Sr., Gresham, Ore.) and Julianne Erbe (So., Canby, Ore.) as well as super-senior Kalei Frank (Sr., Federal Way, Wash.), who was granted a medical hardship after a suffering a season-ending foot injury. In all, nine players return to the fold.
And as expected, the expectations for the team are high. “We definitely have an attitude of ‘We just want to win.’ We want to win every game. We want to win the whole thing,” Rissmiller said. “It’s not about pressure from the previous season and needing to out-do ourselves. It’s flat out about wanting to win and working to make that happen.”
For Rissmiller, the season will be about continuing to build the program and trying to keep the momentum from last year continuing to roll. “It is tough to make that dramatic of a change in such a short amount of time,” Rissmiller said. “You never know what’s going to happen during the season.”
GUARDS
Pacific
will once again have a steady presence running
the show at point guard. Mallory Goldammer (Sr.,
Tigard, Ore.) begins her third season as the starting
point guard and led the Boxers with 63 assists
while averaging eight points per game. Her .815
free throw percentage was among the best in the
conference.
Goldammer’s competitive attitude will continue to set the tone for the Pacific offense. “She is one of the most competitive people I know and she brings that every day to the court,” Rissmiller said. “She is also a very fundamentally solid player.”
Newcomer Haley Tank (Fr., West Richland, Wash.) will also see time at point guard. Two-time all-league selection in high school, Tank brings a strong and athletic presence to the position and skills that Rissmiller usually doesn’t find in a first year player. “She does an amazing job of passing the ball to her teammates and communicating, which you usually don’t find in a freshman,” Rissmiller said.
At the shooting guard spot, Reeves-Howe will continue to be the spark plug. Reeves-Howe (who was married over the summer to former Pacific men’s guard Garold Howe) earned First Team All-NWC honors after finishing second in the league in scoring at 13.7 points per game. Her shooting touch and court vision make Reeves-Howe a threat from just about anywhere on the floor.
“When Rochelle is in the game, the entire game changes,” Rissmiller said. “I don’t know many players who have that kind of dramatic impact where you immediately know they’re in the game. She’s definitely one of those major impact players.”
Frank was poised to have a breakout season until an injured ligament in her foot put an end to her season eight games in. The time away gave Frank a new perspective on the game.
“When you sit out for some time, you see things in the game that you didn’t see when you were on the court playing,” Rissmiller said. “Her sight for the game is different now. She sees the floor better, she knows where her teammates are at and she is making smart plays.”
With Frank out of the lineup, Kayla Akers (Sr., Richland, Wash.) found herself pressed into starting service after two years as a reserve. Akers rose to the challenge, averaging 5.5 points per game while finishing second to Goldammer in assists. She will be looked upon to be a key outside shooter.
Ashley Jacobs (Fr., Waimanalo, Hawaii) and Kristen Corrales (Fr., Waimanalo, Hawaii) will see significant minutes in the rotation as freshmen, with Corrales also expected to see some spot time at point guard. Jacobs was a three-time all-league selection while Corrales was a two-time all-league selection and was named to the 2009 Hawaii All-State Tournament Team.
FORWARDS
Pacific’s
biggest strength may be on the blocks where the
Boxers return three young and very talented forwards.
Erbe leads the group after earning Honorable Mention
All-NWC accolades as a freshman after finishing
fifth in the league with 7.9 rebounds per game.
She ranked second in scoring for the Boxers with
11.2 points per game and was among the league
leaders in field goal shooting, hitting 50 percent
from the field.
Rissmiller credits Erbe’s work ethic and ability to step up in difficult situations as a main factor in the Boxers’ success in the conference season. “Julianne stepped up huge for us,” Rissmiller said. “She just works incrediblty hard all of the time. That’s her style of play. That’s what we expect from her and that’s what we need from her.”
Erica Schultz (So., Medford, Ore.) was a great compliment on the opposite block, providing a double-edged threat with her ability to post up and shoot from outside. Schultz was an important factor on the blocks, averaging 6.9 boards per contest, but also averaged 29.4 percent from three-point range. While she was a versatile freshman, Rissmiller sees improvement out of her already as a sophomore.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she became an all-league player this year,” Rissmiller said. “She definitely has the ability. There is very little that Erica can’t do. She’s just an all-around fundamentally solid player.”
Brittney Anderson (So., Missoula, Mont.) was perhaps the most underrated player on the team, quietly but effectively scoring and rebounding with a blue-collar style of play. Anderson averaged 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, all off the bench, and provided another intangible piece to make the team successful underneath.
Rissmiller expects her to once again make an even bigger difference this season with more experience. “You can count on her every single game. She was our most consistent player,” Rissmiller said. “She’s a great passer and such a smart player. She adds a whole dynamic for us that we don’t have without her on the floor.”
Paige Jensen (Fr., Bemidji, Minn.) is the lone newcomer at the forward spot and brings a finesse style of play to the team. Jensen was an all-state and all-tournament selection during her four-year career. “She’s very athletic, runs the floor well, catches and finishes well,” Rissmiller said. “She’s a great addition."