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November
1, 2007
For the 2007-08 campaign, the Majors
return five players that saw the court last season, including
their two leading scorers, and lose two starters in Deborah Sturgis
and Leslie Frese that averaged a combined 17.5 points and 12.8
rebounds-per-game.
LaReina
Adams had an outstanding season in 2006-07, earning an
All-SCAC Honorable Mention. The junior from Ridgeland averaged
13.0 points-per-game and hit double-figures in 19 of 22 games prior
to an ACL injury in the final week. Adams notched a league-high
11 double-doubles and was the lone player to average more than
10 rebounds-per-game, pulling down 10.8 a contest. Her 238 total
rebounds were the third-most in SCAC history. Six times Adams notched
15 or more rebounds, including 19 and 18 rebounds against Rhodes
and Sewanee, respectively.
Two-year starter Crystal
Dickerson will join Adams as the lone returning starters,
having started in 44 games over the course
of her career. Dickerson posted 9.9 points-per-game, connecting
on a team-high 42.9 percent of her shots from the floor. The junior
from Baton Rouge, La., also dished out 73 assists and snared 6.4
rebounds-per-game.
Limiting turnovers and improving on their assist/turnover ratio
will be the key to the Majors success this season after recording
525 turnovers against a conference-worst 233 assists.
Without a
true point guard on the squad and a handful of forwards and post
players, Millsaps turned the ball over 20 or more times in 16 of
23 games that contributed to a 3-20 overall record.
Second-year head coach
Mary Bolton and her staff took that into consideration during
the offseason, picking up three “true” freshman
guards in Ronda Webb (Whitestation HS), Krista
Clark (Long Beach
HS) and Kristy Dowdy (DeRidder HS).
“When we looked at Ronda, we knew that she would bring speed
to the court,” Bolton said. “Krista played in different
spots in high school and is an aggressive guard who can score with
a hand in her face. Kristy understands the game and is patient,
with a little more experience she’ll be able to contribute.
They are all able to read the floor very well.”
Also joining the Majors this season are junior college transfers
Tiffany Whitmore from Louisiana-State Eunice and Jessica
Bowie from Lyon College who will likely enter the starting lineup.
“Tiffany will definitely be a starter for us this year,” Bolton
said. “I look for her to score from 14-16 points per game.
She is very confident and creative handling the ball and can bring
a lot of energy to the court.”
Whitmore started
both seasons at forward under head coach Michael Bari, helping
guide the team to a 28-6 record in 2006-07 along
with a NJCAA Regional Championship and a No. 4 national ranking.
Bowie returns to the Majors after a one-year absence, playing in
all 25 games her freshman year for Millsaps under former head coach
Robin Jeffries and ranking seventh in the conference in blocked
shots. Her presence in the paint should be an immediate impact.
“Anytime
you have a 6-foot-1 post player with a large wingspan, you expect
great
things. We need for her to be a big factor in
the paint for us to compete in the league ... she definitely has
the potential to bring in 20 points and 15 boards a night.”
Megan
Bauerle and Jamie
Sclafani will bring added scoring from the perimeter and ball
handling off the bench after combining for
26 of the Majors’ 92 3-point baskets a year ago. Bauerle
played in all 23 games as a true freshman and received the starting
nod in three, scoring a career-high 12 points on the road at Austin
College. Sclafani is a set shooter who can hit the shot from anywhere
around the wing when she steps on the court.
After sitting out the 2006-07 season with a medical red-shirt,
Cori Tucker will step on the hardwood for the first time as a Major
this year. A guard from Lakeland, Fla., Tucker is very fundamentally
sound with an excellent shooting touch and will likely be named
the starter come conference play.
The Majors’ 2007-08
schedule will feature 25 games (14 home, 11 away), including
a five-game homestand that opens Jan. 30 against
Rust College and ends Feb. 10 against Austin College. Their season-opener
falls on Nov. 17 at home against cross-town rival MS
College.
The conference slate will feature seven home contests and seven
away contests, highlighted by a crucial weekend Jan. 25-27 where
the Majors will face off with the defending national champions
DePauw University.
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