Coming off the most successful season in the program’s history, the women’s basketball team returns this year aiming for more success. Last season’s team set the school record for most wins with a final record of 24-4. They also captured the program’s first ever University Athletic Association (UAA) title and made their first NCAA Tournament since 1977.
Led by Head Coach Christy Thomaskutty and a group of key returning players, the Eagles boast a combination of veterans and talented newcomers that figure to be part of some exciting games this year.
Having only lost three seniors from last year’s squad to graduation, Emory returns two of their top three scorers. With a strong six-member senior class returning, 62 percent of the scoring is back on the court. The 2013-2014 seniors include Marissa Resnick, Hannah Lilly, Gabi Whitmer, Lauren Ball, Selena Castillo and Savannah Morgan.
As the core of this year’s team, this senior group has a collective 305 games of experience.
When asked about her outlook on the season, Thomaskutty said she is very optimistic.
“There’s a lot of talent on this year’s squad, but it’s still becoming how much can we develop and learn,” she said.
One main focus of the team’s practices this year includes the reinforcing of rebounding skills. Thomaskutty credits many of the wins last year to rebounding, but the Eagles have lost some of their key inside players from the 2012-13 team.
The squad has also been focusing on maintaining possession of the basketball, one of the keys to the Eagles’ tourney run. Last year’s stats can attest to this – Emory had 14.5 steals per game in the 2012-2013 season.
Thomaskutty hopes to continue this aggression but knows that the entire team has to be on board.
“We have to stay hungry and healthy to compete,” she said.
Thomaskutty points to senior trio Lilly, Castillo and Morgan as Emory’s key returnees. The three have 83 starts, 893 points, 172 steals, 288 steals and 133 three-point field goals between them.
Point guard Morgan ranked second in the conference and 21st nationally in assists last season, earning First Team All-UAA honors.
Having never missed a game in her Eagles career, she begins her final season at No. 2 all-time for Emory in assists.
Lilly, the team’s long-range shooting specialist also earned First Team All-UAA honors for the second season in a row after averaging 13 points per game, a team high. Her 1,072 career points put her in seventh all-time in team history.
Castillo also was recognized for her talent, getting honored with an Honorable Mention All-UAA. She has started 28 games and averages 7.6 points per game. She is an integral part of Emory’s defensive success with a school record of 80 steals.
Sophomore guards Khadijah Sayyid and Ilene Tsao also made numerous contributions to the team as freshmen last year and will have opportunities to contribute even more this season.
Freshman guards Shellie Kaniut and Fran Sweeney have already been identified as key newcomers. As they continue to improve they will battle for time on the court.
The 2013-2014 team has already been recognized among the nation’s top 25 Division III programs in preseason polls. In the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll, the Eagles hold the No. 13 spot with a total of 263 points.
They follow No. 1 DePauw University (Ind.) with a total of 617 points and No. 2 UAA rival Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) with 546 points. The Eagles and the Wash U Bears are the only UAA conference schools to be featured in the top 25.
In the USA Today Sports Division III Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, Emory is tied for No. 13 with Ithaca College (N.Y.). DePauw University is ranked No. 1 again followed by University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Amherst College (Mass.).
When asked what the team hopes to accomplish this season, Thomaskutty only hopes to continue improving.
“It’s too early to be focused on wins or championships this prematurely in the season,” she said. “All we can focus on right now is getting better.”
The Eagles open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 18, when they host Salem in the Woodruff P.E. Center. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.
– By Liza Atillasoy
Photo courtesy of Emory Athletics
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