Marshall University Athletics
Herd Women Conclude First Weekend of Preseason Practice
10/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Herd Women Conclude First Weekend of Preseason Practice
10/18/2004
Marshall players huddle during the team's first preseason practice on Saturday. |
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Dozens were in attendance at the women?s basketball team?s ?Brunch with the Herd Bunch? on Saturday morning, which preceded the squad?s first official preseason practice of 2004-05. Those included in the morning festivities were many Thundering Herd women?s hoops supporters, Locker Room Club members and fans alike, together in the Bob Hartley Big Green Room and ending on the floor of the Cam Henderson Center.
?Our goal is to win the MAC,? sophomore forward Crystal Champion (Washington, D.C.) said. The chance to win the Mid-American Conference in March of 2005 is many months away, but the first step toward that objective began when the brunch ended and practice began.
Head coach Royce Chadwick followed up Saturday?s initial run-through with a Sunday afternoon practice. He and the rest of the coaching staff got to further evaluate the returning players, along with newcomers such as junior college transfer Reshundra Smiley (Modesto, Calif.) and freshman Lateisha Wade (Willingboro, N.J.).
Last season, Marshall won its most games both overall (18) and in the MAC (8) since joining the league seven years ago, securing the program?s first winning season as a MAC school in the process. An upset win over the league?s hottest team, No. 3 Kent State, sent the sixth-ranked Herd to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time in school history.
The Herd will open the 2004-05 season with its own tournament, the Fifth Third MU Classic, on Nov. 19-20 at the Henderson Center. Marshall will play host to Texas-Pan American, Lehigh and UNC Asheville, opening its season with the Lady Broncs of UTPA on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
