Marshall University Athletics
Women's Basketball To Open Preseason Sunday Afternoon
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2008
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Following a long offseason, the Thundering Herd women's basketball team will get the 2008-09 season started on Sunday, playing host to the Exodus All-Stars in the first of two preseason contests.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center and a limited number of schedule posters will be available.
The Herd is coming off of another solid season that saw it go 17-16, its fifth straight non-losing season. The team made a late season run that saw it come just minutes away from a berth in the Conference USA Championship game.
After topping Tulane in the opening round of the tournament, Marshall grabbed a 71-69 overtime win against UAB in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals against SMU, the Herd led by as many as 15 points before a late run propelled SMU into the championship game.
Head coach Royce Chadwick enters his eighth season at the helm of the Thundering Herd. Chadwick won his 500th career game last season when the Herd topped UCF in January. That contest also marked his 100th win at Marshall. He is only the third coach in program history to top that mark. Chadwick returns four starters from last year's team, led by senior guard Casey Baker. Baker, a 2008 All-Conference USA Defensive eam member, led the conference in steals during the regular season averaging 3.23 per game. She is the lone senior on the squad and is the leading returning scorer from last season, averaging 11.9 PPG.
Back for her second year is sophomore forward Tynikki Crook. Crook made a statement in the C-USA tournament, recording a double-double in all three Marshall games on her way to All-Tournament team honors. She became the first freshman to be named to the team since the conference realignment prior to the 2005-06 season.
Juniors Alyssa Hammond and Chantelle Handy make up the other half of MU's returning starters. Hammond is the second-leading returning scorer for the Herd, averaging an even ten points per game last season. Hammond is well on her way to becoming the 17th 1,000 point scorer in Marshall history. Through her first two seasons, Hammond has scored 549 points. Handy also returns for her third season. For the second straight summer, Handy played on the British national team. The final returner on the team is junior Alix Barnette. A prolific shooter, Barnette was second on the team in three-pointers in 2007-08. Senior Kendra King will miss the upcoming season due to injury.
Along with the returning players, the Herd will have nine newcomers. Six of those will be in the backcourt, beginning with redshirt freshmen Rashedah Henriques and Tania Walters. Both sat out last season, but were able to practice with the team, gaining valuable experience leading into this year. Both have been able to become familiar with the program while sitting out.
The backcourt additions also include three more freshmen along with junior Angelica "Stick" Harris. Harris attended junior college at Rend Lake CC in Illinois. She is an impact shooter who hit 45% of her shots at the JUCO level. The freshman additions include Raechele Gray, who played at nearby Shelby County (Ky.) High School, Alaya Mitchell, a native of Canton, Mich. and Annette Kristiansen, who walked on to the team this semester.
Marshall's frontcourt boasts three newcomers; two juniors and a freshman. The juniors, both JUCO transfers, are Keona Brooks and Andrea Ibezim. Brooks transferred to Marshall from Southwest Tennessee CC while Ibezim played for Monroe (N.Y.) CC. Both will provide depth at the post position. Kamille Lisonbee, a native of Providence, Utah, is a 6-7 freshman. As a senior at Mountain Crest High School, Lisonbee was named the Region 5 Defensive Player of the Year.
Following Sunday's contest against the Exodus All-Stars, the Herd will take on the DT-3 All-Stars on Saturday, November 8 at 7 pm. That will mark the final preseason test for the Herd before it travels to Boone, N.C. to face Appalachian State in the regular season opener. That game is scheduled for Friday, November 14 at 7 p.m.
The Locker Room Club is planning to run a bus trip to the Appalachian State game. The cost is $45. For more information, call Judy in the women's basketball office at 304-696-5445. The home opener is set for Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m. against North Texas.
