Monday, Nov. 15, 2010
WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- After watching her Whitman College women's basketball team struggle through a tale of three seasons a year ago, coach Michelle Ferenz hopes to keep the Missionary boat afloat on a more even keel this winter.
The 2009-10 voyage started well enough when the Missionaries recovered from a rash of preseason injuries to win five of its first eight games. But that's when the U.S.S. Whitman sprang more injury leaks than Ferenz and crew could plug.
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| Michelle Ferenz |
With two starters lost at sea with season-ending injuries, Whitman dropped seven of its next eight games, floundering to a 1-6 start in the Northwest Conference.
All was not lost, however. Once her younger deckhands found their sea legs, Ferenz and the Missionaries headed to port, once again steaming at full speed. They won six of their last nine games during a stretch in which the three losses came by a total of just 10 points.
The Missionaries finished 12-13 overall and 7-9 in the NWC, good enough for fifth place among nine schools.
Since then, players returning from injury and a strong first-year class have helped offset the loss of three seniors to graduation. A recent preaseason poll of NWC coaches has Whitman pegged to place third this season. Two coaches picked the Missionaries to win it all.
For now, Ferenz is thankful to start the season with a roster of reasonably healthy bodies.
"We started practices with seven healthy players a year ago, and that was before the knee injuries hit us in December," she says. "It's great to have enough depth again for regular practices. With so few bodies last year, we had to be inventive in structuring our practices."
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| Jessica Cox |
Ferenz and new assistant coach Jessica Cox plan to use their first four non-conference games to make decisions about a roster that has ballooned in size compared to its bare-bones predecessor.
"We'll still need to rely on our veterans, but as the season goes on and our new kids get more comfortable playing at this level, we are going to be a much deeper and more versatile team," Ferenz says. "This is one of the more athletic first-year classes we've ever had."
Whitman opens its season this weekend with two non-conference games in Spokane, Wash., followed by two more later this month in the Puget Sound area.
The Missionaries then play two early NWC games in western Oregon in early December.
"We'll use the first four games to decide how we're going to play in terms of pace and the extent to which we can use our depth," Ferenz says. "We need to focus at the start on getting good at what we do."
With talent and depth on hand, Ferenz looks forward to striking a better balance between prepping her own team and getting ready for specific opponents.
"With our limited rotation last year, we had to really focus on slowing down each of our opponents and controlling tempo," she says. "This year we have the luxury of concentrating more on our own team and how we want to play.
"We'll still get ready for teams, but it's nice to know that how we decide to play might be tough for other teams. Hopefully, we can be a tough match-up for some of our opponents."
Sexton, Peterson (Jenele) & Forge
Four-year veterans Rebecca Sexton, Jenele Peterson and Anna Forge return to give the Missionaries experience and talent at three different positions.
Only Sexton is playing as a senior, however. Both Peterson and Forge suffered season-ending knee injuries early last winter and were granted medical red-shirt allowances.
"It's a definite plus to have Bec, Jenele and Anna to anchor separate spots on the floor, and to know that Jenele and Anna can come back next season," Ferenz says.
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| Rebecca Sexton |
Now in her 10th year at Whitman, Ferenz looks to Sexton, a 6-foot-3 center, to have a strong final season.
"Bec is in the best shape of her career," Ferenz says. "She is a lot stronger and quicker, and she has really embraced the leadership role that comes with being a senior. She is talented enough that you can run an offense around her."
Sexton averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor. Her sophomore numbers (11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 57.7 percent) were very similar. She was No. 2 in the NWC in shooting percentage at the end of both seasons.
"Bec has great size, but she also has great hands and feet," Ferenz says. "She's got a nice shooting touch, and her footwork in the post is very, very good."
Sexton had one of her best games last season against eventual NWC champion George Fox, scoring 21 points (one off her career high) while grabbing five rebounds and blocking three shots. She added a career-high five blocks against Linfield and finished the season as the third-best shot blocker in the conference.
Ferenz looks for Sexton, who collected 16 rebounds in one game as a sophomore, to be a more consistent presence on boards this season.
"Bec needs to be more of a force on the boards," Ferenz says. "She's worked hard and it's making a difference in all phases of her game. She's moving to passes better, and she's getting off the floor to finish."
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| Jenele Peterson |
Peterson, a 5-foot-7 point guard, returns as one of the best players in the NWC at her position.
Peterson made an immediate impact in her first season, earning All-NWC Honorable Mention recognition while averaging 9.9 points. She was second in the NWC in 3-point shooting (44.7 percent) and fourth in field goal percentage (51.4 percent).
Peterson made the All-NWC Second Team as a sophomore after averaging 10.3 points while finishing fourth in assists and third in assist-to-turnover ratio. She also led the conference in free throw shooting at 87.1 percent.
"Jenele is one of the most skilled point guards in our conference," Ferenz says. "She runs the show and knows our system. We want the ball in her hands.
"It's great to have her back and feeling confident in her knee. She's become a much better defender, and we're asking her to score more. We need her to shoot it coming off a screen as much as we need her to drive the lane or create opportunities for her teammates."
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| Anna Forge |
Forge, quick and strong at 5-feet-10, is ready to start the season, although her knee injury was more severe and has yet to bounce back as quickly. "Anna has been frustrated by her recovery, but her knee will keep getting stronger," Ferenz says. "She just needs more time.
"She still has her hops and her quickness. She is still one of the best athletes in the conference in terms of her mobility, size and strength."
Before last season's early injury, Forge sparked one Whitman victory with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
"What was really unfortunate about Anna's injury is that it came just as she was starting to incorporate all of her physical gifts into our system," Ferenz says. "The only good thing about the injury is that it gave her more time to work on her outside shot. That has added a whole new dimension to her game."
Peterson (Kelly) & Madden
When the injuries hit last season, Kelly Peterson and Mary Madden were thrust into major roles in their first seasons at Whitman, and two high school teammates passed the early test with flying colors.
"I honestly don't know what we would have done without Kelly and Mary last season," Ferenz says. "We could not have asked for more."
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| Kelly Peterson |
Peterson, a fearless 5-foot-8 guard, posted her first collegiate double-double in her fifth start of the season, collecting 14 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Eastern Oregon. She sparked an early NWC victory over Pacific with 19 first-half points.
Peterson averaged 10.2 points and 4.7 rebounds on the season while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor, the third-best mark in the NWC. She received All-NWC Honorable Mention recognition at season's end.
"I've been around a lot of kids who are high achievers and very competitive, but Kelly might be the most competitive person I've ever known," Ferenz says. "She is a great rebounding guard, mostly because she is so competitive. Her gas pedal always goes to the floor.
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| Mary Madden |
"Kelly also adds a lot to our defense. She's like a gnat. Give her a defensive assignment and she eats it up. She led us in taking charges last year."
Madden, a 5-foot-11 forward, averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in a solid rookie season.
"Mary came off the bench during the second half of the conference season and helped turn it around for us," Ferenz says. "Compared to Kelly, Mary is more quiet as a player but she still gets the job done."
Madden was slowed this fall by a knee injury that at first threatened to keep her on the sidelines until the semester break. "It's been a little bit of a setback for Mary, but we're glad to have her back already."
Madden used the off-season to work on her offensive game, Ferenz says. "She revamped her shot over the summer. We kept her inside last season, but now she can step out now and take some shots. She has expanded her game."
Keyes & Gilbert
Jennifer Keyes, a 5-foot-6 junior shooting guard, and Emilie Gilbert, a 5-foot-7 point guard, are two players expected to contribute more this season than a year ago.
Keyes, a deadly 3-point shooter, was hobbled all of last season by an ankle injury that required off-season surgery.
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| Jennifer Keyes |
"Last year was kind of a lost season for Jenn, but she sucked it up and gave us some minutes despite the bad ankle," Ferenz says. "For the most part, she's feeling pretty good on the ankle, but it's been a long recovery.
"She's still working on getting herself into playing shape and shaking off the rust. We know she can shoot, and her potential for growth as an all-around player is huge."
Keyes showcased her shooting touch early in her first season, hitting a school-record eight 3-pointers while scoring 28 points in a non-conference game. She finished second in the NWC in 3-point accuracy and third in treys per game.
"Jenn has a shooter's mentality, and she does a great job of getting on balance for her shots."
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| Emilie Gilbert |
Gilbert's first Whitman season got off to a slow start last winter because she also runs on the cross country team, which extended its season into mid-November by qualifying the national championships.
"Emilie didn't play much basketball last fall," Ferenz says. "All of her time went to getting acclimated to Whitman academics and the cross country team. Once her running season was over, she was so far behind in basketball. It was tough for her, although she did a good job working her way through it."
Gilbert's cross country season ended last Saturday with an all-region performance in Salem, Ore.
"Emilie was able to work with us more this fall, and her basketball game has continued to improve," Ferenz says. "She is a very committed, gifted athlete who loves the team aspect of basketball.
"It will be hard to keep Emilie off the floor this season. She's carving out a niche for herself."
Five Rookies
"This is one of the best first-year classes I've had at Whitman," Ferenz says. "They have a lot to learn about our system and playing at the college level, but they all have talent. She push our veterans in practice every day."
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| Jazzmyne Ross |
The class includes one first-year sophomore, Jazzmyne Ross, who played her prep ball for coach Richard Harris (a former Whitman basketball player) at Valley Christian in San Jose, Calif.
Ross, a 5-foot-3 guard, was recruited to play a year ago but chose to concentrate on academics in her first year at Whitman.
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| Sarah Anderegg |
"It's going to take Jazzmyne a little time to get all of her basketball skills back, but she's been a nice addition," Ferenz says. "She's very basketball-smart. She has great court vision. She might be our best perimeter passer after Jenele."
Sarah Anderegg, a 6-foot-2 first-year forward, comes to Whitman with eye-popping high school numbers. She was a three-time first-team all-conference player at Interlake (Bellevue, Wash.), where she graduated as its all-time leading scorer with 1,565 points.
Anderegg averaged more than 20-plus points and about 12 rebounds per game in each of her final two seasons.
"Sarah is a gifted scorer, but she's also a gifted athlete," Ferenz says. "She's 6-foot-2 and quick. She works hard and has a great attitude. She gets better every day as she makes the adjustment to this level."
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| Meghan White |
Meghan White, a 6-foot center, earned first-team all-league honors in each of her last two seasons at Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School. She averaged a double-double as a senior when she pulled down 13 rebounds a game.
"Rebounding is not easy to coach, but Megan is one of those players who thinks every rebound is hers," Ferenz says. "She is strong, has good hands and is relentless on the boards. Her attitude toward rebounding is going to help us right away."
White also has "good fundamentals and nice moves around the hoop," Ferenz says. "She's learning and getting better on the defensive side as well."
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| Tiffani Brewer |
Tiffani Brewer, a 5-foot-8 guard from Oregon City (Ore.) High School, comes to Whitman from a "high school program that wins a ton and has a national profile," Ferenz says. "She has already played at a higher level and faster pace than a lot of kids who come out of high school.
"Tiffani knows basketball and can bang down shots. She's quick and runs the floor hard. She also needs to get stronger, but she has some good skills and a great attitude."
Brewer earned Honorable Mention all-league honors as a senior, when her team rolled to a 28-1 record.
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| Catelyn Webber |
Catelyn Webber, a 5-foot-8 guard from Bellevue (Wash.) High School, played varsity golf for Whitman this fall but has shifted gears to give Ferenz another long-range shooter.
"Catelyn can shoot," Ferenz says. "She gets her feet down quickly and she has range. She hit a couple of shots in one of our scrimmages that were well outside the 3-point line."
Webber, a first-team all-league pick as a senior, is adapting to the "speed and physicality of the college game, but her shooting is something she can bring to the table right away."
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| Marah Alindogan |
Last but not least among the first-year players is Marah Alindogan, a 5-foot-6 point guard who averaged 10 points, four rebounds and four assists as a senior at Seattle's Bishop Blanchet.
"Marah is energy unbound and so quick," Ferenz says. "She's another kid who always has the gas pedal to the floor.
"She has a lot to learn in terms of our system and how we want run everything, but what I like about Marah is that she has no fear. She'll go through a crowd to get to the hoop, and she'll take the 3-pointer if it's there.
"I love it when a point guard wants to score. It makes the defense's job much tougher."
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CONTACT: Dave Holden,
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
holden@whitman.edu; (509) 527-5902
