Orangewomen Ready for 2002-03 Debut
11/14/2002 4:24:23 PM | Women's Basketball
The Orangewomen begin their 32nd season of play in the first round of the Preseason WNIT at Siena on Friday, November 15 at 7 p.m. It is Syracuse’s first-ever appearance in the tournament. SU returns six letterwinners from last year’s team that went 18-13 and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1988.
Juniors Julie McBride (Mechanicville, N.Y.) and Shannon Perry (Providence, R.I.) anchor the backcourt. McBride led the team in scoring last season, averaging 14.9 points per game. She also paced the squad with 5.6 assists per contest. Perry, utilized mainly off the bench, was the Orangewomen’s third-leading scorer with 11.5 points per contest. Perry was Syracuse’s leading rebounder with a 6.6 per game average.
The WNIT first-round game will mark the Syracuse debut of four newcomers. Freshmen Krystalyn Ellerbe (Clinton, Md.), Tierra Jackson (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Jill Norton (Marlton, N.J.) will be making their first collegiate appearances, while junior April Jean (Sacramento, Calif.) will play her first Division I game since transferring from Coffeyville Community College (KS.).
The Orangewomen will get a true measure of where the team stands after its first game. The Saints return all five starters, including four seniors, from last year’s squad that went 23-7 overall and 16-2 in the MAAC. The Saints are this year’s preseason choice to win the MAAC and feature the league’s preseason player of the year in senior forward Gunta Basko. Bakso, a two-time MAAC Player of the Year, averaged a double-double of 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season. Junior Liene Jansone was a preseason first-team all-conference choice. She averaged 15.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game en route to winning the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year Award. Senior guard Erica Anderson was a preseason second-team all-league choice after averaging 10.8 points and 4.1 assists in 2001-02.
This year’s game renews a rivalry that has been dormant for 10 years. The last meeting between the two schools was on December 1, 1992, a 64-52 Siena win in Loudonville to open the 1992-93 campaign. The Saints hold a 4-3 all-time advantage and have won the last three meetings. This is the third time the Orangewomen have opened a season versus the Saints. SU won the 1981-82 debut, 95-65 at Manley Field House. The Orangewomen are 0-3 all-time on the road versus the Saints.
The Orangewomen are 20-11 all-time in season debuts. SU has won its last three season-openers, all away from Manley Field House. Syracuse’s last season-opening loss was at seventh-ranked North Carolina on November 17, 1988. The Orangewomen are 6-4 all-time in season-openers on the road. Head Coach Marianna Freeman is 4-5 in her nine season debuts at Syracuse. SU’s last two season-openers have gone into overtime. The Oranewomen have not started a season at home since a 64-56 win versus Canisius on November 23, 1991.
