UWRF Falcon Women's Basketball Blog

Falcon's looking forward to the season

MADISON, Wis.–University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the defending league champion, is the preseason favorite to win the 2010 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s basketball crown, according to the league’s sports information directors.

UW-Stevens Point claimed five first-place votes in the WIAC survey and enters the season ranked No. 23 nationally by D3hoops.com.  The Pointers are coming off back-to-back NCAA championship appearances for the first time in program history and have earned four conference titles.  UW-Stevens Point has compiled 20-plus victories eight times in the past nine years and reached double-digits in WIAC wins all nine seasons.  A year ago, the Pointers ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III in turnovers per game (14.0) and sixth in field goal percentage (.453).

UW-Whitewater, ranked No. 8 by D3hoops.com, claimed two first-place tallies in the league predictions and is slotted for second in the nine-team derby.  The Warhawks own four WIAC crowns and have made consecutive NCAA championship showings, including a third-place finish in 2008.  UW-Whitewater’s 52 wins compiled in the last two seasons is the highest two-year total in program chronicles and this year’s squad will feature 21 players – its largest roster ever.

UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout picked up the remaining first-place votes in the conference poll and are projected to place third and fourth, respectively.  The Blugolds have captured nine conference titles and own a league-high 15 NCAA championship appearances.  UW-Eau Claire will play six of its first seven games at Zorn Arena where they have posted a 36-3 overall and 23-1 WIAC record over the last three seasons.  Head coach Tonja Englund is 10 wins shy of 200 in her career and would become the seventh coach in WIAC history, and second in Blugold archives, to reach the mark.

UW-Stout has claimed five WIAC trophies and is ranked No. 25 by D3hoops.com.  The Blue Devils have finished no lower than fourth place in the league standings 10 of the last 11 years.  UW-Stout returns 66 percent of its scoring from a year ago and has been either the first or second-leading scoring team in the conference nine of the last 10 seasons.  The Blue Devils open the year with nine of 13 games away from Johnson Fieldhouse where they have amassed a 97-17 record since the 2000-01 season.  Head coach Mark Thomas in the longest tenured and winningest coach in the conference as he enters his 23rd season and is 12 wins away from 400 in his career.

UW-La Crosse is coming off its third winning season in the last four years with its 17 victories being the most since the 2005-06 campaign and third-most in the last 25 seasons.  The Eagles have 14 home contests this year and compiled an 8-3 record at Mitchell Hall a season ago.  UW-La Crosse set single-season school records in free throw shooting the last two years, shooting 74.9 percent in 2007-08 and 74.8 percent in 2008-09.

UW-River Falls returns all five starters from last year’s squad that increased its overall win total by six and WIAC sum by five from the previous season.  The Falcons will play seven of their first 11 contests away from home to start the 2009-10 campaign. 

UW-Oshkosh doesn’t have a senior on its 13-player roster for the second consecutive season.  Junior Dannielle Bauer, a transfer from Black Hills State University (S.D.), is one of the tallest players in the WIAC at six-foot-three.  The Titans have finished third or higher in the WIAC standings 17 times in the past 20 years.  UW-Oshkosh has compiled a 330-110 record the past 16 seasons, with a minimum of 19 victories in 13 of those campaigns.

UW-Platteville will be playing its home games on a newly remodeled Bo Ryan Court, where they finish the WIAC slate with five of their last seven contests.  Nine different people started games for the Pioneers last year with four of them returning.  The Pioneers have made at least one three-point basket in 175 straight games dating back to December 13, 2002.

UW-Superior looks to improve on back-to-back five-win seasons with the return of all five starters.   The Yellowjackets, who dropped five games by six points or less a year ago, will open their season at home for just the third time in the last 11 years.

2009-10 Preseason Predictions–Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors                   
                                         2008-09 Record
1. UW-Stevens Point (5)      14-2, 26-4
2. UW-Whitewater (2)          13-3, 23-5
3. UW-Eau Claire (1)           12-4, 24-6
4. UW-Stout (1)                  10-6, 16-11
5. UW-La Crosse                9-7, 17-9
6. UW-River Falls                7-9, 14-12
7. UW-Oshkosh                  2-14, 7-18
8. UW-Platteville                 5-11, 8-16
9. UW-Superior                   0-16, 5-20
(  )–First-Place Votes

Team Tidbits

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Tonja Englund; 10th season at UWEC; 190-67
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  8/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  None

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  Lois Heeren; 17th season (11th at UWL); 169-241 (overall) / 117-139 (UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  1/4
Returning All-WIAC:  None

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Terri Schumacher; 5th season at UWO; 44-58
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  5/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Shelby Churchill, Jr., F (2009-Honorable)

UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Tina Kuhle; 12th season (6th at UWP); 137-134 (overall) / 53-75 (UWP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  7/10
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  None

UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Cindy Holbrook; 10th season at UWRF; 119-114
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/1
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Tiffany Gregorich, So., G (2009-Honorable)

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Shirley Egner; 21st season at UWSP; 358-168
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  7/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  1/4
Returning All-WIAC:  Britta Petersen, Jr., P (2009-First)

UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Mark Thomas; 23rd season at UWS; 388-201
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Julia Hirssig, Sr., F (2008-First, 2008-Def., 2009-First, 2009-Def.)

UW-Superior
Head Coach:  Donald Mulhern; 18th season (4th at UWS); 193-266 (overall) / 18-57 (UWS)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Hailey Hart, So., F (2009-Honorable)

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Keri Carollo; 8th season at UWW; 117-73
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Kelsey Hendrickson, Sr., G (2008-First, 2009-First)