Basketball Preview 2003 :: spokesmanreview.com

» Dave Trimmer / Staff writer

For a big team with big expectations, the success of Eastern Washington’s women’s basketball team may rest with its smallest players.

EWU 2003-04 Schedule

Nov. 21

at UC Irvine

5:15 p.m.

Nov. 23

at Long Beach State

2 p.m.

Nov. 26

Washington State

5:30 p.m.

Nov. 28-29

Lady Pirate Invitational, Greenville, N.C.

Dec. 3

Idaho

7:05 p.m.

Dec. 5

Utah Valley State

7:05 p.m.

Dec. 13

at Boise State

1 p.m.

Dec. 16

UC Riverside

7:05 p.m.

Dec. 19

at Southern Utah

6:05 p.m.

Dec. 31

Gonzaga (Spokane Arena)

2 p.m.

Jan. 8

at Denver

6 p.m.

Jan. 10

at Wyoming

1 p.m.

Jan. 15

#-Northern Arizona

7:05 p.m.

Jan. 17

#-Sacramento State

7:05 p.m.

Jan. 24

#-Portland State

2:05 p.m.

Jan. 29

#-at Idaho State

6:05 p.m.

Jan. 31

#-at Weber State

6:05 p.m.

Feb. 5

#-Montana State

7:05 p.m.

Feb. 7

#-Montana

7:05 p.m.

Feb. 12

#-at Sacramento State

7:05 p.m.

Feb. 14

#-at Northern Arizona

6:05 p.m.

Feb. 21

#-at Portland State

2:05 p.m.

Feb. 26

#-Weber State

7:05 p.m.

Feb. 28

#-Idaho State

7:05 p.m.

Mar. 4

#-at Montana

6:35 p.m.

Mar. 6

#-at Montana State

6:05 p.m.

Mar. 11-13

Big Sky Tournament

TBA

#-Big Sky Conference game.

Roster

No.

Player

Pos.

Ht.

Yr.

Hometown

Brandie Bounds

5-10

Zillah, Wash.

Joanna Chadd

5-8

Philomath, Ore.

Kathleen Nygaard

6-2

Adna, Wash.

Emily Boscacci

5-8

Bothell, Wash.

Ashley Jamison

5-9

Hayden, Idaho

Tiffany Schmidt

6-1

Hillsboro, Ore.

Stephanie Ulmer

5-9

Ellensburg

Raelynn Chaffee

6-2

Boise

Julie Page

6-2

Cheshire, England

Felice Moore

6-2

Spokane

Head Coach: Wendy Schuller.
Assistants: Chris Carlson, Regan Dulaney, Allison Chase.

Big Sky
Predicted order of finish, last year's record
	Overall	Conf.
1. Montana	20-10	10-4
2. Eastern Washington	17-12	7-7
3. Weber State	21-9	11-3
4. Montana State	21-9	11-3
5. Northern Arizona	13-15	8-6
6. Portland State	13-15	8-6
7. Idaho State	6-20	2-12
8. Sacramento State	3-24	1-13

All-Big Sky preseason

Kathleen Nygaard, 6-2, sr., forward, E. Washington

Sarah Hedgepeth, 6-0, sr., forward, Portland State

Hollie Tyler, 6-3, jr., center, Montana

Julie Gjertsen, 5-10, jr., guard, Weber State

Brook Lorenzen, 5-5, sr., guard, Montana

The Eagles have a big and deep front line, experience at the off guard and two 5-foot-8 freshmen point guards.

Emily Boscacci and Joanna Chadd have to replace the only senior from last year’s team that went 17-12 and lost in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference tournament.

"Point guard would be our biggest area of concern," third-year coach Wendy Schuller said. "It’s not that big to me because I believe in both those point guards so much and what they’re capable of doing. We’re going to take some lumps now and then but they’re both very intelligent girls and they’re going to learn from their mistakes quickly."

The lumps could come early with Boscacci sidelined for a month with a stress fracture in her foot.

But the Eagles will be all right if they get the ball inside to the veterans.

Kathleen Nygaard, a 6-2 forward, earned All-Conference honors after averaging 16 points and 7.5 rebounds. She is the only senior on the team and will have to play a key leadership role.

"I expect her to duplicate that if not more," Schuller said. "Kat is an unbelievable player. The times we’re down with Kat is when she doesn’t look to shoot the ball. That’s the biggest battle, she’s too unselfish sometimes."

Sophomore Felice Moore, a 6-2 post from Central Valley, started every game as a freshman and will be expected to increase her contributions (5.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

Junior Stephanie Ulmer (10.3 ppg) and Lakeland sophomore Ashley Jamison both started last year and either can play the off guard, along with junior Brandie Bounds. Jamison is also playing point with Ulmer and Bounds working at small forward.

"Obviously our post play is a strength but our perimeter game is going to be better than people think," Schuller said.

EWU will be at its biggest when 6-2 sophomore Julie Page, a transfer from England, starts with Nygaard and Moore.

"I expect it will be a lot easier for Julie, she’s had a year in our system," Schuller said. "She’s a really skilled player with a great work ethic. She’s a gym rat."

Sophomores Raelynn Chaffee, 6-2, and Tiffany Schmidt, 6-1, will also be expected to make bigger contributions.

"I think we have pretty high expectations," Schuller said. "I think we have a really driven group . . . I think our team chemistry is great. It’s just a fun team to be around, a fun team to coach. . . . When you have a group like that you are able to expect a lot out of them. A conference championship is obviously always our No. 1 goal. We’ll work hard to attain that and if it happens we’ll go from there."

Still taking that next big step falls to the players with the shortest stride.

"I think it’s a really exciting future for both these girls," Schuller said. "You’re only as good as your point guard and I think both of them are going to take us a long way."ell; we always expect to win," Graves said. "That’s what you play for."