2000-01 Jennies Basketball Preview

With 10 letter-winners, including four starters, returning from last year's 22-7 squad, Central Missouri State University Jennies' coach Scott Ballard expects to have his team in contention for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association title and an extended post-season run in the 2000-01 season.

Ballard took last year's team, which was picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches' poll, to a second-place conference finish and an NCAA Division II Tournament bid and that earned him league coach-of-the-year honors.

The Jennies' performance was truly the result of a team effort, because only guards Lori Nichols and Molly Knobbe received any all-MIAA recognition a year ago.

Nichols, a junior, was a first-team all-conference selection and led the Jennies in scoring with a 13.4 average. She also was the team's top three-point shooter, hitting 65 for the season.

Knobbe, also a junior, received honorable mention all-league honors. She started only nine games, but led the team in assists (3.7 avg.) and steals (1.4 avg.) while averaging 9.4 points per game.

Marlies Ozias, one of three seniors on this year's squad, started every game but one and was the only other player to average in double figures last season with a 10.2 scoring average. Junior Katie Vaske returns at center, after averaging 9.6 points and a team-leading 6.3 rebounds last year.

Ballard hopes for improved production from senior Blanche Tucker this season. In her first campaign with the Jennies last year, she averaged 5.7 points per game.

One of the Jennies' strengths last season was a deep bench and Ballard expects that to be a factor in his team's favor again this year. In addition to Knobbe, senior Kelly Sutton, junior Nicole Cassmeyer and sophomore Carlonda Pettiford had solid performances off the bench in 1999-2000, with each averaging at least 12 minutes per game. Sutton averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds, Cassmeyer averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds and Pettiford averaged 3.9 and 1.3 rebounds.

With junior Ashley Lawrence and sophomore Stacy Butterworth expected to increase their production this season, the Jennies could have an even stronger bench than a year ago.

Ballard has brought in four newcomers to combine with his veterans this season. Sophomore Ana Benitez averaged 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds at Arizona Western College last year and helped that team produce a 16-15 record in its first campaign of competition. Junior Michelle LaBoube earned all-conference honors last season at Jefferson College (Mo.) and helped the team win a conference championship and place seventh at the national tournament.

Freshman Jena Shackelford averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists for a 19-4 Shawnee (Kan.) Mission Northwest High School team that reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Freshman Robin Miller was a first-team all-conference selection at Mehlville Senior High School in St. Louis, Mo..