At this point in the season, with two exhibition wins under their belts and the next game not until after Thanksgiving, the Cal State Stanislaus women’s basketball players and coaches are playing the waiting game. They’re eagerly awaiting to hear if the NCAA will approve three transfers who could possibly change everything this season.
Yeah, they’re that good.
“They’ll increase our depths and our athleticism,” coach Sharon Turner-Dean said. The eighth-year coach is referring to Alishea Kelly (Mesa State), Whitney Lewis (Mesa State) and Wynter Turner (Riverside Community College) — with Kelly and Lewis good enough to be starters.
Turner-Dean said the transfer paperwork has been sent, and that it may take as long as a few weeks to get the clearance.
The situation is giving the Warriors a lot of hope entering the 2009-10 season. Stanislaus has the goal of returning to the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the second consecutive time, thanks in part to returning key players like first-team all-conference forward Katie Busi and junior guards Jeanette Rowe and Andreanna Marshall, and sophomore guard and former Turlock High star Samantha Bertomen, one of two local players on the roster (the other being freshman Erin Santiago of Turlock Christian High, though she’s not expected to see much court time in her first season).
Of course, a lot of the team’s success this season is riding on the NCAA waiving those three transfers. Turner-Dean said that Kelly, who stands at 5-foot-8, is “hands down the best guard in our conference.” Kelly will also add speed for the Warriors, who look to give Busi some breathing room. Busi averaged 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2008, the kind of numbers that drew two to three defenders every time she touched the ball.
And the Warriors’ hope of returning to the league tournament seem even more real after learning that guard Christin Gowan is back and healthy after playing last season with a bad right knee. Turner-Dean said Gowan’s knee is no longer a problem and the guard will once again be a threat.
So, it looks like a promising season.
In 2008, the Warriors produced a 13-15 season with an appearance in the CCAA tournament. Another highlight was being able to defend Warrior Arena, going 10-5 at home.
The Warriors’ next matchup is a nonconference game at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, on Nov. 27.
In the meantime, the Warriors are awaiting good news from the NCAA.
“That’s our No. 1 goal, to get there,” Busi said about their conference-tournament aspirations, “but we’re hoping to get further this year.”
To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.
Yeah, they’re that good.
“They’ll increase our depths and our athleticism,” coach Sharon Turner-Dean said. The eighth-year coach is referring to Alishea Kelly (Mesa State), Whitney Lewis (Mesa State) and Wynter Turner (Riverside Community College) — with Kelly and Lewis good enough to be starters.
Turner-Dean said the transfer paperwork has been sent, and that it may take as long as a few weeks to get the clearance.
The situation is giving the Warriors a lot of hope entering the 2009-10 season. Stanislaus has the goal of returning to the California Collegiate Athletic Association for the second consecutive time, thanks in part to returning key players like first-team all-conference forward Katie Busi and junior guards Jeanette Rowe and Andreanna Marshall, and sophomore guard and former Turlock High star Samantha Bertomen, one of two local players on the roster (the other being freshman Erin Santiago of Turlock Christian High, though she’s not expected to see much court time in her first season).
Of course, a lot of the team’s success this season is riding on the NCAA waiving those three transfers. Turner-Dean said that Kelly, who stands at 5-foot-8, is “hands down the best guard in our conference.” Kelly will also add speed for the Warriors, who look to give Busi some breathing room. Busi averaged 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2008, the kind of numbers that drew two to three defenders every time she touched the ball.
And the Warriors’ hope of returning to the league tournament seem even more real after learning that guard Christin Gowan is back and healthy after playing last season with a bad right knee. Turner-Dean said Gowan’s knee is no longer a problem and the guard will once again be a threat.
So, it looks like a promising season.
In 2008, the Warriors produced a 13-15 season with an appearance in the CCAA tournament. Another highlight was being able to defend Warrior Arena, going 10-5 at home.
The Warriors’ next matchup is a nonconference game at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, on Nov. 27.
In the meantime, the Warriors are awaiting good news from the NCAA.
“That’s our No. 1 goal, to get there,” Busi said about their conference-tournament aspirations, “but we’re hoping to get further this year.”
To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.
