WESTERN CHAMPION LADY DEVILS OPEN THE NWAACC'S FRIDAY NIGHT
The LCC Lady Devils closed out the regular season with a 63-54 loss at Tacoma Saturday February 21st. Poor shooting did in the Devils. LCC had already clinched the division title and Tacoma was in a must-win situation. The focus now is on Kennewick where the NWAAC Championships will be played February 27 through March 1. The Lady Devils will open up the tourney at 10 pm against the Everett Trojans. The team will practice this week before heading out to Kennewick Thursday afternoon. Tourney tickets for the NWAACC tournament in Kennewick are available at the LCC Athletics office for just $31. The pass is good for all the men's and women's games. The tourney runs from Feb 27-March 1.
LADY DEVILS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2003-2004 SEASON
Longview, WA- Last season was a breakout year for LCC Lady Devils hoops. 2004 should be even better. Head Coach Jason Hoseney has assembled a talented freshman class and together with some excellent returners, the Devils are putting forth the goal of winning the NWAACC Western Division.
The Lady Devils went 20-8 last season and won a game at the NWAACC Championships in Kennewick. The 2003 squad used end-to-end defense to spark a scoring average of 71 points per game. Coach Hoseney would love to deploy more of that defensive mindset, but he knows he may have to implement a more patterned style to fit the personell.
The newcomers are very good. Sara Burgoyne was the GSHL 3A Player of the Year and she is the marquee frosh in a sparkling class of recruits. Burgoyne's teammate at Kelso, Mandy Doss was also an all-league performer and she brings intensity around the boards.
Oregon supplied four very good players to the LCC campus. Karla Boston is an exciting point guard from Benton Tech in Portland. Korina Pongracz-Bartha also hails from the PIL where she is a great scorer from Franklin High. Lacey Nobles is a tall lefty from Enterprise with the ability to fill it up from outside and inside. Bethany Smith is a hard working six-footer from Canby who brings a great work ethic and attitude to the LCC front line.
The Lady Devils also have recruits from the big sky country. Brooke Oyler is an all-Utah player from Tremonton where she shows a great outside shooting ability. Jess Grubb played on an outstanding final-four team at Bozeman high in Montana where she provided rebounding and leadership.
“We are pleased to welcome a tremendously talented 2003-2004 recruiting class,” Coach Hoseney said. “All are very skilled and versatile players who can play a variety of positions. They will be an outstanding addition to our program as players, students and most of all as people.”
Certainly a notable newcomer is Erin Wilson who comes back to her hometown after a freshman season as the back-up point guard for NWAACC runner-up Big Bend. Wilson will make the switch to her more natural two-guard spot and she will provide great talent, experience and leadership.
Talana Watson leads the returners. She started all but two games last season and her quickness was one of the reason's the Lady Devils were able to apply so much full court defensive pressure. Watson should have a great sophomore campaign. Staci Hendricks will be slowed at the start of the season by a painful shoulder injury. Hendricks was money from outside last season and she will be counted on for steady leadership once she returns to the floor. Holley Gadley was a valuable reserve off the bench last season where she provided an excellent scoring punch. Her role will increase this season and she also is willing to take on a leadership role. Kristy Wright played a limited role last season but she is very quick and she should see her minutes increase after a year of college ball under her belt.
Joining Hoseney's staff this year is Dan Johnson who is the student activity director at LCC. The Houston-area product has a great knowledge of basketball and he'll be a great sounding board for Hoseney. Chuck Byers returns as a volunteer assistant and he is invaluable with his dedication to the program. Andrea Graa was a LCC player last season and she moves into the role of student assistant this year. Graa has plenty of coaching experience at the AAU level in Utah and Montana.
With all of this potential talent, the Lady Devils are challenged to mesh these high school stars into a cohesive unit.