UDaily is produced by the Office of Public Relations
150 South College Ave.
Newark, DE 19716-2701
(302) 831-2791
|
 |
2003-04 basketball season opens with Midnight Mania
1:30 p.m., Oct. 14, 2003--Midnight Mania 2003, a gala celebration to open the 2003-04 University of Delaware basketball season, will held Friday, Oct. 17, in the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.
Festivities will begin at 10:30 p.m., and the Fightin’ Blue Hens men's and women's basketball teams will begin their preseason practices at 12:01 a.m. with short scrimmages.
The UD women’s team has had four consecutive 20-win seasons under Head Coach Tina Martin and last year shared the regular season Colonial Athletic Association title with perennial national power Old Dominion University. The Hens earned a berth in the postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
UD returns two starters in juniors Julie Sailer, a 5-foot 11-inch guard and forward who averaged 10.8 points per game last season, and Tiara Malcom, a 6-1 forward who averaged 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds.
The Hens get some needed size with the addition of 6-4 sophomore Arek Deng, a transfer from the University of Maryland, and 6-3 junior Kristy Gaines, a transfer from Hagerstown Community College.
Stepping in at guard to replace graduates Allison Trapp and Carrie Timmins, now a UD assistant coach, are a trio of freshmen, 5-8 Alena Koshansky from Fairfax, Va., 5-7 Liz Hayes from Easton, Pa., and 5-10 Tyresa Smith from Dover.
The UD women’s team will open the season against the University of Richmond at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, at The Bob.
The UD men’s team has reached the CAA tournament semifinals its first two seasons in the conference, falling both times to eventual champion University of North Carolina Wilmington, with which Head Coach David Henderson’s team has developed a spirited rivalry.
The Hens have high hopes for the season with the addition of seven players 6-7 or taller to bolster an already strong backcourt. Junior point guard Mike Slattery led the CAA in assists last season with 6.2 per game, and senior shooting guard Mike Ames averaged 14.0 points per game and shot nearly 35 percent from three-point range.
The Hens also return starters David Lunn and Calvin Smith and sophomore letter winners Chris Prothro and Rulon Washington, along with 6-7 Robin Wentt who missed most of last season following shoulder surgery.
New to UD are 6-8 redshirt freshman Lebo Maepa and four true freshmen, 6-7 guard and forward Herb Courtney, 6-7 forward Octavius Flowers, 6-8 forward Henry Olawoye and 6-10 center Raphael Madera.
Also joining the UD men’s team is 6-8 forward Harding Nana, who transferred from Virginia Tech and who will be eligible Dec. 20.
The UD men’s team will open the season at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 25. The first home game will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 30, against the University of San Francisco.
E-mail this article
To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here.
|
|
|
