2013-14 Gardner-Webb Women's Basketball Season Preview
November 04, 2013 | Women's Basketball
Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs will have a lot of familiar faces on the court in 2013-14, as the Runnin' Bulldogs return all but one letterwinner from last season and a total of 11 players overall that saw time on the hardwood for head coach Rick Reeves and his squad in 2012-13.
Returning for their senior seasons are GWU's top-two scorers from last season in Jasmine Dale and Catrina Green, who combined averaged over 20 points per game for the Runnin' Bulldogs in 2012-13. Green, who led GWU in rebounding last season at 9.4 boards per contest, highlights a frontcourt of returners in senior Tabby Koerner, juniors Jessica Heilig and Chariah Harris, and sophomore Olivia Parker.
Dale headlines a core group of guards in junior Mayhana Dunovant and sophomores Lana Doran, Doreen Richardson and Candace Brown, who all saw quality minutes last season for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
In addition to the returners, which includes GWU's top-eight scorers from last season, as well as its top-four leading rebounders from a year ago, the experienced unit will also include three talented freshmen in Tierra Huntsman, Kiera Currie and Christina McQueen who will all see time on the court this season for head coach Reeves' squad.
GUARDS
The Runnin' Bulldogs have perhaps the most depth at the guard positions than they have had in the previous few seasons, as Dale returns for her fourth season at GWU and will start in the backcourt for Coach Reeves' squad for the third straight season. The senior led GWU in scoring last season at 10.4 points per game and shot over 42 percent from behind the three-point line which ranked in the top-10 nationally overall.
Beside Dale, who will see time at both guard positions due to her experience in running the GWU offense, will be a number of players in Dunovant, Doran, Richardson, Brown and Huntsman.
Both Dunovant and Huntsman will see time at the point guard position, while Doran and Richardson, who saw time at the point guard spot last season, will shift over to the two-guard spot where they will look to be more assertive on the offensive end of the floor.
Dunovant, who led the team in assists last season, ran the GWU offense for most of last year and will continue to excel in her role as the lead distributer, while Huntsman is a smart, pass-first combo guard, that can shoot the ball at a high percentage from all over the floor.
Doran, who was a key outside threat for the Runnin' Bulldogs along with Dale last season, will continue to look to be that second or third scorer for GWU this season, while Richardson provides Gardner-Webb with the quick, fast-paced play on both ends of the floor and a defensive stopper out on the perimeter.
Brown, a 2012-13 Big South All-Freshman Team selection who led GWU in scoring in conference play last season, will again see some time at the off-guard spot where she filled in well last season down the stretch with Dale out due to an injury. Brown was deadly in the mid-range game from a season ago and led the Runnin' Bulldog guards in both steals and rebounds last year.
FORWARDS
The versatility of the Runnin' Bulldogs 3 and 4 players gives Coach Reeves and his staff a lot of options at the forward positions, as Brown, Heilig and Currie will all see time at the small forward slot.
Brown proved last season that she is capable of defending much bigger players out on the perimeter, while Heilig is a slasher that can post up smaller players on the block. Currie brings a complete game to the table for GWU, as she can score from both inside and out and will see a lot of minutes off the bench this season.
At the four spot, or the power forward position, Heilig will give the Runnin' Bulldogs a chance to play small, while fellow returners in Parker, Koerner and Harris provide both experience and depth at the position.
Parker, who was second on the team in both rebounding and blocked shots last season, provides a defensive toughness for GWU down low, while both Koerner and Harris have shown that they can not only score in the paint, but that they can also work hard on the glass and get to loose balls on the floor.
CENTER
Once again, the center spot will be manned by Green, who is slated to be the starter for the third straight season in the middle for GWU, while depth will come from a fellow senior in Koerner and in a newcomer in McQueen. Green, who nearly averaged a double-double last season, is efficient down low where she shot over 44 percent last season and gives the Runnin' Bulldogs an inside threat on both blocks.
Koerner brings experience to the middle for GWU and is also able to extend the defense out with her ability to knock down the outside shot, while McQueen, who can score down low and is very aggressive on the boards, will be asked to provide solid minutes off the bench in her first season as a Runnin' Bulldog.
GWU will open up the 2013-14 season on Friday night, November 8th, as the Runnin' Bulldogs will host Montreat at 7 p.m. in Paul Porter Arena.
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