Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Basketball Set To Open Season With Exhibition on Friday
November 06, 2003 | Cowgirl Basketball
Oklahoma State's women's basketball team will begin the 2003-04 campaign with the first of its two exhibition games on Friday evening when the Oklahoma Flyers travel to Stillwater for a 7 p.m. tilt. The Cowgirls are coming off an 8-21 season and ninth-place finish in the Big 12 during their first season under the direction of head coach Julie Goodenough.
OSU posted a 2-0 mark in exhibition play last season, defeating TJ Sokol, 80-71, behind a 21-point, 10-rebound outing from Trisha Skibbe. Ten days later, the Cowgirls knocked off the Solna Vikings, 86-65, fueled by another 21-point outburst by Skibbe. All told, four Cowgirls reached double figures in the scoring column, including 14 points from Lori Allen, who was competing in just her second collegiate game.
SCOUTING THE OKLAHOMA FLYERS
The Flyers, a squad comprised of players with Oklahoma ties, come to Stillwater with a pair of contests already under their belts. The squad opened its eight-game schedule on Monday night with a 96-83 loss against Central Oklahoma in Edmond. On Wednesday, they traveled to Lawton, Okla., to take on Cameron University and former OSU head coach Dick Halterman. The Lady Aggies prevailed with an 86-77 victory behind a 47.6 percent effort shooting from the field, while holding the Flyers to a 38.5 percent clip.
Several familiar faces dot the Flyers' roster with three players having Big 12 ties: Sunny Hardeman, Rosiland Ross and Jamie Talbert, all played at the University of Oklahoma. Ross was a first-round draft pick of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks in 2002.
LAST TIME OUT
The Cowgirls closed out the 2002-03 season with a 75-52 loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. The 11th-seeded Cowgirls put up a valiant effort, heading into halftime knotted at 32 with the eighth-ranked Lady Raiders. However, Jia Perkins and Co. proved to be too much as Tech held OSU to a 29-percent shooting effort in the second stanza. Perkins scored nine of her 20 points during a 24-2 spurt that helped the Lady Raiders put the Cowgirls away. Trisha Skibbe recorded her second double-double of the tournament with a 22-point, 11-rebound effort in the loss. The game was the final contest for three OSU seniors: Chantoya Hawkins, Shelby Hutchens and Thia Willis.
UP NEXT
The Cowgirls will take the floor for the second of their two exhibitions on Nov. 13 when Northwest Sports Tours comes calling for a 7 p.m. contest. Northwest opened its slate with a 75-68 loss at Cincinnati on Nov. 1 before an 85-65 setback two days later against Notre Dame. Against the Irish, Erin Thorn tied for top scoring honors with 21 points on a game-high three three-point baskets to go along with four steals. Northwest will play five more games before traveling to Stillwater. A pair of players: Thorn (New York Liberty) and Reshea Bristol (Charlotte Sting), have spent time in the WNBA.
SKIBBE CONTINUES HER CLIMB UP THE SCHOOL SCORING CHART
Trisha Skibbe became the 15th player in OSU history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark with a 20-point effort at Missouri last season. The Oxford, Kan., native stands at 1,224 points and became the first Cowgirl to reach the plateau since Jennifer Crow did it during the 1998-99 campaign. Skibbe is currently ninth on the OSU all-time scoring list and is only 19 points from tying Renee Roberts for the No. 8 spot on the scoring chart. Last season marked just the fifth time in school history that a pair of 1,000-point scorers played together after achieving the feat. Former Cowgirl Chantoya Hawkins joined the 1,000-point club with a 20-point outing of her own four games later against Texas and ended her career ranked 14th on the list with 1,075 points.
HEAD COACH JULIE GOODENOUGH
In her second season at the helm of the Cowgirl program is 10-year coaching veteran Julie Goodenough. The Haskell, Texas native came to Stillwater after spending nine seasons at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. During her tenure at HSU, Goodenough led the Cowgirls to a 188-54 mark, making her the school's all-time winningest coach. In addition, HSU won seven conference titles and made NCAA Division III Sweet 16 appearances in each of the past four seasons, including a run to the Elite Eight in 2000. Goodenough was tabbed as the conference coach of the year five times after producing 34 all-conference selections in addition to three All-America picks.
ULRICKSON JOINS STAFF AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
The lone move on the OSU staff over the summer was the promotion of administrative graduate assistant Beth Ulrickson. A 2002 graduate of Hardin-Simmons, Ulrickson served as a student assistant under Goodenough at HSU and was a first-team all-conference selection and team captain for the Cowgirls, helping the squad to an Elite Eight berth in 2000 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2001. During those two seasons, HSU had a combined record of 49-8 and won a pair of conference titles. Ulrickson began her playing career at Weatherford (Texas) Junior College where she served as team captain and was named an academic all-conference selection. Ulrickson fills the position formerly held by current New Mexico State assistant coach Phylesha Whaley.
TWIN TOWERS ADD SIZE ADVANTAGE TO POST
When perusing the Cowgirl roster this season, one will find a dramatic change in the height at the post position with the addition of 6-5 freshman Christian Hood and 6-4 Eliz Gomes. Hood is just the second player in school history listed at 6-5, joining Cassandra Lesnyk as the second-tallest Cowgirls of all-time behind 6-7 Devon Magness. Gomes is one of just four players in the program's history to be listed at 6-4. Overall, the Cowgirl roster features five players at least six feet in height.
ANDERSON BRINGS IMPRESSIVE RESUMÉ TO STILLWATER
First-year administrative graduate assistant Kendra Anderson has reaped numerous honors for her performance on and off the floor during her career at Hardin-Simmons University. This past season, the Colorado City, Texas native averaged 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest on her way to being named the NCAA Division III National PLayer of the Year. Three times she was named the American Southwest Conference Player of the Year, twice was named an All-American and garnered an unprecedented four MVP awards at the conference tournament. In the classroom, Anderson was named a Verizon Academic All-American last season in addition to being named academic all-conference three times. She was most recently named the Texas representative as the NCAA Woman of the Year, honoring excellence in athletics, academics and in the community.
MILESTONE VICTORIES IN SIGHT
The dawn of the 2003-04 season sees the Cowgirls in search of a pair of significant victories. Second-year head coach Julie Goodenough enters the campaign four wins shy of the 200-win mark for her career. Goodenough, who began her career with 11 straight victories at Hardin-Simmons during the 1993-94 season, defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor, 98-88, for her first career victory and picked up her 150th career win against the Crusaders during the 2000-01 season. The OSU program enters the campaign 16 wins shy of the 500 mark. The Cowgirls reached the 400-win plateau during the on Dec. 5, 1997 against New Mexico State.
RECRUITING CLASS RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Oklahoma State's women's basketball recruiting class for the 2002-2003 season was recognized as a top 20 group nationally according to the All-Star Girls Report. The Cowgirls' incoming crop, which includes five junior college transfers and three true freshman, was tabbed by the prominent national recruiting service with a No. 19 ranking. OSU assistant coach Amy Gusso-Williams was also recognized as one of the top 15 recruiting coordinators in regard to their impact on their respective programs for the 2003-2004 campaign. Each of OSU's five junior college additions were rated at their respective positions with Nina Stone highlighting the group, drawing a No. 3 ranking at the point guard position. In addition, Brittany Dietz (No. 22 point guard), Eliz Gomes (No. 8 center), Shyra Samuels (No. 16 shooting guard) and Lynsie Tischhauser (No. 33 power forward) were listed among the nation's best prospects. Of the Cowgirls' trio of freshman, Destanie Sykes was rated as the 27th-best high school wing player. A pair of all-state selections, Kenzie Cole and Christian Hood, rounded out the class.
GOMES SWEEPS PRESEASON BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR HONORS
Junior Eliz Gomes was named the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year in both the media and league coaches' preseason polls. Gomes, a 6-4 center, joins the Cowgirls this season after averaging 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds as a sophomore last year for Eastern Oklahoma College. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native led the Lady Mountaineers to a 22-8 mark on her way to earning second-team All-America and Region II MVP honors.
COWGIRLS PICKED TO FINISH 10TH IN PRESEASON POLLS
The Cowgirls were picked to finish 10th in the league in polls of both the league's coaches and media. In the coaches poll, Texas received 10 of the possible 12 first-place votes and came in with 120 total points, nine more than second-place Kansas State. OSU tallied 35 points, finishing five points shy of Kansas and 15 ahead of Nebraska. The Longhorns netted 17 of the 18 possible first-place votes on the media side, coming in with 215 points, while the Cowgirls finished with 61 points, one shy of the Jayhawks and 22 ahead of Texas A&M.
NEW-LOOK COWGIRLS
After fielding a squad last season that had 10 newcomers on the 14-player roster, the face of Cowgirl basketball is once again changing. Head coach Julie Goodenough's staff brought in a bevy of newcomers once again with only four players: Lori Allen, Nicole Campbell, Deidra Johnson and Trisha Skibbe, competing for OSU last season. Sophomore transfer Catherria Turner and eight newcomers comprise this year's crop of players that will make their Cowgirl debuts this season.
RANKING THE SCHEDULE
Once again, the Cowgirls will navigate a formidable schedule in 2003-04. Seven of OSU's opponents were represented in various preseason polls, including five in the ESPN/USA Today preseason top 25 with three more teams receiving votes. In the preseason WBCA/Summerville strength of schedule report, the Cowgirls non-conference slate is rated as the 112th-best in the nation, while the overall schedule checks in at No. 18. The rankings are compiled using a formula summing the Division I wins and losses of the teams appearing on a school's schedule.
OSU ON THE AIR
Once again during the 2002-03 season, Oklahoma State's basketball games will be broadcast live on Cowboy Country-105.5 FM in Stillwater. Kevin Gum, in his 13th season with the Cowgirl broadcast, will handle the play-by-play duties, while Casey Kendrick, in his ninth season on the air, will provide color analysis. On the road, Kendrick will slide into the play-by-play chair, while Robert Allen will take over the color responsibilities. Fans unable to pick up the over-the-air broadcast will be able to listen to the games via the internet on the official web site for Oklahoma State athletics (www.okstate.com). Broadcasts will begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off with pregame analysis, as well as interviews with Coach Goodenough and various players.
ODDS AND ENDS
—Oklahoma State's team captains for the 2003-04 season are seniors Nicole Campbell and Trisha Skibbe and sophomore Lori Allen.
—The Cowgirls' eight newcomers come from programs that posted a combined record of 243-39 last season.
