CHADRON, Nebraska -- November 10, 2016 -- The Chadron State College women's basketball team will open its season Friday evening by playing the University of Wyoming Cowgirls in Laramie. Tipoff is set for 5:30.
It will be a "real" game, not an exhibition contest, and marks the debut of former CSC player and Hay Springs native
Janet Raymer as the Eagles' head coach. She was named to the position during the summer after serving as a CSC assistant coach the previous two years.
The Eagles were 8-18 overall and 8-14 in the RMAC a year ago. Just five players who saw action last season are on this year's roster, which also includes a redshirt from a year ago, four transfers and two freshmen.
Another of last year's redshirts,
Angela Vigil, who was expected to see lots of action at point guard this season, was lost during an early scrimmage because of a knee injury.
The Eagles also will open the season without transfer
Kaysyn Chintala, who required ankle surgery in August and just recently has been able to resume conditioning. Also, redshirt freshman
Kylah Collins is just coming back from a concussion she suffered in the same scrimmage where Vigil was injured.
Although acknowledging that the Eagles will lack depth, she is optimistic that they will be competitive. She said the team has shot well during the preseason.
Team leaders are expected to include senior
Erin Graham, who has a sweet jump shot and averaged nine points and 4.8 rebounds last season. The coach added that senior
Havannah Newens "has really stepped up" and is a likely starter.
The other starters are transfers
Kendra Baucom,
Kalli Feddersen and Letty Rodriguez.
Baucom was the leading rebounder in Region IX with a 12.3 average the past two years while starting at McCook Junior College, Feddersen averaged 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals while starting every game at Western Nebraska Community College last season when the Cougars were 25-4, and Rodriguez averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds at Northwest Kansas Tech during the 2014-15 season.
Chintala also is from the Kansas school, and averaged 11.8 points and 4.3 assists last year.
The coach is also expecting major contributions from letter winners
Maddie Metzger and
Keeley Pearce and believes
Eve Vanderneck, a 6-foot-4 freshman who joined the team two weeks ago, has lots of potential.
The Eagles also opened their season a year ago by playing at Wyoming. The Cowgirls won 81-53 and finished the season with a 13-16 record. They were eighth among the 11 teams in this year's Mountain West Conference preseason poll.
Last Friday, the Cowgirls topped South Dakota Mines 62-54 in Laramie in an exhibition game. Both teams made 21 field goals, but Wyoming outrebounded the Hardrockers 42-26 and launched 61 shots while Mines took just 43.
After the trip to Wyoming, the Eagles won't play again until Friday, Nov. 25, when they will host Montana State-Billings in a 1 p.m. game. As soon as that game is over, the team will head to Kearney to play the UNK Lopers at 1 p.m. (CST) the next day.
CSC will open its RMAC schedule by visiting Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian on Dec. 2 and 3, then host Colorado-Colorado Springs and Metro State the following weekend.
