INDIANAPOLIS – With considerable returning talent, the Davis & Elkins women’s basketball roster is equipped to make its best postseason run in the program’s history since joining the conference in 2013-14.
With three straight first-round exits in the quarterfinals of the G-MAC Championship, the Senators now have their sights set on an extended stay in the bracket to emerge as a title contender.
To do that, head coach Jason Asbell will rely on his veterans learning from their experience and taking that next step in their respective development.
The Senators were picked fifth in this year’s G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour after going 11-17 with a .500 league record (7-7) last year.
“I do think that we’re definitely more comfortable than we were last year,” Asbell said. “We’re happy with the way the girls are practicing. They’re getting along well and the chemistry is good. We just want to take it one day at a time, control what we can control, but we feel like we have some pieces that will help us.”
Five of the top six scorers from 2015-16 are back in the mix, including the nucleus of Stephanie Wooten (18.7 ppg), Sydney Turner (8.1 ppg) and Kali Wilburn (8.0 ppg).
Starting with the left-handed senior guard Wooten, Davis & Elkins is armed with a savvy floor general, and one who is making her mark through the conference record book.
Wooten is an explosive scorer as the reigning G-MAC league leader. With 1,157 points since 2013, Wooten ranks third in the all-time conference career scoring leaders and is on pace to stand alone at the top since No. 1 and No. 2 (Kayla Linkous, Raegan Ryan) have both graduated.
Wooten also is currently second in career assists with 403, another category that should have her as the G-MAC’s all-time leader at the end of the year. She is additionally fourth in three-point field goals made and sixth in free throws.
Going into her final season, she mentions that she is just focused on helping get the team get wins and making her teammates better players.
“I would like to improve in all aspects of the game,” she said. “It’s nice to have a lot of players back because we shouldn’t have to go through as much of a learning experience as the past few years we’ve had. Everyone should know what’s expected of them and the team so that should help.”
Senior Tajee Pledger crashed the boards from the guard position and was third on the team in rebounding behind Turner’s 5.1 average and Wilburn’s 4.8 clip.
D&E opened the 2015-16 year with some tough regional competition against Lewis and Wisconson-Parkside and this year is no different with Tiffin and Lake Erie on the docket in mid-November.