Florida Atlantic University Athletics
2001-02 FAU Women's Basketball Preview
11/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Florida Atlantic women's basketball team will begin its 2001-02 journey on its longest road trip in school history. Head coach Chancellor Dugan hopes the Lady Owls' early-season tournament in Hawaii will serve as a springboard to success as she enters her third season at the helm at Florida Atlantic. With eight returnees and a host of standout recruits, Dugan feels she finally has the tools needed to take FAU to the next level.
"We'll be able to do some things maybe that we've been wanting to do the past couple of years as far as pressure and full-court press. I think we've been able to recruit the type of players that will be able to do that."
The core of the team is its two seniors and captains. Chantale Jones, the 5-3 point guard, and Kristy Halvorsen, the 6-1 forward/center, help form a foundation in the frontcourt and backcourt. Jones' junior campaign was delayed due to being academically ineligible for the first semester. Once ready, she started all 14 games she played in and averaged nine points and 4.1 rebounds along with 4.8 assists. Halvorsen chipped in five points and five rebounds per contest while finishing second on the team in blocks.
"Kristy and Chantale are both going to be great leaders," said Dugan. "They've really done a great job over the summer. I think Kristy is a lot stronger, a lot quicker, and her shot looks a lot better. She's really worked on her footwork, and I think she's looking forward to having a great senior year."
"Chantale is very experienced at the point and very experienced in what we want to do," said Dugan who thinks the team's strength this season will be its guard play. "This will be her third year running our offense and playing our defense so I think she will be a definite leader out there on the floor."
Experience for the Lady Owls does not stop at Jones and Halvorsen. The backcourt also boasts sophomores Janka Deckerova and Julie Goad. Both saw plenty of playing time in Dugan's system a year ago. Deckerova played in all 28 games and started 13 while Goad started all 19 games she played in. She missed nine games due to a stress fracture, but averaged over six points and nearly four assists.
"I thought Janka came on and had a great second half of the year," said Dugan on Deckerova, who averaged nearly 11 points per game in her final seven contests. "Her numbers went way up and she was playing so well. I look for her to come back and really give this year a great run because I think she's coming off a good freshman year."
Other returnees expected to play key roles in the team's success include Melissa Bixler (5-8, Jr), DeeAnna Hanscom (6-3, So), Sumika Alexander (5-10, So) and Jameka King (6-2, So).
Not to be left out in this year's mix are five newcomers which Dugan hopes will blend in well with the host of returnees. The first is Tamica Pierce, a 5-10 forward from Northeast Mississippi College.
"She's a great scorer on the inside and she uses her body well," said Dugan . "She's a great rebounder and great defensive player."
Another low-post threat for FAU is LaKeita Lee, a freshman from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, which is the same high school Jones attended. While Lee is listed as a forward, Dugan says she can play both inside and outside.
"She's a great athlete," said Dugan. "She's strong and fast, tenacious on the boards, and a great defender."
Two other newcomers that will help add depth to an already strong backcourt are Crystal Boyland and Angie Rodgers. Boyland is a junior college transfer from Northwest Mississippi College while Rodgers was the team's only early signee out of Castle High School in Newburgh, IN.
"Crystal is a basketball player," said Dugan. "She's just the type of person you love to have out there on the floor. She's going to make good decisions. She's going to hit a shot. She's going to rebound and get a steal. I think she will elevate the intensity level for us in practice."
Rodgers, on the other hand, could be the next great long-range threat for the Lady Owls after the team said goodbye last year to four-year starter LaTorria Matthews and her career-record 220 treys.
"I really look for her to shoot the ball and fill the void LoTo left as far as being able to knock down the three on a consistent basis," said Dugan. "Those are big shoes to fill, however, because LoTo was a great player for us."
Because of the team's lack of size up front, Dugan sees the success of this season directly related to defensive superiority.
"We're not really tall so we'll have to create a lot of things off of our defense like putting a lot of pressure on the ball and the passing lanes," she said.
"I think you're going to see a better defensive club and you're going to see team rebounding. We're all going to have to go to the boards. We're going to have to make that a top priority that we all do good on the glass."
One of Dugan's trademarks is her team's success at home. In her first two seasons at Florida Atlantic, Dugan has led her team to a .722 winning percentage against conference opponents at home. While she knows the importance of protecting the home court, Dugan also knows getting to the next level means being successful on the road. That's why this year's schedule places FAU among an impressive eight-team field at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.
"I really look forward to this year. You try to schedule tough so when you get into conference play you don't have any surprises," said Dugan. "It's also important to prepare your team to encounter the hardships on the road in conference. I think the leadership we have will really come into play when we go on the road."
Overall, Dugan says fans can expect an FAU women's basketball team that is predicated on defense.
"I just look for us to be an all-around better defensive club than we have been. That's what we've been recruiting for the whole time we've been here. I think the experience coming in, the experience coming back, and the new freshmen will all lend to an exciting year for us."
"We're going to be exciting because I think our defense will lead right into our offense, she said. "We're going to shoot a lot of threes. We're going to shoot early and often and hopefully we'll be out there competing in every game."