THE BEHREND BEACON
Men's and Women's Basketball Preview
The 1999-2000 Behrend men's basketball team
is looking to continue a recent trend that has seen
the team's victory total rise in the last three sea
sons from 15 to 18 to last year's school record of
21 wins. The season culminated with an Allegh
eny Mountain Collegiate Conference regular sea
son title, and Behrend's first ever Eastern College
Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division 111 South
Region Championship.
"We had a group of guys that really worked hard
for four years and had a good amount of success,
and we had been in the ECAC tournament the pre
vious two years, but didn't play real well," Head
Coach Dave Niland said of last year's team. "And
then we were invited to it when those guys were
seniors, and to win it was a real nice thing for our
program. I'm really happy for our players that have
helped rebuild this program."
The team lost five players to graduation, but
optimism is running high for the returning players
and the newcomers. This year's team has three
seniors, one junior, and six sophomores returning
from last season. The team also features three in
coming freshmen and a junior transfer student.
"I think there is excitement, because there are
some new guys who are ready to prove they can
play at this level, and help continue what we've
tried to do here," Niland stated. "There's an ex
citement about that, and I know as a coach, it has
been interesting for me to be able to get a different
group of guys to play together, and that's always
the challenge of coaching."
"We have a tremendous core group of seniors
with [forward] John Park, [forward] Andy
Lawrence, and [center] Chris Hughes," Coach
Niland said. "You can't ask for three better se
niors. They're great workers, and they understand
what it takes to win. They're great students, they're
everything you want in a student-athlete."
Park can play both forward spots, and is a de
fensive specialist. Lawrence was a first team all
conference selection, averaging 9.4 points and 3.7
rebounds per game. Hughes was conference "Co-
Newcomer of the Year" and a second team all-con-
The Behrend women's basketball team enters
the 1999-2000 basketball season coming off a very
successful season last year, where they captured
both the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Confer
ence regular season title and the conference cham
pionship, held in Erie Hall. The Lions, once again,
are contenders for the championship, having lost
only one player from last year's team.
Crrie Nestor and Tiffany Buck enter the sea
son as the team's only seniors. Head coach
Rosalyn Fornari sees the seniors as playing "a very
large role on and off the floor."
Nestor averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5
rebounds last season and often sparked the team
with her hustle. "She is the nucleus of everything
we do," said Fornari. "That's what a point guard
should be, but at the same time, it's Carrie's per
sonality to be there for people and to be the leader
offensively and be the leader defensively. What
ever we need her to do, she seems to be able to do
it at the right time." Nestor needs only four as
sists to break the school's record for assists in a
career.
Buck brings strong shooting to the line-up after
breaking the school record for career three-point
ers in her junior season. She averaged 6.4 points
and 3 rebounds per game in '9B-'99. "Tiffany
has very much improved on her court presence,"
Fornari said. "She shot a lot of shots during the
summer. She worked very hard in the offseason,
which has been very helpful."
With only three juniors under them, the team's
experience lies within Nestor and Buck. Fornari
added, "there's a lot of little things that our se
niors will lead us through. They're going to be
significant. Carrie and Tiffany are putting a lot of
by Matt Buser
staff writer
by Jason Snyder
editor-in-chief
SPORTS
ference selection. He averaged 13.2 points and 5.1
rebounds per contest.
Along with the seniors, junior guard Ashley Orris
returns after averaging 4.5 points and 2 rebounds
mostly as a key reserve. He will be counted on more
heavily this year. Coach Niland spoke highly of Or
ris. "He's been a terrific player, one of the most ver
satile we've ever had in this program. He's a big
part of what we do."
"Those four guys are really key to us helping the
younger guys come along," Niland continued, "but
also for them themselves to have good years."
Sophomores returning include 6'7" center Andy
Stritzinger, forwards Andy Berchtold and Greg Dunn,
and guards Lamar Jefferson, Matt Keith, and Bill
McKinney. All will be asked to make a large contri
bution to this team's success.
"It may not happen right away, there's going to be
an adjustment period for our younger guys to where
they're really in there at crunch time making plays
and doing the little things that are the difference be
tween winning and losing that usually your juniors
and seniors will do, because they've been there be
fore," Niland said. "Now these guys are going to go
through that, and I think they understand
that "
Incoming freshmen are guards Kevin
Dubyak (Duquesne), Matt Henderson
(Meadville Area), and Steve Merrill
(Union City). Coach Niland said, "The
three freshmen are all very good athletes,
and they work very hard. But they're
freshmen, so there's going to be an ad
justment period."
Kris Lynn also joins the team, a 6'7"
transfer student from Mercyhurst. "He
gives us another offensive threat inside,
and he's worked real hard on his condi
tioning and things like that," Niland com
mented. "But anytime you come into a
new system, I don't think it happens right
away. It'll take a little bit of time, but
we're expecting him to be a nice addi
tion."
The Lions have a surplus of size, with
six players listed at 6'3 - or taller, includ
ing three at 6'7". Coach Niland said that
effort into this because this is it for them. - Be
cause the Lions didn't have any seniors on last
season's team, Fornari realizes "we didn't have the
pressure of 'let's do this for this person. — This
year, they do.
Under the two seniors, are junior forward Jen
O'Lare, junior guard Lisa Sanders and a junior
rookie in Adrienne Janiuk. O'Lare and Sanders
are expected to start again this season after strong
seasons last year. O'Lare scored 11.4 points and
pulled down 6.3 rebounds per game last season
while Sanders shot for 7.1 points and 2 rebounds.
Joining O'Lare in the post is Erin Phillips, who
is also projected to start again for the Lions this
season. Phillips had an outstanding freshman sea
son last year, leading the team in points and re
bounds per game with 14 and 6.7, respectively.
Phillips proved to be key in the Lions' postseason
bid for the conference championship last year, scor
ing clutch baskets throughout the tournament.
Fornari figures they will use the same starting
lineup to start the season in Nestor, Buck, Sanders,
O'Lare and Phillips, but realizes "the kids are bat
tling each other well. They are fighting for posi
tioning as far as starters go."
Among these players, is 6' forward Jacqueline
Jackson who has improved in the offseason. The
post play should be key once again for the Lions
with Phillips, O'Lare and Jackson being "inter
changeable," said Fornari. Christine Charnock also
adds some depth to the Lions' post play. Fornari
added, "we've been working out a lot more. We
are mentally stronger in the post. I think, you'll
see our posts lead us physically."
Backing up Nestor and Buck at the guard spots
will be sophomore Katie Weigold, who improved
her shooting in the offseason, and freshman Jes
sica Tanner. The Lions shot over 40% from the
field last season and hope to continue that again.
NOVEMBER 19, 1999
this year's team will operate with a different style
than those in recent memory.
"I think we'll be a little more up-tempo, just be
cause I think we'll try to make a better effort at that.
But I think on the offensive end. because of our size,
I think we'll be able to get the ball inside a little more
and not rely so much on the three. We really relied
on the three the last two or three years, it was really a
big part of our offense. We still have guys that can
shoot it now, but I think we have more of a presence
inside, sizewise."
Behrend's recent success has garnered them na
tional attention. The Lions were a mainstay on the
regional and national Division 111 coaches polls. But
the team still has goals to reach, and they will be gun
ning for bigger things again this year.
"I think our success has helped from the standpoint
of getting looked at for post-season play," Niland
commented. "We still haven't accomplished our fi
nal goal, the NCAA tournament, and I think our play
ers understand that."
Come cheer on your Behrend Lions men's basket
ball team as they open the season at home in Erie
Hall. The first game of the season is this Saturday,
Fornari expects the improved shooting will result
from better decisions. Kate C'ostanzo will also add
to the Lions' improved shooting.
The Lions will mix their quickness with their ex
periences of last year's championship run to have
a balanced offense. "We are going to have a bal
anced attack. We are going to run the ball when
we can. We are going to press and try to get our
buckets off the press. And if we don't, we are go
ing to be disciplined enough to set up in the half
court," said Fornari. "Our style and our maturity
and our quickness are going to add to our versatile
club.
In addition to having a versatile club, the Lions
will also pride themsleves on their depth. Both the
guard play and post play have much depth. The
Lions have brought in four rookies - three fresh
man, one junior - in addition to all the key return
ees, that will add to the teams' depth. "Our depth
is going to be our key throughout the season. If
one person can't step up that day, I think you're
going to see some other kids step up."
Coach Fornari is entering her sixth season as the
head coach for the Behrend women, posting a
record of 100-58, reaching the 100 win mark in the
AMCC Championship game last season. She sees
this season as one with much potential. She has
seen many improvements in the team's talent and
attitude from last season. She said, "last year, we
had a little bit higher hopes, because we were shoot
ing high. This year, we know we are pretty decent
as a team. We need to go little by little, game-by
game, and set game goals right now."
Fornari sees that "they (players) are not just happy
to be here. Last year, they were happy to be here.
Their expectations are much different. They are
putting a little bit more pressure on themselves."
She compared the mindset of last year's team
with this year's, saying, "we didn't spend all last
November 20, at 8:00 PM, against visiting Hilbert
College. BE THERE!!!
The Behrend men prepare for another run at
the AMCC Championship.
Chfis Hugher
c%) -
year thinking AMCCs. We spent all of last year
hoping that it was something that we could do. They
were just young and they were just kind of dream
ing. This year, they know better than to just dream
it, because now everyone's shooting for you. People
don't want the same team repeating, and for us, our
biggest mistake would be to look past people and
think we are the same as last year."
Fornari wants her team to take the season "day
by-day." "If they take care of what's going on that
day, then we are going to do something."
The Lions first chance to "do something," will be
this weekend as they will host the the Penn State
Behrend Tournament in Erie Hall. The Lions will
face Alfred on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Lycoming
and Wooster will play at 6:00 p.m. The champion
ship game will be at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, preceded
by the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.
"All the people that we have invited are very
strong. They compete in good conferences." said
Fornari. "I would be very happy with us just play
ing well, and if we play well, I think we can beat
any team that's in the tournament."
the Lions prepare to defend their AMCC
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