DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY Delaware State 2015-16 Season Preview The 2015-16 version of the Delaware State women’s basketball team returns seven letterwinners from last season, while welcoming five newcomers. At the helm, a new yet familiar face in Barbara Burgess enters her first season as the head coach for her alma mater, after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) powerhouse Hampton. Listed as one of two players in DSU all-time history to total at least 1700 points, 800 rebounds and 70 blocks, Burgess (1985-89) will look to turn around a program that has gone 11-37 in MEAC play and 23-67 overall the past three seasons. Despite finishing 2014-15 at 5-25 (2-14 MEAC), the Lady Hornets will have to fill the void left by forward Tierra Hawkins (graduated) and guard Jade Washington (graduated). Hawkins – DSU’s lone All-MEAC honoree from last season – completed her stellar four-year career as the only other player in DSU history besides Burgess to finish with at least 1700 points, 800 rebounds and 70 blocks. Washington, meanwhile, wrapped up her final year in a Hornet uniform as the program’s all-time assist leader with 312. Returners Topping the list of returnees for the Lady Hornets is senior forward Amber Bogard. Appearing in all 30 games last season, including 24 starts, Bogard finished second on DSU in scoring (13.1 ppg) and field goal percentage (.503) behind Hawkins. Bogard also led the Lady Hornets in total blocks (36), in addition to setting a school single-game record for most blocks (7) in DSU’s season-ending double digit loss to No. 4 Norfolk State in the MEAC Tournament. Starting 22 games last season as a freshman, guard Mikah Aldridge averaged 9.3 points per game, while leading the Lady Hornets in 3-pointers made (37). Defensively, Aldridge also returns as DSU’s leader in steals (35). Against Virginia, the Cleveland, Ohio native, collected a career-high five steals, in what was the most by any Lady Hornet during 2014-15. Senior N’Kayah Kersey, who has yet to miss a game in her DSU career, will add depth and leadership in the backcourt. Along with Aldridge, Kersey will form a formidable tandem from beyond the arc, as the Newark, N.J. native, currently sits 10th on DSU’s all-time list for most 3-pointers made (67). Forward/center Nikkei Blackburn will look to build on a solid junior campaign, which featured two MEAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Blackburn also returns as DSU’s best rebounder, pulling down 6.8 boards per contest. Notable games for Blackburn included a double-double performance against Virginia, along with a 19-rebound outing at Hampton. Her performance against the Lady Pirates not only resulted as the highest rebound total of any Hornet in 2014-15, but it was the seventh most in DSU single-game history. Rounding out the list of returnees for the Lady Hornets are guards Aaliyah Davis, Aliah Stinnett, Bri Justice and center Janay Carter. Davis, a redshirt junior out of a Lincoln, Del., served as a team manager last season before being adding to the roster in late January. Appearing in 14 games, including three starts, Davis made a solid contribution, highlighted by a draining a full-court buzzer beater to defeat Bethune-Cookman at home, 72-71. Stinnett’s defensive versatility in the backcourt will be a huge plus for the Lady Hornets, whereas Justice will look to bounce back after appearing in 14 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Carter, who appeared in 21 games last season, will add depth and a defensive presence behind Bogard and Blackburn in the frontcourt. Newcomers Looking to make immediate impacts for DSU as freshmen in 2015-16 is guard Lorna Caesar, guard/forward Bobbi Floyd, forward/center Therese Gilmore, guard Ivana Negron and forward NaJai Pollard. Caesar hails from Philadelphia, Pa. by way of a Prep Charter (2011), Penn Wood (2012-14) and Imhotep Charter (2015). Throughout her prep career, Caesar was a part of three championship teams, including a Philadelphia Public League title winning squad during her lone season with Imhotep Charter. Floyd, a Las Vegas, Nev. product out of Ed W. Clark, averaged double figures in points and rebounds all four years, while earning All-State honors as a senior. In the case of Gilmore, a native of Temple Hills, Md., she will add size and rebounding to DSU’s frontline, whereas Negron brings a championship pedigree from Malcolm X. Shabazz (Newark, N.J.). Playing her final two seasons under current DSU assistant coach Vanessa Watson, Negron led the team to a sectional and state championship titles. As for Pollard, she averaged a double-double in her final three seasons at Highland Springs (Richmond, Va.), garnering All-Metro and All-State honors as a junior and senior. Schedule The schedule balance entails DSU playing 14 out of its 29 games at its homely confines of Memorial Hall. Last season, the Lady Hornets played a whopping 20 games away from home, resulting in a 2-18 record. To begin its 2015-16 campaign, DSU will look to upset the West Virginia Mountaineers on the road, who are one of five Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) teams from last season DSU will face. The Mountaineers nearly captured the WNIT Championship last season if not for a two-point loss suffered at the hands of UCLA. After playing host to Mount St. Mary’s (Nov. 18) in its home opener, Delaware State will head to the Steel City to face the Pitt Panthers (Nov. 20) out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the second consecutive season. Defeating the Lady Hornets 93-58 last December, the Lady Panthers went on to make the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed out of the Spokane Region. Pitt eventually lost to powerhouse No. 2 Tennessee in the second round, after pulling out a 51-40 upset victory over No. 7 Chattanooga. The Lady Hornets will then return home to face Lehigh (Nov. 23), who nearly clinched a NCAA Tournament bid if not for a 16-point loss to American in the Patriot League Tournament championship game. For Thanksgiving, the Lady Hornets will head to the Sunshine State to take part in the Florida Atlantic Tournament (Nov. 27 – 28). Other than DSU and FAU, the rest of the tournament field has yet to be determined. To begin December, Delaware State will wrap up its games against non-conference opponents at home against William & Mary (Dec. 1), Wagner (Dec. 13), Longwood (Dec. 22) and Hofstra (Dec. 30), while traveling to face Fordham (Dec. 5), Temple (Dec. 19) and Cornell (Jan. 6). William & Mary’s 2014-15 campaign ended with a one-point loss at Xavier in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI), whereas Fordham is coming off a 1-1 outing in the WNIT. Finishing third in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) regular season standings last season, the Owls reached the WNIT semi-final round only to fall 66-58 in overtime at West Virginia. Hofstra, on the other hand, nearly brought home its first-ever CAA Tournament Championship, but were defeated by top-seeded James Madison. The Pride was eventually awarded with a WNIT berth only to fall on the road at Penn, 65-58. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play for the Columbia Blue & Red will begin on the road at Morgan State (Jan. 9), followed by a home matchup against Howard (Jan. 11). DSU then will head south for a back-to-back slate at South Carolina State (Jan. 16) and reigning MEAC Tournament champion Savannah State (Jan. 18). Returning to Memorial Hall for a season-long three-game homestand, DSU will take on North Carolina Central (Jan. 23), North Carolina A&T (Jan. 25) and South Carolina State (Jan. 30) to close out January. February, meanwhile, will begin with another trip to the sunshine state – this time to face Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 6) and Florida A&M (Feb. 8). Three out of the next four games for the Lady Hornets will be played at Memorial Hall, beginning with a matchup against rival UMES (Feb. 13). After a road contest at Coppin State (Feb. 15), the Lady Hornets return home for a tough pair of games against Hampton (Feb. 20) and Norfolk State (Feb. 22). HU – the reigning five-time MEAC regular-season champions – recorded a 45-42 win at Drexel in last season’s WNIT before suffering an 18-point loss at West Virginia. The Spartans, meanwhile, defeated DSU twice last season – including a 70-45 victory in the opening round of the MEAC Tournament. To wrap up the regular season, the Lady Hornets will head to UMES (Feb. 27) and Hampton (Feb. 29), whereas the season finale will be against Coppin State (March 3). 24 @MEACSPORTS MEACSPORTS DSU Team Information 2014-15 Overall 5-25 2014-15 MEAC Record 2-14 2014-15 MEAC Finish 13th Letterwinners Returning/Lost 7/2 Starter Returning/Lost 3/2 Newcomers 5 #20 Amber Bogard F – 6-1, r-Sr. Cleveland, Ohio
2015-16 MEAC Women's Basketball Yearbook
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