HOWARD UNIVERSITY Howard 2015-16 Season Preview The 2015-16 campaign marks the beginning of a new era for Howard women’s basketball. New Howard head coach Ty Grace will look to take a Bison program that returns 12 lettterwinners and welcomes four newcomers, but went 4-27 (3-13 MEAC) in 2014-15 and turn it back into the perennial contender it was early in the 2010s. Leading the charge for Howard will be the post duo of Victoria Gonzales and Sydni Johnson. Gonzalez, a 6-1 senior, led Howard in total points (334), free-throws made (118), rebounding (191, 7.1/game; 117 defensive rebounds, 4.3/game) and blocks (46, 1.7/game). Her 12.4 points per game put her in the top 15 in the MEAC (13th), her rebounding placed her in the conference top 10 (9th) and her blocks put her in the top five (5th). Johnson, a 6-0 junior, logged the most total minutes on the team (981, 36.3 MPG), upping her freshman season totals significantly (877, 28.3). That court time translated into the second-most points on the team (306) and a top-20 MEAC scoring average (11.3, 16th). The backcourt will be led by the upperclassman trio of Imani Bailey, Jasmine Hill and Te’Shya Heslip. Bailey, a 5-7 senior, was one of only three Howard players to see action in at least 30 games last season after struggling with injuries as a sophomore. She averaged 8.3 points and showed great skill with leading the Howard offense – her 3.3 assists per game and 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio placed her in the top 10 in the MEAC (7th and 6th, respectively). Hill, a 5-7 junior, figures to be one of Howard’s lead three point threats. Her 7.9 point average included 27 3-pointers, third on the team last year and second among returners behind Bailey. Despite nagging injuries, Hill managed to play in 25 games and make 15 starts. Heslip, a 5-5 red-shirt junior, will look to return to her dominant form this season. Despite only playing 16 games and missing the second half of the season, Heslip still posted team highs in scoring average (14.8), single-game scoring (32 points), free-throw percentage (.776) and steals (41, 2.1 SPG). The final returning upperclassman guard is 5-4 junior Allese Morrison. Last season, Morrison averaged 2.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists, but played in a career-high 26 games, providing support on both ends as needed. The sophomore class of Da’Shae Shumate, Hannah Timmons, Tajzhane Dopson, Katrina Reeves and Jordan Coleman will look to increase their production as a whole after a collective freshman campaign that saw the group struggle. Shumate, Timmons & Dopson provide length on the perimeter, Reeves gives the team an extra shooter and body at small forward, and Coleman adds a 6-4 center behind Gonzales and Johnson in the frontcourt. Walk-on Quencey Hickerson, a 5-9 sophomore guard, also returns to the team with hopes of breaking into the rotation. Four players will be making their debuts with the Bison this upcoming season Kiana Thomas (6-4) is a dominant two-way post player whose versatility will be a welcome addition to the program. Shaylon Tarver (5-6) is an aggressive guard with excellent vision and ability at the rim. Essence Brown (5-7) will look to contribute immediately after sitting out last season. Erin Blaine (5-11) will be eligible after sitting out her transfer year from Saint Francis University last year. She provides instant toughness & experience and can play multiple positions. Blaine averaged 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 30 appearances for the Red Flash. The 2015-16 Howard women’s basketball will consist of the following: • Home non-conference matchups with LIU Brooklyn (11/22), LaSalle (12/2), Old Dominion (12/15) and Cornell (1/2); • Road non-conference dates with Illinois-Chicago (11/11), Northwestern (11/15), Arizona (11/18), Duquesne (11/24), Mount St. Mary’s (12/12) and Xavier (12/19), as well as a two-day run in Georgia State’s Thanksgiving Tournament (11/28 and 11/29); • Home and Home MEAC series with Coppin State (1/9 home, 2/13 away), Maryland Eastern Shore (2/1 away, 2/15 home), Norfolk State (2/6 home, 2/29 away) and Hampton (2/8 home, 2/27 away); • Single Game MEAC home dates with Florida A&M (1/23), Bethune-Cookman (1/25), MEAC Champion Savannah State (2/20) and South Carolina State (2/22); • Single game road MEAC contests with North Carolina A&T (12/5), North Carolina Central (12/7), Delaware State (1/11) and Morgan State (1/30). 36 @MEACSPORTS MEACSPORTS Howard Team Information 2014-15 Overall 4-27 2014-15 MEAC Record 3-13 2014-15 MEAC Finish 12th Letterwinners Returning/Lost 12/1 Starter Returning/Lost 4/1 Newcomers 4 #35 Sydni Johnson F – 6-0, Jr. Homewood, Ill.
2015-16 MEAC Women's Basketball Yearbook
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