Salisbury Women's Basketball
2003-04 Preview

Salisbury, MD - After winning 71 games in the past three seasons, one might think that the Salisbury women's basketball team was rebuilding after losing three starters and seven letterwinners - including the two-time Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year - off a team that finished runner-up in the CAC a year ago.

But Sea Gulls' head coach Bridget Benshetler insists her team will be reloading instead of rebuilding this season with a squad that will consist of eight freshmen, three sophomores and a pair of juniors from last year's team that advanced to the CAC Tournament final.

Salisbury opens the 2003-04 season Friday at the Marymount Tournament in Arlington, Va. The Gulls will face St. Lawrence in the opening round. St. Lawrence was in the NCAA Division III Women's Final Four two years ago and advanced to the round of 32 last season while posting a 25-3 record.

The fact that the Sea Gulls will have a new leader and a different look with a plethora of inexperience this season gives Salisbury an intangible this season, according to Benshetler.

"When you've lost a player of Amy Campion's caliber, then everybody can come in and think this is their time," said the 14-year Sea Gull coach. "They think they can (beat) us. Then they'll look at our roster and think, 'Wow, they're young.' But just because you're young doesn't mean you can't win and play well.

"I think opponents are going to come in a little bit more confident against us this year because they're really not sure what we're going to be like. I think we should continue where we left off (last season) and be playing in the (CAC) championship game again and the players know what I expect. We're not going backwards just because we're young; that's just an excuse."

Campion will leave the biggest hole from last season's 23-5 squad. She not only secured back-to-back MVP awards in the CAC while being named to the Verizon Academic All-American Basketball second team, but she led the team in scoring (24.3 ppg), rebounding (10.5 rpg), assists (5.1 apg), minutes (32.7 mpg), three-point shooting (35.5%) and blocks (29).

Also gone is Pam Kenney, who, along with Campion, was two-thirds of the double-digit scoring threat on the team, averaging 12.4 points per contest.

The task of helping to keep the Sea Gulls near the top of the CAC will fall on the hands of three key returning players: junior guard and captain Gen Olds (5-8, Ellicott City, MD), who is coming off ACL surgery, sophomore guard Christen Barney (5-4, Runnemede, NJ) and sophomore forward Kiera Watkins (5-11, Springfield, VA). The Sea Gulls will be looking for their 10th straight winning season and fourth straight 20-win year.

Barney was third on the squad in points per game a year ago (10.6 ppg), fourth in steals (30) and was the top free throw shooter (81.2%), while playing in 20 games. Olds, the elder statesman, averaged 5.8 ppg, along with 3.5 rpg. and will be looked to for leadership.  Watkins was fourth on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg) and rebounds (5.3 rpg).

"Christen got better as the season went on last year," Benshetler said. "She has discipline and knows how to keep it in the context of what we're trying to do. Gen has been phenomenal and is a big help to me because she knows our program inside and out. Kiera is solid. She dropped 15 pounds in the off-season and had no weight to lose. She's in fantastic condition this year."

Benshetler expects a solid core of freshmen players to step in immediately and help a squad that has won three of the last four CAC championships. Julia Waters (6-1, center, Davidsonville, MD) should see a lot of playing time in the post, while Jessica Mills (5-9, guard, Ijamsville, MD) and Jenna Peters (5-4, guard, Alexandria, VA) should play key roles off the bench in the Sea Gull backcourt.

"Julia is so strong and athletic," Benshetler noted. "She has great hands and can catch anything thrown down to the low post. She, along with Watkins, should be our truest power post player. Kiera is faster and quicker than last season and will be one of our leading scorers and rebounders. She's going to do it all."

Benshetler said she expects her squad to be strong again this season and to compete for its fourth CAC title. The Gulls hope to continue their league dominance that has seen the Sea Gulls win 50 of their last 54 conference regular season and tournament games.