Midway through the MAAC season, it’s time to do what any good Jesuit would do: reflect.
Frager factor
First-year Head Coach Joe Frager was brought in this season to replace the Stags’ only other D-I Coach Dianne Nolan and her 517 wins. So far, it is hard to argue with the results. The Stags, 14-6 overall and 4-5 in the MAAC, are winning, and a slow start in the conference can be partially explained by a tough early schedule. The Stags no longer push the ball in transition, but instead prefer to pull back and set up their offense. While their defense has been one of the best in the nation, the offense still has some kinks to work out. It is still too early to call, but the early results seem promising.
Jersey girls
Sabra Wrice ’08 and Baendu Lowenthal ’09 form one of the top inside-outside duos in the MAAC. Wrice leads the Stags with 16.9 points per game and 2.1 steals per game while Lowenthal is second with 15 points per game, second in rebounding with 7.7 per game and third in steals with 1.1 per game. When both have a hot hand, the Stags are hard to stop.
Inspector Gadget
Stephanie Geehan ’10 was likened to Inspector Gadget earlier in the year by Frager due to her ability to pull in balls seemingly out of reach. She is third on the team with 7.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounding and blocks with 8.9 per game and 1.3 per game, respectively. Her post presence is pivotal to matching up with bigger teams.
Passing fancy
Megan Caskin ’09 leads the Stags with five assists per game and boasts a 1.65 assist to turnover ratio. Those stellar numbers are one reason that Frager trusts her to run his offense almost exclusively, playing her nearly 35 minutes per game. However, she is averaging only 2.7 points. While she hit a three to help win the game against Sacred Heart, she still shies away from shooting, preferring to pass the ball off even when she may have an open look. If she can force teams to respect her shooting as well as her quarterbacking, she could join Wrice as one of the best guards in the league.
Playing the three
The small forward position has been one of the most difficult for the Stags to fill. Lauren Groom ’09 has started every game but sees the least time of any starter. Frager is quick to call on Shireyll Moore ’09 or he can go with a smaller, quicker lineup adding Meka Werts ’08. All three Stags bring different aspects to the table, but no one has been able to distance themselves. Of course, depth and versatility can be a good thing as well.
Future outlook
Despite being 4-5 in the MAAC, the Stags are still poised to make a late season run. While Marist, a Sweet Sixteen team last year, is probably going to be tough to catch, the Stags could still come in second. Assuming Marist wins the regular season and gets an NCAA Tournament bid regardless of whether they win the MAAC Tournament, the second place team in the regular season would automatically earn a bid to the WNIT. Plus, the first four teams in the MAAC get a bye in the MAAC Tournament.
So, don’t underestimate the importance of the regular season. Of course a tournament win along with an NCAA berth would be even nicer. But the Stags should take it one game at a time and leave it all on the court.
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