TERRE HAUTE —
“Less is more” is a statement with many, many meanings, attributed to many, many sources through the years.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College women’s basketball coach Deanna Bradley could be added to that list.
Why? After seeing her roster grow to one of its largest in numbers last year, a dozen players strong, she said her squad still “underachieved”.
This year, the Pomeroys will be forced once again to do with less, with just nine players. But Bradley doesn’t think being limited by this nine-player roster is necessarily a bad omen.
“When we had 11 or 12 players last year I thought we were headed in the right direction, but they just wouldn’t play together,” Bradley stated. “But this year’s team is on the same page with the coaching staff, and that’s been good thing.
“So even with just nine players this year, we may have a better year if they stay healthy. We’re just praying we stay healthy.”
On the plus side a year ago, the Pomeroys won the Clabber Girl Trophy for the second year in a row, defeating Rose-Hulman 56-54. On the negative side, they finished a disappointing 11-15 overall.
On the plus side this year, the Pomeroys return three of their top four scorers and rebounders. On the negative side, they lost their top scorer and rebounder due to a academic transfer.
Jordan Barton (16.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg) has transferred to IUPUI, according to Bradley. Barton plans to be a walk-on at IUPUI next year. SMWC’s three top returnees are 5-foot, 9-inch junior Brittney Shaner (13.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 5-5 senior Chelsey Barron (7.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore Chelsea Weaver (7.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg).
A fourth returnee is 5-5 senior Jenni McLeish-Marietta, a South Vermillion graduate. But she will begin the season on the injured list (ankle), reducing the Pomeroys to just active eight players. She could be out for three months or longer. In a non-basketball note, she was married in July.
A fifth returnee, 5-7 junior Whitney Allen, “had a down year as a sophomore, but we expect her to improve this year,” Bradley said.
Newcomers include one sophomore, 5-9 Jessica Taylor, and three freshmen, 5-6 Lyndsi Woolems, 5-6 Alaura McKemie and 5-5 Amanda Kelly.
Woolems “is one of the top runners on the school’s cross country team, but she has a passion for basketball … a good head for the game,” Bradley noted. “She’s started the last two scrimmages. Still has a cross country build, but that will change.”
McKemie “beats herself up harder than I can do”, while Taylor “needs playing time.” “Both can score though,” Bradley added. Kelly is also a former South Vermillion player.
“We’ve played in a couple of scrimmages with Lincoln Trail College and Lake Land College,” Bradley noted. “We’re doing well, working well together and our team chemistry has been good.
“We’re not big, so we need to do the little things like blocking out, rebounding and getting to the free throw line. Our offense scored 82 points, but we lost by eight points in one of the scrimmages. So our defense still needs some work.”
SMWC opens the regular season at home vs. Indiana Tech at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“It’s the first year in a long time since we’ve had a home opener,” Bradley said. “Only three of our first 15 games are at home too. We have a really tough schedule. Our first four games will really prepare us for our annual game with Rose-Hulman (Nov. 29).”
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Related Photos
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis On the boards: Chelsea Weaver works on her rebounding at the start of St. Mary-of-the-Woods practice Tuesday evening.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Drills: Brittney Shaner works on the basics at the beginning of St. Mary-of-the-Woods basketball practice Tuesday.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Getting ready: Chelsey Barron defends an SMWC teammate in practice at the old Clinton gym Tuesday afternoon.
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Deanna Bradley
Discussion
Trimmed roster may benefit SMWC
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A time for firsts: SMWC seniors have national title aspirations
Even though St. Mary-of-the-Woods College has won eight national titles in softball in the last 16 years, seniors Sara Goelz and Jessica Jonas are among the many current Woods players who have not been part of a national championship team.
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Federal audit says SMWC should return $42M in student aid
A federal audit says St. Mary-of-the-Woods College should return $42 million in loans and grants made to students between 2005 and 2010, something the college plans to challenge.
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This underdog has its day
It’s been an up-and-down regular season for the St. Mary-of-the-Woods College women’s basketball team, but it concluded on a definite uptick.
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The mane attraction: Woods students learn about careers in equine world
A horse can be a powerful therapeutic tool, something Chris Marks knows firsthand.
“I’ve seen children with autism speak their first word to a horse,” causing their parents to “dissolve in a puddle of emotion,” said Marks, chairman of the Equine Studies program at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Rose, The Woods post weekend victories
Rose-Hulman relied on a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to earn a 55-44 women’s basketball victory Saturday over Mount St. Joseph.
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SMWC topples Rose-Hulman
After a sluggish first half for both teams, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College found enough offensive rhythm in the final 20 minutes to outlast host Rose-Hulman 51-41 in the 19th annual Clabber Girl Trophy women’s basketball showdown Tuesday night inside Hulbert Arena.
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METRO ROUNDUP: SMWC’s Runyon wins USCAA cross country title
Blinding snow and freezing temperatures couldn’t stop Saint Mary-of-the-Woods junior Stephanie Runyon, an education major from Noblesville, from becoming the 2011 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association women’s national champion in cross country Friday.
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Trimmed roster may benefit SMWC
“Less is more” is a statement with many, many meanings, attributed to many, many sources through the years.
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Dottie King becomes 16th president of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College
As the mother of six children, Dottie King learned early on the importance of setting priorities and achieving the right balance between family, education and work.
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Pomeroys battle to second at national championship
Eight times, St. Mary-of-the-Woods has captured some form of a national championship in softball.
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Shearing Time
You’ve probably never seen a haircut quite like this.
Alpacas, remarkably sweet-looking members of the camel family, were getting their annual shearing last week at the White Violet Center for Eco Justice at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. -
SMWC puts up fight in tourney
St. Mary-of-the-Woods downed Judson 6-2 Sunday morning in the semifinal round of the 2011 USCAA national softball championships, earning a trip to the best-of-three title series.
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BREAKING: St. Mary-of-the-Woods College names Dottie King as 16th president
Dottie L. King, Ph.D. has been appointed the 16th president of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, the board of trustees announced today.
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Ex-Wildcat finds new home at Woods
Many people find “the path of least resistance” as a preferable way to proceed in life. After all, less risk is involved with a sure thing.
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NEW: St. Mary-of-the-Woods College announces academic changes
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College announced today a refocus of its academic programs. An afternoon news conference is under way at SMWC, which posted a notice about the changes on its website, www.smwc.edu.
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Marian holds off Rose women’s second-half charge
Marian University relied on a strong defensive effort to hold off a second half Rose-Hulman charge and earn a 61-52 women’s basketball victory Saturday afternoon.
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Influx of new players has Pomeroys on rise
With a steady influx of “Killer B’s,” the fortunes of the St. Mary-of-the-Woods’ women’s basketball team are once again on the rise.
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Woods soccer goes 1-1, earns national honors
St. Mary-of-the-Woods returned from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association soccer finals with a 1-1 record and a host of national honors.
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Six St. Mary-of-the-Woods teams compete in national tournaments
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College athletics celebrates the end of a phenomenal year during the 2009-10 season as six teams competitively competed in national tournaments.
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Rosselli, other Valley talent leads Woods into national softball tourney
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball program is no stranger to national tournaments.
The Pomeroys claimed some form of a national championship in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, the last several sanctioned by the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). -
St. Mary-of-the-Woods plans Saturday commencement
St. Mary-of-the-Woods College will celebrate its 169th commencement Saturday. Graduation activities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the traditional baccalaureate mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
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Woods, Rose softball teams split doubleheader
Rose-Hulman and St. Mary-of-the-Woods College split a softball doubleheader that featured the longest athletic contest in history between the two schools on Friday night.
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Ring Day a much anticipated event at The Woods
Ring Day is a much anticipated and special day for most students, but for two St. Mary-of-the-Woods External Degree students in particular it was an especially great experience this year.
- Injury bug bites: St. Mary-of-the-Woods basketball trying to get and stay healthy A myriad of injuries have plagued the St. Mary-of-the-Woods women’s basketball team in recent seasons, forcing the Pomeroys to compete on numerous occasions with just seven, six and sometimes only five players able to play.
- The Woods appoints new vice president for development St. Mary-of-the-Woods College President David G. Behrs has announced the appointment of Serafina I. Spatola as vice president for development.
- St. Mary-of-the-Woods takes fourth in national tournament
- The Woods celebrates 168th commencement More than 140 students are expected to participate in St. Mary-of-the-Woods College’s 168th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday.
- Untold Stories: Film takes unique look ‘Inside Iraq’ At 7 p.m. Monday, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College will present “Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories,” which will include a film showing and discussion with the director of the film, Mike Shiley. The presentation, which will be in the Cecilian Auditorium of the SMWC Conservatory of Music building, is part of the College’s Four-Star series, and it is being co-sponsored by the SMWC Student Activities Committee. The presentation is free and open to the public.
- TH to promote ‘Crossroads of Higher Education’ at Statehouse Terre Haute may lie near Indiana’s western border, but business, education and government leaders want state lawmakers to know that the city that bills itself as the “Crossroads of America” is also the “Crossroads of Higher Education.”
- St. Mary-of-the-Woods College announces budget measures The downturn in the economy is taking a toll at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, where donations to its Annual Fund are down 40 percent, or about $250,000, over the same time last year, college President David Behrs said in a letter to faculty and staff.
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