ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd College women's basketball program will officially transition into a brand new season with an entry into the Saint Leo Classic beginning tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. in the Bowman Center.
The Tritons are slated to debut 2013-14 against NAIA-affiliated Webber International University, members of The Sun Conference, before taking on Saint Augustine's (N.C.) University on short rest with a noon tip-off set for Friday.
Live stats for both games are available courtesy of SaintLeoLions.com along with a free video broadcast. A traveling staff member from EckerdTritons.com will be on hand to provide play-by-play commentary for Thursday's and Friday's scheduled games.
Eckerd polished off the preseason slate with one more practice in the McArthur Center on Wednesday night after matching up against Florida Gulf Coast University and No. 7 University of Kentucky in exhibition action.
Entering his eighth year at the helm, Eckerd Head Coach
Paul Honsinger is on the verge of eclipsing the 100-win milestone in his career as he prepares to deploy a roster of 10 players, including a balanced number of veterans and newcomers.
The Tritons will head into the year picked tied for sixth (with Lynn University) in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Eckerd will feature a starting lineup laden with upperclassmen, including elected team captains
Kayla Bowlin and
Amy Buccilla. Senior post player
Liga Vente impressed against both FGCU and Kentucky with consistent numbers and is the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder.
Bowlin and Buccilla will be counted upon for leadership on and off the court at the guard position; they were both deserving recipients of the NACDA Div. II Academic Achievement Award last season.
Junior wing player
Rana Thomas eclipsed her previous career-best scoring total in multiple games last year and received votes in the SSC Defensive Player of the Year balloting.
Kristiana Stauere gives the Tritons' a perimeter touch with her 6-4 frame with sophomores
Kaitlin Jackson and
Rachel Temple both being counted upon for ballhandling depth in the backcourt.
Three newcomers have joined the program, including freshmen
Sarah Ammons,
Victoria Vine and
Ivana Grbic. The talented trio figures to be featured prominently in Honsinger's game plan moving forward in the season.
Gone is do-it-all senior all-conference and all-region forward
Krystal Charles, who achieved the rare feat of leading the team in five statistical categories (points, rebounds, steals, blocks, assists). Also departing the program prematurely was SSC Freshman of the Year
Annie Armstrong and versatile wing
Taylor Bestry.
All told, the three of them accounted for more than 50 percent of the team's offensive scoring output in the 2012-13 campaign.
It is believed to be the first matchup in the Eckerd women's basketball program's history against Webber International. The Warriors (2-2, 0-0 TSC) have already faced off against SSC member Florida Tech in exhibition action and are led by Yessenia Lora, who averaged over 17 points per game last year.
WIU is coming off a 10-point margin of victory on the road at Point (S.C.) University and has posted a season-high 89 points in a losing effort against the College of Coastal Georgia in its home opener in Babson Park.
