Women’s basketball preview: Lions look to recapture success

Amara Aguilar

Although its focus has changed, the Vangaurd women’s basketball

team has a clear picture of what it needs to accomplish.

Coach Russ Davis is hoping that off-the-court connections will produce

better team chemistry in game situations during the upcoming season.

Already the Lions have gone on what Davis calls a “bonding trip.” The

team recently headed up to Santa Barbara and camped on the beach.

Davis said he is trying to bring his players closer together and

implement a new outlook for this season.

Last year the Lions had their sights set on a fourth straight Golden

State Athletic conference title, but wound up fifth. They finished 17-12,

10-8 in the GSAC.

“We put so much pressure on ourselves last year,” Davis said.

“Everyone was expecting us to win the conference. This year we are taking

a different approach. We want to get better each game with every

opponent.”

A key to the Lions’ success will be the performance of returning

starters Kelly Boeke, Laura Lee and Robbin Dittenbir.

Boeke, a two-time All-GSAC player, averaged 12.3 points and 7.9

rebounds last season. The 6-foot-2 senior center has 1,226 career points

and is nine away from breaking the Vanguard scoring record of 1,235 set

by Elaine Whittemore.

Lee, a 5-7 junior guard, averaged 9.1 points and three assists last

season. Dittenbir, a 5-8 junior guard, averaged 5.2 points and 5.1

assists.

Newcomers Sonia N’Dri and Lacey Mills are expected to make an

immediate impact. N’Dri is a 6-3 sophomore transfer from Oral Roberts, by

way of Africa. She suffered a concussion in practice and will probably

miss the Lions’ season opener, Davis said.

“(N’Dri) brings a huge, strong presence for us in the paint,” Davis

said. “She is a strong post player and brings Division I experience with

her.”

Mills, a 5-6 freshman guard, brings outside shooting skills to boost

Vanguard’s perimeter game.

“(She) is a strong shooting guard from Oregon and was one of the best

three-point shooters in the state of Oregon last year,” Davis said.

N’Dri and Mills will help fill holes left by the departure of Becki

Huddle and Rachel Fikse.

Huddle, a 5-5 senior point guard last year, averaged 11.6 points and

led the GSAC in assists with 4.7 per game. She was also an NAIA

All-American.

Fikse contributed 7.2 points per game last year.

Three seniors will be expected to provide leadership this season. In

addition to Boeke, Beth Weidler and Erin Edmiston will need to step up.

Weidler was an occasional starter last year. The 5-9 forward averaged

7.6 points and three rebounds.

Edmiston, a 5-11 forward, averaged 5.7 points and 3.2 rebounds.

“I think we have a lot of leadership,” Davis said. “We have 10

returning players ... and pretty good depth at each position. We have a

new focus to try to get back to where we were.”

The Lions will soon begin their quest to recapture the success they

have had in previous years. Vanguard, ranked fourth in the GSAC preseason

poll, will host Cal State Monterey Bay Friday at 7:30 p.m. in a

nonconference game.