2001-2002 Women's Basketball Roundup

The Warriors won the team championship at the 37th Panaia-Soloway Rotary Pocono Classic to highlight the 2001-2002 women's basketball season. It was the 100th year of ESU women's basketball and a celebration was held Feb. 16th on campus. The team beat Green Mountain, 72-67, and New Haven, 59-54, for the Rotary Pocono Classic title. Forward Tiffany Barnes was named the tournament's outstanding player after scoring 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the win over New Haven. Center Vanessa Kraft also made the All-Tournament on the basis of her 26 points and 15 rebounds in the two contests.

Two weeks later, the Warriors stunned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference power IUP, 68-61, behind a pair of double-doubles from guard Heather Wolfe, 20 points, 13 rebounds, and Barnes, 14 points, 11 rebounds. The season marked the ESU coaching debut of Juliene Simpson, co-captain of the 1976 United States Olympic women's basketball team and a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. This was her 23rd year of coaching, almost all at the Division I level.

Simpson's first ESU finished with a 7-18 record, two more wins than the 2000-2001 team achieved. The team was young with three freshmen and three sophomores seeing regular action. Barnes led the team in both scoring with 261 points or 10.4 per game and in rebounding with 180 or 7.2 per contest. She ranked second in the PSAC Eastern Division in free throw shooting at 80.3 percent (53 for 60). She scored in double figures in 14 games with a high of 24 points on 10 for 13 shooting in a loss to Bloomsburg. She had seven double-doubles.

Kraft added 211 points or 8.4 per contest while Wolfe scored 196 points for a 7.8-point average. Other starters were senior guard Megan Ross and senior forward Michele Pilenza. Ross was chosen on the All-Tournament team at the Avalon Classic at Gannon after scoring 24 points in two tourney contests. Also seeing action in almost every game with sophomore guard Shelly Garlach, freshman guards Niki Cox and Katie Wear and freshman center Jess Wapinsky. Cox poured in 21 points in a home win over Mansfield.

Sports Information Maintained by Laura Statler

ESU Home... Pete Nevins, Sports Information Director Updated 5/1/02