ARCATA — The time has come once again for the Humboldt State women's basketball team to rise and get ready for a new season. After being left out of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Div. II West Region selection last year, the Jacks get the chance to start fresh and put their destiny in their own hands as they open the 2012-13 season this weekend.
"We're excited to open up this week," said head coach
Joddie Gleason. "We've been beating up on ourselves so it'll be nice to put our hard work to the test against Academy of Art and Dominican University of California this week. Both of those teams will provide good challenges for us."
HSU heads down to Cal State East Bay for the California Collegiate Athletic Association/Pacific West Challenge tournament, where they will face AAU on Friday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. and DUC on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m.
"This early in the year it's hard to focus on what everyone else will bring," said Gleason. "We're more focused on getting ourselves ready and on the same page."
With a majority of the team (nine of 15) new to the system, the Jacks have been busy learning and putting into practice the Lumberjack way of life.
"There is so much teaching and learning that has to take place in such a short amount of time," said Gleason. "Not only does the team have to learn the system, they have to be able to play it at a high level. It's what we're accustomed to."
Six returners, led by captains
Caitie Richards,
Elle Anderson and
Lisa Petty, will help get the newcomers on the same page, working under one common theme of RISE: Relentless Intensity Sacrifice Emotion.
"I feel like our core group of returners are doing a good job of being leaders and holding people accountable while being positive," said Gleason. "Our team works really hard whether they're in the weight room, doing conditioning running or at practice. They're all committed and competing."
Guards
One of the biggest holes Gleason and her coaching staff has had to fill is the point guard position after losing a key player in
Kayla Williams to graduation. Since the position can be tough to learn in such a short amount of time, the coaching staff switched Richards from the 2 spot to the 1 spot to "help bridge the gap" and have been impressed with how well Richards has transitioned.
Petty and
Kelly Kime are two returning guards who will look to fill up a lot of minutes in the other guard spots. Petty, who received All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honors after the 2011-12 season, led the Jacks in points last year, averaging 13.6 points per game to put her in the top 10 of the conference's leading scorers. Kime saw limited action due to injuries but is feeling healthy this season and will see action at either the guard or forward position.
Forwards
Kime,
Tiana Maxwell and
Amanda Kunst will each look to play a key part in the Lumberjack offense from the four spot. All three have some experience as forwards, but are mostly converted guards with Kunst having a little more experience at the post. With the HSU system, the post players will have the option to play inside and outside, which benefits from each of the three players' experience as guards.
Centers
Returners Anderson and
Meghan Ringer, along with freshman
Sumayyah Wiggins, will compete to get in the mix at center for the Jacks. Anderson saw limited action last season, but is looking strong and fit as the season begins. Gleason is impressed with the hard work she put in the offseason to get in great shape and is excited to see what she can bring to the table.
Ringer, who transferred midseason last year, has also been working hard to learn Gleason's style of play and enters the new season with confidence. Gleason is confident Ringer will play a key role in the Lumberjacks' success.
Injury Report
Johnson has only recently come back from injury but Gleason is excited to see what she brings to the table once she is fully recovered.
DJ Martel, who suffered a head injury, is questionable for the weekend and
Julie De Leon is out for a few weeks as she nurses a foot injury.
Academy of Art
The Urban Knights, who earlier faced Sacramento State in a 78-59 exhibition loss, open their official season as well with the game Friday night against the Jacks. Last year the squad finished with a 16-10 overall record, 12-6 in the PacWest. The Urban Knights return 10 players, while welcoming six new players to the team. ... Three All-PacWest second team honorees are amongst the returners, including top scorer Alissa Griggs, who finished with 13.8 ppg, 33 steals, 18 blocks and 7.7 rpg.
"Academy of Art is predicted to be one of the top teams in the PacWest," said Gleason, who last year led the Jacks to a 68-54 victory over the Urban Knights. "They're a combination of quick guards and big posts, the all-around package. They'll be a good test for us to open the season with."
Dominican
The Penguins open their season against CCAA/PacWest Challenge host school Cal State East Bay on Friday before facing the Jacks on Saturday afternoon. DUC returns five players who saw action last year, along with one redshirt, and welcome seven new faces to the program. While Dominican lost its leading scorer, Kayla Valentine, the Penguins return Kimi Nakamura, who led the team with a .302 three-point field goal percentage and averaged 8.5 ppg (second on team), as well as the Peguins' top rebounder Sarah Nelson, who finished with 3.1 rpg on the season.
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