Despite a slow start to the 2008-2009 season, the IU South Bend women's basketball team rebounded for a third place finish in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 6-4 conference record and a 16-16 overall finish. This year, for the first time in the last four years, two players will enter the season having already played two seasons in a Titan uniform. Just three seniors appear on the roster - and just one of those played a significant role a season ago - making the upcoming season, and the future beyond, look very bright for IU South Bend Women's Basketball.
Steve Bruce returns for his fourth season at the helm of the Titans program. Bruce enters the 2009-2010 season with 43 victories in his three campaigns, including a 19-12 record in 2007-2008. In addition to that season, Bruce led IU South Bend to a .500 mark of 16-16 last season, despite a 3-8 start to the year.
Joining Bruce on the bench is a staff full of returning members, set to help the team move forward with their goals this season. Assistant coach Danny Robertson returns for his second campaign on the Titans staff, bringing with him several years of high school experience, as well as more than five seasons involved with collegiate programs. Evva Comans will also start her second season on the coaching staff, coming to the position after playing one season in the IU South Bend program following a transfer from Valparaiso. Comans adds several years of collegiate and international playing experience. Chris Glick and Ryan Schmidli each enter their third seasons on the Titan bench, each continuing their drive to help IU South Bend to the top of the CCAC.
Seniors
Three seniors appear on the Titans roster as they set to open their 2009-2010 season. Guard Kimmie Hummer returns after playing in all 32 games last season and started 24. Hummer poured in a career-high 30 points in the Titans 119-115 win over Olivet Nazarene, pouring in seven three-point baskets - also a career high. For the season, she averaged 9.3 points per game - good for third on the team - and added three rebounds and two assists per contest.
Whitney Cole returns to the IU South Bend back court for her senior season after sitting out the second half of last year. Cole played in the Titans' first 15 games - starting nine at the guard position and averaging nearly 20 minutes per contest - and averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds.
Guard Tiffanie Graham is also set to make her return to the Titan lineup after missing the second half of 2008-2009. Like Cole, Graham played in IU South Bend's first 15 contests before being sidelined. She started just one of her games, but averaged 17.5 minutes per game coming off the bench, dropping 4.4 points and dishing out three assists each time out.
Katie Hacker was named to the All-CCAC First Team and was honored as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American for her efforts during her sophomore year. The forward from Indianapolis 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds for the season - leading the team in both categories and boosted her output to 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds in conference play. Hacker started all 32 games for the Titans, also leading the way in minutes played (31.0), three-point field goal percentage (41.7%) and free throw percentage (82.9%). The individual highlight of Hacker's season undoubtedly came in the Titans' 83-78 overtime victory at sixth-ranked St. Xavier when she played all 45 minutes, pouring in 28 points and ripping down 17 rebounds. In the contest she made 8-of-14 field goals, including both of her attempts from long range and 10-of-11 free throws. As she begins her third year, Hacker becomes one of just two players who will have played three seasons under the tutelage Bruce.
Another forward, Brooke Daugherty, also returns to the Titan lineup for her junior season. After transferring to IU South Bend as a sophomore, Daugherty played in 29 of the Titans' 32 games, making 21 starts and playing slightly more than 22 minutes per contest. Daugherty averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during her sophomore campaign, good for fourth and second in team ranks, respectively.
One of the most versatile Titans, Betsy Grogan joins Hacker as the only two players in their third seasons in Bruce's program. Playing as both a guard and post player during her sophomore season, Grogan played in 29 of IU South Bend's 32 games - starting 14 - and averaged 6.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. Grogan also had a strong season shooting, as she knocked down 38.1% of her three-point attempts and 72.9% from the free throw line.
Despite joining her twin sister in transferring to IU South Bend before the 2008-2009 season, Ashley Hummer will begin her junior season after sitting out last year as a redshirt. Hummer practiced with the Titans throughout last year, providing the team with a valuable asset as a practice player. She will look to add depth to the Titan back court this year.
Sophomores
Coming off of a season in which she was named All-CCAC First Team and the CCAC Freshman of the Year, guard Lizzie Stapke enters her sophomore season with an opportunity to increase her impact on the IU South Bend record book. In her inaugural season, Stapke poured in 79 three-pointers, good for fourth all-time for a single season - and leaving herself just ten makes outside of the career top ten in program history. Though she put up stellar numbers through the season, the highlight of her year came when she hit 11-of-21 from the floor, including 9-of-18 from three-point range and made all four of her free throw attempts for a career-high 35 points when the Titans defeated ONU at home. In the contest, she also dropped a triple in the final minute that gave IU South Bend their final lead of the contest. For the season, Stapke was second on the team at 11.3 points per game.
Another guard, Kayla George returns for a second campaign after an up-and-down freshman season that saw her play just over 11 minutes per game, while playing in 29 of IU South Bend's 32 contests and making one start. George averaged 2.4 points in her inaugural season, while shooting 36.4% from behind the three-point line.
The only second-year player to participate in all 32 contests in her freshman campaign, center Becca Hoefler looks to improve on a solid first year that saw her make nine starts and play just shy of 20 minutes per contest. Hoelfer averaged 7.3 points per game - good for fifth on the team - and pulled down 4.3 rebounds per contest. Hoefler shot 51.2% from the floor and 74.2% from the free throw line in her first season, enough for second and third, respectively, on the Titan roster.
Another post player, forward Jeanette Durand played in 20 games as a freshman for the Titans. Despite averaging just 5.9 minutes in those contests, Durand dropped in 2.2 points and pulled down 1.3 rebounds. Bringing significant energy off the Titan bench last season, Durand will be looked to for much of the same as the Titans look to improve.
Freshmen
Four freshmen find their way to the IU South Bend roster for the 2009-2010 season. Guard Jordan Kramer enters the Titan program from Hanover Central High School in St. John, IN, where she was a three-time all conference player in the Porter County Conference. Kramer also sits second on the all-time scoring list at Hanover Central, as she tallied 1,036 points during her career.
Another guard - and the only non-Indiana product on the Titan roster - Elyse Lefebvre joins the Titans after a standout career at Pinckney High School in Michigan. A versatile player at 5'10", Lefebvre will create difficult matchups for opposing defenses on the perimeter.
Perhaps the best athlete on the IU South Bend roster, forward Courtney Simpson joins the Titans after a standout career at Northwood High School in Nappanee, IN, where she also played volleyball and tennis for the Panthers. On the court, Simpson was named team MVP during both her junior and senior seasons, as well as being named to the all-conference squad in the Northern Lakes Conference during those two seasons as well.
Another post player, 6'0" center Leah Meyer comes to the Titan program after a stellar career at Northridge High School in Middlebury, IN. During her senior season, Meyer averaged 11.7 points per game, and she was awarded with All-Northern Lake Conference honors, as well as her team's MVP award.
Outlook
With eleven players returning from the 2008-2009 squad - and more than 90% of the team's scoring and rebounding - the outlook for the 2009-2010 season for the Titans looks bright. After a slow start last season, the team accelerated down the stretch and brought their overall record to 16-16 by the end of the campaign. The Titans were voted to finish third - the same position they finished a season ago - in preseason voting by the CCAC coaches, but finishing above the expectations is well within reach for the veteran squad.
