Looking Ahead In Titan Hoops: The Titans are set to play game number two of a seven game road trip as they travel south to take on the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan. The two teams met in South Bend last year, with IWU breaking open a close game in the second half en route to a 57-36 win. This year, both teams come in with unblemished records and look to add to their win column.
Looking Back At Holy Cross: Katie Hacker led a balanced attack with 15 points, while Lizzie Stapke (11) and Betsy Grogan (10) joined her in hitting the double figure mark. Each player for the Titans saw at least six minutes of action in the contest, and all but two scored as IU South Bend broke a 22-all tie with a 10-0 run to end the first half and pulled away throughout the second stanza as they rolled to a 72-47 win.
Scouting Indiana Wesleyan: The Wildcats sit at 3-0 on the season, including an overtime win over eleventh-ranked Cedarville. Elaine Hessel leads the way for IWU, scoring 23 points per game, including 26 and 29 point performances the last two times out. Kayla Thompson and LeAnn Douglas also tally in double figures for the Wildcats at 16.7 and 14.3 points per game, respectively. Hessel is shooting a blistering 64% from the floor, while Thompson nearly matches her at 61% and connects at a 63% clip from behind the three-point arc. Douglas also connects on a high percentage, leading the team at 68%.
Veterans Step Up: In arguably the biggest game of the season to this point for the Titans, juniors Katie Hacker and Betsy Grogan led the way with 15 points apiece in the Titans upset victory.
Simpson Steps In: Four games into her career, Courtney Simpson just missed a double-double against UM-Dearborn with 12 points and nine rebounds.
"Newcomers" Leading The Way: In the first two games, no player that appeared in the second half of last season for the Titans has led the team in scoring. In the season opener against Wilberforce, Tiffanie Graham - who missed the latter portion of 2008-2009 - led the way with 17 points, while it was Ashley Hummer - who sat out the entire year - taking top honors against Goshen by dropping in 16.
Stapke Shoots...: Sophomore sharpshooter Lizzie Stapke added two more triples to her career tally Saturday against Holy Cross, bringing her total to 91 in her first two seasons. That number moves her ahead of Mindy Manger (1999-2001) for tenth on the Titans career list.
Home Sweet Home: After putting up a 10-6 mark at the Student Activities Center last year, the Titans got out of the gate early in 2009-2010 by winning their first four home contests of the season. IU South Bend will play their next six consecutive games through the balance of November and the first week of December away from home. From there the Titans have consecutive home games before one final road contest to finish out the first semester.
Nationally Noted: For the first time during the tenure of head coach Steve Bruce, the Titans were mentioned in the NAIA D1 Ratings. In the preseason balloting, IU South Bend is listed as Receiving Votes. The poll was taken prior to the start of the season, and the second edition is set to be selected on December 7.
Picked Third: A season after finishing third in the CCAC with a 6-4 record, the conference coaches picked the Titans to finish in that same position this season, as they garnered 24 points in the voting. In preseason voting, St. Xavier was chosen first, receiving all six first place tallies, while St. Francis edged out the Titans with 26 markers. Robert Morris came home fourth with 18, while Olivet Nazarene (17) and first-year member Holy Cross rounded out the voting. Due to the late entry of Holy Cross, they were forced to schedule conference games early in the season, so conference play kicks off on November 11 when the Saints travel to Chicago to take on St. Xavier.
Titans Add Three For 2010-2011: Head coach Steve Bruce has already signed three players for the 2010-2011 freshman class, each a highly-touted prospect from Northwest Indiana. Lauren Hansen is a 5'7" point guard from Griffith, IN, who averaged 7.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.3 points as a junior for the Panthers, who took home their sectional crown. Brandee Hudspeth, another 5'7" guard from Kankakee Valley, will also join the Titans - likely coming to IU South Bend as the owner of the majority of the school records for the Kougars. The final signee, Emily Strilich, is the only post player of the group. At 6'1", Strilich boasts Porter County Conference Player of the Year honors as a junior, while helping lead her Boone Grove Squad to a share of the PCC title.
