Muleskinner

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Drew Woolery: Muleskinner Jennies' guard Deidra Dace and the Mules' forward Sanijay Watts hope to lead their teams to success this season.

Basketball season is back for the 2009-10 season and the Jennies, who finished with a record of 17-11 (12-8 in the MIAA), are itching to accomplish more this season.

The 17 wins were the most for the Jennies since the 2005-06 season when the team finished 22-10. Dave Slifer, the Jennies' elite Division II coach with an overall record of 473-156, said his team has improved dramatically since last winter. The Jennies were picked in the coaches' poll to finish the MIAA fourth, behind Emporia State, Washburn and Pittsburg State.
The Jennies will start the season Sunday against Graceland in the Multipurpose Building at 2 p.m.

"We have a good nucleus returning from last year," Slifer said. "There are also a couple of impact players we brought in that will bring different dimensions to this ballclub."

The Jennies' top two scorers, guard Kara Fleming and center Becca Roberts, return to the team along with three others from a season ago. Roberts averaged 12 points and six rebounds per game, while Fleming averaged five assists and scored 11 points per game. Fleming also received the only MIAA honors last year in being named to the second-team All Conference.

A couple of new faces also join the team in hopes of giving the Jennies the surge they need to make the NCAA Division II Tournament. Ana Migueres, a 6-foot-3-inch center from Brazil, comes in from Cisco Junior College averaging eight points and five rebounds per game. Another key addition is Danielle Shows, a 5-9 guard who is projected to see a lot of minutes this year. Shows averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game last season at Johnson County Community College.

Slifer said he expects big things out of returning guards Deidra Dace and Brittney Slifer this season.

"As Brittney became more comfortable in the league, she became better and better," Slifer said. "Deidra is beginning her third year here at UCM, and she is doing very well."

Together, Dace and Slifer averaged 12 points per game and shot just above 35 percent from the field.

As a team last season, the Jennies allowed 67 points per game on defense and scored just above 68 points per game on offense - a point Slifer addressed this offseason.

"We have a lot of experience and have a deeper bench and we should do a better job," he said. "The bottom line is that we did not do a very good job securing the ball, didn't value possessions enough and didn't have that many scores. This year, though, we have a lot of different ways we can score."

Another problem for the Jennies was the amount of losses on the road. The team won just six of 13 games away from the Multipurpose Building and, more importantly, split games against conference opponents. At home, however, the Jennies won nine of 12 games.

Amidst the players, Slifer admitted that he has yet to see how close this year's team is. Slifer also said that as the season plays itself out, he expects to see his team in the thick of things toward the end of the season.

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