D3hoops.com: March-April, 2000, Notables

Posting Up - Scoreboard - Top 25 - Features - Notables - Team of the Week - Live Audio

Notables

News and notes from around D-III

From March-April, 2000

Please keep this site free, click on our sponsors

Drake Hires UW-EC Coach Lisa Stone
Division I Drake University introduced UW-Eau Claire coach Lisa Stone as head women's basketball coach in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Stone, who led Eau Claire to a 277-59 record and is 311-91 overall, returns to the state of Iowa after 12 seasons at the Blugolds' helm. Stone previously coached at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and was an Academic All-American selection at Iowa.

"I am so excited to be here," said Stone. "It's been an emotional roller coaster the last two weeks. My family and I are thrilled to be here." Eau Claire finished the season 28-1, ranked No. 3 in the D3hoops.com Top 25. Former coach Lisa Bluder left to take the top job at Iowa.

WNBA Drafts No D-III Players
Despite expansion from 12 to 16 teams, no Division III player was taken in the four rounds of the WNBA draft April 25.

Salisbury Names Holmes Head Coach
SALISBURY, Md. -- Steve Holmes has been named the new head men's basketball coach at Salisbury State. The announcement was made by SSU athletic director Dr. Michael Vienna.

Holmes has been the head coach at Geneseo State for the past six years, and brings 17 years of collegiate coaching experience to his new position. Holmes led SUNY Geneseo to the NCAA Division III Tournament in four of his six seasons while compiling a career record of 91-64. He served as the assistant coach at Geneseo for four years prior to assuming the head job in 1994, and previously served as an assistant coach at Potsdam State and Champlain College.

Holmes becomes the fourth coach in the history of the SSU men's program. He replaces Ward Lambert, who retired following this past season, his 30th with the Sea Gulls.

"We conducted an exhaustive national search for this position and had an extremely strong applicant pool," said Vienna. "We feel that Steve is an excellent fit for Salisbury. His basketball credentials are very impressive, with 17 years of collegiate experience and an association with some very successful programs. He also has a solid understanding of Division III athletics and the Division III student-athlete. Coming from a highly selective public institution with a strong academic reputation like Geneseo, he also knows what Salisbury is all about."

Holmes, 38, is a 1983 graduate of Plattsburgh State University, where he was letterman on the basketball team. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Champlain, where he spent three seasons before moving to Potsdam State as assistant varsity coach and junior varsity head coach in 1987. Potsdam enjoyed a 60-game winning streak during Holmes' tenure with the program, and was the winningest program in all divisions of the NCAA during the 1980s. Holmes also earned his masters degree from Potsdam in 1988. He joined Geneseo as an assistant coach in 1990, serving four seasons before assuming the head coaching position in 1994.

Under his leadership, SUNY Geneseo earned NCAA Tournament berths in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999. The Knights advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1995 while making second round appearances in 1996 and 1999. Under Holmes' leadership, Geneseo also captured its first-ever conference championships in school history, winning the highly competitive SUNYAC title in 1998 and 1999. In total, the Knights have made seven NCAA Tournament appearances in Holmes' 10-year association with the program as an assistant and head coach. More impressively, SUNY Geneseo's basketball program also boasts a 100% graduation rate during Holmes' tenure.

"I'm very honored and excited to be the new head coach at Salisbury State University," said Holmes. "I'm looking forward to the challenges at hand in replacing a legend like Coach Lambert. I'm ready to get started."

Holmes inherits a Sea Gull team that finished 17-9 last season, including a 10-4 record and second place regular season finish in the Capital Athletic Conference. Salisbury expects to return nine letterwinners next year, including two all-conference selectees in forward Victor Jackson and guard Doug King.

Othell Wilson Acquitted
Othell Wilson, who was to have been head coach at St. Mary's (Md.) this past season, was acquitted April 21 of rape and kidnapping of his former girlfriend. The jury took two and a half hours to decide Wilson's fate. "I'm very elated," Wilson told the Associated Press. "Obviously, the evidence proves that I was not guilty. It's what I've been saying all along." The woman's mother, who was not identified along with her daughter because of the nature of the charges, said she was in "total disbelief." Wilson's ex-girlfriend said, "evidently, the jury thinks the evidence is indicative of a normal relationship. That's very sad to me." Wilson was placed on paid leave by the school after the charges were made and Wilson arrested last Sept. 27. The school said it will meet with Wilson to discuss his future. St. Mary's went 13-12 under interim coach Alfred Johnson.

Former Catholic U. Player in Carolina Camp
Former Catholic University forward Donnie Scott, who transferred after one season of basketball to walk on as a punter at the University of Virginia, signed a free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers. Scott averaged 40.6 yards per punt for the Cavaliers this season, with a long of 64 yards, while placing 15 inside the 20-yard line. As a freshman at Catholic, Scott averaged 5.3 points per game and shot 74% from the free-throw line. He did not play football at Catholic.

W&L Removes Interim from Lafave's Title
LEXINGTON, Va. -- Washington and Lee Athletic Director Mike Walsh has announced the hiring of Jeff Lafave as the school's head men's basketball coach. Lafave served as the interim head coach at W&L during the 1999-2000 season.

"It is with enthusiasm that we elevate Jeff Lafave from interim coach to head coach," said Walsh. "We look forward to building on the foundation that he laid this year under difficult circumstances. Our team improved over the course of the season, competed hard all year long, and responded to Jeff's professional demeanor."

Last season, Lafave guided a W&L squad predicted to finish 10th of 10 teams in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to a sixth-place finish and a 9-16 overall record. In the process, the Generals recorded an upset win against Bridgewater in the opening round of the ODAC Tournament and took eventual league champion Roanoke to the wire in the tournament semifinals before falling, 66-60. The opening round victory was W&L's first ODAC Tournament win in 10 years. In addition, the Generals were 7-4 at home in the Warner Center.

"I'm elated to have the opportunity to accept this position after having worked with the young men here this past season," said the 30-year old Lafave. "I'll have the opportunity to build upon what we accomplished last year, especially late in the season."

Prior to taking over the program on an interim basis, Lafave had served the 1998-99 year as an assistant coach for the Generals.

Eastern Names Schauer Coach and AD
Mike Schauer has been named the head men’s basketball coach and Director of Athletics at Eastern College (Pa.). Schauer has served as the assistant men’s basketball coach at Wheaton (Ill.) for the past seven seasons under head coach Bill Harris. Schauer takes over an Eastern program that went 4-20 last season and 3-13 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

The rookie head coach said of his new post at the Christian college near Philadelphia, "I am excited for the opportunity to take over the program at Eastern College." Schauer continued, "I believe Eastern is committed to developing young men to be leaders for Christ in this world. Eastern is the type of institution that a young man with basketball talent would want to spend his four-year collegiate career."

In Schauer’s seven years on the Crusader staff Wheaton went 133-47 (.739). The Crusaders also won two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships, made three appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament and posted three 20-win seasons.

Schauer, 29, is a 1993 graduate of Wheaton College with a Bachelor’s Degree in communications and owns a Master’s Degree in marketing and communications from Wheaton. He played for the Crusaders from 1989-1993. During his career Schauer scored 1,022 career points and is 32nd on Wheaton’s all-time scoring list. He still stands fifth on the Crusaders’ all-time three-point field goals list with 171 trifectas in his career, while he is sixth on the all-time assist list with 290 in his career.

Delaware Valley Hires Lebanon Valley Assistant
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. -- Delaware Valley College is proud to announce that Bob Simmons has accepted the men's basketball head coaching position. Simmons replaces Bill Dooley, who resigned in February as he and his family are relocating to Ireland. "I'm very excited about the opportunity to coach at Delaware Valley College and in the MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference) and I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge ahead of me," Simmons said. "I've had the opportunity to meet with the team and I was excited about their response to me and the commitment that they're going to make.

"My main job now is to recruit and to bring more players in to mesh with the current team that we have."

Simmons, 28, spent the last four years as an assistant coach with the highly successful Lebanon Valley College program. The fellow MAC school posted a 78-35 (.690) record and qualified for the MAC playoffs each year during Simmons' tenure. Lebanon Valley reached the NCAA Division III playoffs in both 1997 and 1999 and captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region championship in 1998 and 2000. The team's best season was the 1998-99 campaign where the Flying Dutchmen went 24-4, won the MAC Commonwealth League regular-season title, reached the conference's championship game and qualified for the NCAA tournament.

Last year's squad posted a 17-12 mark, reached the MAC semifinals and took home the ECAC South Region crown. Simmons helped coach two-time Team of the Year forward Andy Panko. Panko was the last preseason cut by the Los Angeles Lakers and currently plays in the IBL. In addition to his on-the-court duties, Simmons was both the recruiting coordinator and the weight and conditioning coach for the program. He also served as the head coach of the junior varsity team.

Simmons was an assistant coach, director of athletics and camp director at his alma mater, Bishop Hafey High School in Hazleton, Pa., for the 1995-96 season and was an assistant coach at Crestwood High School Mountain Top, Pa., during the 1992-93 campaign. Simmons played at MAC rival Wilkes and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in organizational communications and secondary education in 1993.

Athletic director Frank Wolfgang said, "We're very excited that Bob is taking over the Delaware Valley College men's basketball program," he stated. "He is a top-notch recruiter who has been involved with successful programs as both a player and a coach. "The program is headed in the right direction and we feel that Bob is the right choice to continue that progress."

A young Delaware Valley team went 10-14 overall and 5-9 in the MAC Freedom League last year. The Aggies had two juniors and four freshmen in its eight-man rotation and were 10-10, 5-5 heading into the final two weeks of the year. A last-second loss to eventual league champion Scranton and a double-overtime defeat to King's killed hopes for a conference playoff berth.

Kern, Jannuzzi Will Return to MAC Play
Susquehanna's Karyn Kern and Wilkes' Dave Jannuzzi each went down with season-ending injuries early in the year. Each will be back in 2000-01, however, with a medical redshirt year. Three-time MAC Commonwealth League All-Star center Kern suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and some cartilage damage to her right knee in the fifth game of the season, forcing her to undergo reconstructive knee surgery. She will graduate with a degree in psychology, but plans to return and pursue a second bachelor's degree in corporate communications. "I'm not going to know if I'm going to be able to come back at 100% until I'm actually able to do ... everything I was able to do before I got hurt," said Kern.

"I am really pleased for David," commented Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode. "He has had such a stellar career for us and now, he will have the opportunity to finish it on a more positive note." Jannuzzi, a two-time MAC Freedom League MVP, injured his right foot in the Colonels' win against Delaware Valley on Dec. 1. Wilkes ended the season at 16-9.

Carnegie Mellon Women Win ECAC South Title
DOVER, Del. -- Lauren Petruzzi, Kara Coval, and Erin Brady combined to lead Carnegie Mellon to a 66-54 victory against Grove City in the finals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Region tournament held at Wesley.

Petruzzi a 5-5 guard, earned tournament MVP honors for the Lady Tartans, who were the third seed in the tournament. After scoring 22 points in the semifinal win against Wesley, the junior added 13 points while adding five assists, five rebounds and two steals in the Grove City game.

Coval and Brady each posted a team-high 17 points for Carnegie Mellon. Coval added a game-high 15 rebounds, including a nine of the team’s 15 offensive boards. Brady shot 7-for-9 from the floor for the Lady Tartans, who hit 22 of 52 field goal attempts for the game (42.3%).

Carnegie Mellon pulled away late in the first half with a 5-0 run in the last minute to lead 32-27 at the half. The first period featured seven ties and 12 lead changes. Grove City pulled within four with 9:23 remaining in the game, 18-6 run by the Lady Tartans over the next eight minutes put the game out of reach. Carnegie Mellon finishes the season with an 18-10 record. Grove City’s season ends with a 16-12 mark.

The 2000 ECAC title is the first for the Carnegie Mellon women’s basketball program since the Lady Tartans claimed the 1990-91 University Athletic Association (UAA) title. The Tartans 18-10 final record marks the first winning record since the 1992-93 campaign. Eighteen wins in a season are the most since the Lady Tartans went 18-6 in the 1991-92 season.

Ithaca Sweeps ECAC Upstate Championships
Ithaca became just the second school to win Eastern College Athletic Conference Upstate New York titles in men's and women's basketball the same year. The men's team withstood a last-second miss by Union to win 77-76 and the women's team beat Nazareth 55-48.

A day after upsetting top seed and host Brockport, the men's basketball team won the program's first ECAC Upstate NY title. Ithaca led by as many as five points in the second half -- during which the score was tied nine times -- and took a 77-74 lead on a pair of free throws by senior guard Pat Britton, the tournament's most valuable player. Union scored with 1:56 left to pull within one but did not score again. The Flying Dutchmen's last shot, a driving layup that would have won the game, rolled off the rim with two seconds left.

Britton finished with 20 points, including an 8-for-8 performance from the free-throw line, and six assists. He raised his career total to 1,503 points, becoming the third Bomber to reach that mark. Senior guard Ryan Bamford scored 19 points and added four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman center Jason Wallen collected 16 points, making eight of nine shots, and senior forward Aaron Spearman contributed 15 points. Spearman and junior forward Kevin Heiss each had a team-best six rebounds.

The Bombers, who upset top seed Brockport in Saturday's semifinal to reach the ECAC title game for the first time, finished the season by winning eight of their last nine games, losing only to Division I Colgate in that span. Ithaca's 18 wins was the program's highest total since 1997.

The women's team, seeded first in the ECAC playoffs, topped visiting Nazareth to win the ECAC title for the second time in three years.

Junior forward Kelly Brady earned tournament MVP honors for the second time in her career, collecting 13 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Bombers to their second ECAC Upstate NY title in the past three years. Top-seeded Ithaca led by three at the half and built as much as an eight-point lead in the second half. The visiting Golden Flyers -- who lost to Ithaca for the fourth time this season -- pulled to within one point on two occasions but never took the lead after halftime.

Freshman point guard Kerri Brown scored a team-high 15 points and added five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior guard Kelly Pryce added 14 points and three assists. Sophomore guard Donna Fisher contributed eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Senior center Shari Wilkins finished with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots. The Bombers held Nazareth to 30.3% shooting from the floor.

Ithaca's 21 wins are one short of the school record set by the 1998 team, which also won New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association and ECAC Upstate NY titles. Ithaca also won both championships in 1993. Only one rookie head coach in Division III women's basketball won more games than Jen Kroll this season.

William Smith's Home Streak Ends at 80
St. Lawrence forced William Smith into overtime of Saturday's UCAA championship game and pulled off a 60-57 victory to claim the tournament title and end an 80-game homecourt win streak for the Herons. The streak was the nation's longest active streak. The Herons jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the first seven minutes. They forced 18 first-half turnovers and led the Saints 24-18 at halftime. Cara Barbierri gave the Saints their first lead by sinking a layup that capped an 8-0 run by St. Lawrence at the 11:50 mark of the second half. After the lead changed hands several times, William Smith's Brianna Tindall hit a jumper with two seconds left to send the game into overtime. St. Lawrence scored the first eight points of overtime and William Smith's rally fell short as their last-second three-point field goal rimmed out. Eisenhut and Barbierri each finished the game with 15 points for the Saints, while Liz Brown led the Herons with 15 points, five assists and four steals.

Notables 2003-pres.

2003 Notables
February 15-28
February 1-14
January 16-31
January 1-15

2002 Notables
December 16-31
December 1-15
November
October-early Nov.
September-October
June-August
May
March-April
February 22-28
February 15-21
February 8-14
February 1-7
January 22-31
January 15-21
January 8-14
January 1-7