Kent State Women's Basketball Set To Embark On 37th Season
11/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
2011-12 Roster • 2011-12 Coaching Staff
2011-12 Schedule • 2010-11 Statistics
Cast of newcomers look to add to winning tradition.
Roster turnover is an inevitable part of intercollegiate athletics. If a program is lucky enough, a departing class of seniors will have left behind a legacy and set a standard.
The five seniors from the 2010-11 Kent State women's basketball team accomplished just that, posting back-to-back 20-win seasons and reaching the WNIT for two years in a row. The Golden Flashes aim to fill the void of their departures by sporting a young, but talented roster in 2011-12.
The steadying hand on the Kent State sideline remains, as Bob Lindsay begins his 23rd season as head coach of the Flashes. Along he way, Lindsay has amassed more victories (412) than any Mid-American Conference basketball coach in history – men's or women's.
Kent State's coaching continuity extends to the assistant positions as well. Lori Bodnar is set to embark on her 24th season as associate head coach at Kent State and has been a crucial part of a program that has produced three MAC champions, 13 20-win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances during that span.
Former Kent State great and current assistant Kerrie James enters her fourth season on the sidelines after making 61 career starts at guard from 2004-07.
The new addition to the coaching staff is a familiar face in the Kent State basketball office. Ryan Patterson spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for the Kent State men's basketball program. While with the Golden Flashes, Patterson was a part of Kent State's Elite Eight appearance in 2002 and aided Kent State in capturing its first-ever NCAA tournament win in 2001. Prior to his return to Kent State, Patterson spent the last seven seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Findlay, where he aided the Oilers to a 2010 NCAA Division II Tournament appearance and the program's first-ever postseason victory.
Academic All-MAC performer Anna Kowalska begins her second season as her alma mater's graduate assistant coach.
BACKCOURT
The Golden Flashes are young but deep in the backcourt and are being mentored by one of Kent State's top defenders ever in James. Junior Tamzin Barroilhet (Sainte Maxime, France) anchors the crew. She played in all but two of Kent State's games last season, averaging 23 minutes per game and totaling 30 steals on the defensive end.
Junior Trisha Krewson (Sandusky, Ohio) hits the court after sitting out last season following a two-year stint at Bucknell. She was named a Second-Team All-Patriot League performer as a sophomore after leading the Bison with 12.4 points per game in 2009-10.
Freshman Dena Droste (East Lansing, Mich.) garnered Michigan Class B first-team all-state honors after averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a senior.
Freshman Jamie Hutcheson (Ancaster, Ontario) averaged 17.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on her way to being named to the Ontario Provincial team twice and earning Provincial Championship MVP honors.
Freshman Lerren Ducharme (Windsor, Ontario) was named the 2010 Windsor Ms. Basketball after averaging 28 points per game. During the 2010-11 season, Ducharme participated on the boys' basketball team at St. Thomas, averaging 8.0 points per game as the team's top reserve.
Freshman Josie Hull (London, Ohio) was a four-year starter in high school and helped lead Miami Trace to an 84-9 mark over four seasons -- highlighted by a state final four appearance.
Freshman Itziar Llobt Coderch (Sant Cugat de Valles, Spain) is a combo guard with international experience, averaging 8.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in aiding Spain to a quarterfinal appearance in the 2010 FIBA U-17 Championship.
FRONTCOURT
Bodnar will use her expertise of developing top post players to help mold Kent State's four young frontcourt players. Junior center Leslie Schaefer (Verona, Wis.) is the elder statesman of the group, hauling in 72 rebounds in 54 games through two seasons as a reserve.
Junior Diamon Beckford (Upper Darby, Pa.) spent one season at New Hampshire, seeing action in 29 games before transferring to Kirkwood Community College and earning Second Team All-America status after averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 32 games in 2010-11.
Freshman Melanee Stubbs (Merrillville, Ind.) was a first-team Academic All-State selection as a senior and earned all-conference honors.
SCHEDULE
The 2011-12 slate features nine games against seven teams that saw postseason action last year.
The Golden Flashes will start the year with a pair of road games, including the season opener Friday (Nov. 11) at Marshall. Kent State will then host Morehead State Nov. 18 in their home opener.
Kent State will then participate Northern Arizona's Hilton Garden Inn Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 25-26, challenging Utah Valley State before facing the host Lumberjacks on Saturday. The Golden Flashes then come home Nov. 30 to host 2011 WNIT participant St. Bonaventure.
Kent State's December will have just four games, with home contests against Canisius Dec. 18 and Northeastern Dec. 21. Those games are bookended by road contests against 2011 NCAA Second Round team Temple Dec. 6 and Bethune Cookman Dec. 30 to round out non-conference play.
The Golden Flashes will begin the 2012 MAC slate at Bowling Green, who represented the conference in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Kent State will have just three home dates during January's eight-game span, hosting Ohio Jan. 7, WBI participant Buffalo Jan. 19 and WNIT squad Central Michigan Jan. 22.
Conversely, Kent State will have five home games in February's MAC action. The Golden Flashes will host 2011 WNIT champions Toledo Feb. 4 on SportsTime Ohio and conclude the regular season at home against Bowling Green Feb. 28.
The 2012 First Energy MAC Women's Basketball Tournament will have a new format; the tournament bracket will reward the top two teams with byes into the quarterfinal round. First round action will be played at campus sites March 3, with the remaining action moving to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland March 7-10. The championship game is slated for March 10, with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
