The Sky's the Limit

After seeing a streak of 10 consecutive trips to the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs come to an end last season, the Susquehanna University women’s basketball team is looking to make an extended post-season appearance in 2000-2001.

Head coach Mark Hribar, the winningest basketball coach (men’s or women’s) in Susquehanna history with a 212-115 record entering his 14th season, earned his first victory of the year without even stepping onto the court when he learned in the spring that senior center Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville, Pa./Pleasant Valley H.S.) had been granted a fifth year of eligibility and would be available for the 2000-2001 season.

Kern, a 6-2 center and the 1998-99 NCAA Division III field-goal percentage champion, was a preseason All-American last fall and averaged 26.2 points and 13.2 rebounds in five games before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee against Messiah. It was initially feared that the injury was career-ending, but through a vigorous rehabilitation program and a petition to the NCAA, Kern was allowed to participate in a fifth season of basketball.

As devastating as Kern’s injury was, it gave Leslie Clementoni (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville H.S.) the opportunity to blossom into a top-flight scorer for the Crusaders last season. The 6-1 senior averaged a team-best 15.7 points and 8.6 rebounds en route to earning Commonwealth Conference first-team All-Star honors. Clementoni shot nearly 50 percent from the field and tied for the team high with 12 blocked shots.

Joining Kern and Clementoni up front will be 5-10 junior Amy Harrington (Danville, Pa./Danville H.S.), who averaged 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in her first year as a starter, leading the team with 38 three-pointers.

In the backcourt, 5-4 senior guard Susan Trella (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) will run the show for a fourth straight year at the point. Trella averaged 5.3 assists per game and tied for the team lead with 37 steals. Her 332 career assists ran fourth in school history, and she needs just 22 to move into second place on the all-time list.

At shooting guard, 5-7 sophomore Alison Ream (Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata H.S.) is expected to get the nod after playing in all 24 games as a freshman and averaging 4.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.

Off the bench, 5-7 sophomore Emily Kurtz and 6-foot sophomore Amanda Rucko will see time in the frontcourt while 5-5 sophomore Maggie Endler and 5-6 sophomore Shannon Baker give Hribar a pair of ballhandlers in the backcourt.

Kurtz (St. Marys, Pa./St. Marys H.S.) averaged 5.2 points and shot 81.1 percent from the line as a freshman, while Rucko (Roseland, N.J./West Essex H.S.) went scoreless in 16 minutes spanning five games in her rookie campaign. Endler (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin H.S.) played in 23 games last season and dished off 44 assists to rank third on the team. Baker (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic H.S.) tore her ACL in an intrasquad scrimmage last preseason and was lost for the year, but she is back in the lineup and ready to go this fall.

This year’s freshman class consists of 6-foot center Courtney Sokol (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth H.S.), 5-10 forward R.J. Norris (Altoona, Pa./Altoona H.S.), 5-10 forward Amanda Hartzell (Janesville, Iowa/Lewisburg, Pa. H.S.) and 5-4 guard Ashley Donmoyer (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove H.S.).