200 or Bust
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) - The Susquehanna University women's basketball team will travel to its old nemesis the University of Scranton for a Middle Atlantic Conference semifinal game Thursday, February 25, at 7 p.m. Susquehanna advanced to the game with an 82-71 overtime win over defending MAC champion Allentown Thursday, while Scranton beat Commonwealth League fourth-seed Lebanon Valley, 71-58.
The MAC Freedom League champion for the fifth-straight season, 23-2 Scranton is ranked 13th in the latest NCAA Division III national poll, and second in the Mid-Atlantic Region poll, and has a 17-game win streak over Susquehanna. The Lady Royals lead the all-time series, 18-1 (.947).
Susquehanna's 12th-year head coach Mark Hribar has been on the losing end of all 15 of his games against the Lady Royals, including a 72-51 decision in Selinsgrove on January 25, but is just one win shy of becoming just the second coach to post 200 wins at Susquehanna - now with a record of 199-102 (.661). The other coach to win 200 at Susquehanna is current Director of Athletics Don Harnum, who went 201-153 (.568) in his 13 seasons as men's basketball head coach.
Hribar's Crusaders have had 11-straight winning seasons and are in the MAC playoffs for a 10th-straight season. They have won four-straight games to get to 17-8 and ranked fifth in the latest NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Region poll. Its current regional-ranking makes Susquehanna one of the teams "on the bubble" for the 48-team NCAA Division III Championship Tournament field. Each of Division III's eight regions are guaranteed six teams. The MAC champion will earn an automatic bid, but a team could also earn an at-large bid if it finishes in the top six of the final regional poll. The field will be announced Sunday, February 28.
Scranton is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time under 19th-year head coach Mike Strong, who began the season ranked third among active Division III coaches in wins, and seventh in winning percentage - now at 453-103 (.815). Ironically, Strong and Scranton's lone loss to Susquehanna also came in a MAC Semifinal at their John Long Center, 60-57, on February 21, 1984.
Scouting the Crusaders:
Senior power forward and two-time All-American Kristen Venne (Shillington/Governor Mifflin H.S.) leads Susquehanna and is one of the 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy as the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Player of the Year. The 5-9 Venne presently leads the team in both scoring (21.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg) - ranking second in the MAC and 13th in Division III in scoring, and fifth in the conference in rebounding. She is also second on the team and third in the MAC in field goal percentage (57.3%, 203 of 354). Her 538 points and current scoring average are the second best in a season at Susquehanna (Records: 586 points, Deb Yeasted, 1984-85; 29.8 avg., Lyn Jones, 1980-81). Venne equaled her career high with 29 points, also grabbing 11 rebounds in the win over Allentown Tuesday. She was 9 for 9 from the free throw line while scoring in double figures for the 39th-straight time and 96th time in 98 career games at Susquehanna. Venne made the Division III Online Team of the Week for the fifth time this season and is the team's WQSU-FM Crusader Co-Player of the Week as she averaged 25.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and shots from 69.0 percent from the field (20 of 29) and 91.7 percent from the line (11 of 12) in last week's two wins. She led the Crusaders with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first Scranton game this year.
Venne is second in Susquehanna women's history in career scoring (1,888 points) and third in rebounding (870). At present, she is tied for first in MAC modern history (since 1993-94) in career scoring average (19.3 ppg), is third in both field goal percentage (54.5%) and rebounds (8.9 per game), and fourth in free throw percentage (76.8%).
Her 6-2 junior frontcourt mate Karyn Kern (Brodheadsville/Pleasant Valley H.S.) joins her this week on the Division III Online Team of the Week, as well the team's co-player of the week, and was the MAC Commonwealth League Player of the Week. Kern averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, shooting an astounding 81.0 percent from the field (17 of 21) and 90.9 percent from the line (10 of 11). She posted her fourth-straight double-double in points and rebounds, and 36th in her career, with 17 points and a game high 13 rebounds in the Allentown win. Kern continues to lead NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (now 68.2%, 163 of 239) and is almost sure to break the MAC single-season record (Current Record: 63.9%, Rebecca Baker, Wilkes, 1995-96, 175 of 274). Also the team leader in blocked shots (1.8 per game) and steals (2.2 per game) - ranking third in the MAC in blocks - she is second on the team and fifth in the conference in scoring (16.3 ppg), ranking second on the squad in rebounding (8.6 per game). Kern is fourth all-time at Susquehanna in career rebounds (711) and sixth in scoring (1,212 points).
Senior small forward Sandy Jenkin (Millersville, Md./Severna Park H.S.) also has had a hot hand in the team's last two wins, scoring 14 in each. She was 8 for 8 from the free throw line vs. Allentown. Jenkin is third on the team in both scoring (8.4 ppg) and rebounding (4.3 per game).
Sophomore Susan Trella (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) is the team's floor general at point guard. Trella is the team leader and ranks fourth in the MAC in assists (4.5 per game). Not known for her scoring (2.3 ppg), she is also the team's top player at taking charges.
Fellow sophomore Jen Antolick (2.7 ppg) (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia H.S.) has been getting the start at two-guard and second on the team in three-pointers (12 of 31, 38.7%). She hit two big jumpers in the overtime Tuesday.
Junior Lisa Stack (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West H.S.) had been the starting off guard for the season's first 18 games before being sidelined with a thigh injury. She now has been providing a spark off the bench, scoring eight points with a trey before fouling out vs. Allentown Tuesday. She is still fourth on the team in scoring (6.1 ppg) and is tied for the second most treys in a season at Susquehanna with 19 of 47 for 40.4 percent (Record: 23 of 64, Kristie Maravalli, 1990-91).
Versatile senior Karrah Henry (Lewistown/Lewistown H.S.) is normally the first player off the bench, usually at one of the wings. Capable of playing any position on the floor, Henry has started 26 games during her career, including four this season, and is fifth on the team in both scoring (4.2 ppg) and rebounding (2.8 per game).
Freshman Amy Harrington (4.2 ppg) (Danville/Danville H.S.) also spells Jenkin at small forward and is one of the team's better perimeter shooters inside the three-point arc. She had 11 points in the team's win last week vs. Albright. Harrington is also the team's top free throw shooter (89.3%, 25 of 28).
Inside, 6-1 sophomore Leslie Clementoni (3.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) (Hughesville/Hughesville H.S.) has been providing quality relief for Kern at center.
Scouting the Lady Royals:
Scranton is first in the MAC and 17th in the nation in scoring margin (now +20.6 per game). The Lady Royals are also first in the MAC in scoring defense (55.2 ppg) and second in field goal percentage defense (36.1%).
They are led by junior point guard Kelly Halpin who became the program's 10th All-American last season and its 17th 1,000-point scorer earlier this season. She leads the team in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and assists (4.5 per game), ranking second in MAC assists. She had 20 in last season's win over Susquehanna, and 13 points and six assists in the earlier meeting this year.
Five-foot-11 senior power forward Kate Dougherty became Scranton's 18th 1,000-point scorer in the first Susquehanna game this season and also joins Halpin as a returning first-team MAC Freedom League All-Star. She's the only other player averaging in double-figures (10.3 ppg). She keyed the team to last season's win over the Crusaders with 25 points and seven rebounds.
Six-foot junior center Shannon Milder (8.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg) teams with Dougherty inside and had eight points and a team high 10 rebounds in the first Susquehanna game. The team's field goal percentage leader (51.6%, 95 of 184), she had 12 markers and tied for rebounding honors with seven in Tuesday's quarterfinal win.
Back outside, freshman guard Gillian McGovern (9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) hurt Susquehanna with 11 points and a team high four steals off the vaunted Scranton press in the first meeting.
Sophomore guard Lisa Harris (6.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) rounds out Scranton's three-guard lineup.
Hribar on the Scranton Game:
"The first game was a five-point game at the half and we really didn't play a good first half. They made some shots and we didn't and we shot ourselves in the foot in that game. I'm expecting a much better showing. We played twice at the John Long Center in a Christmas Tournament this year and I had it in the back of my mind that we might see Scranton there in the playoffs. I scheduled that tournament so we could play as many games as we could there to get us ready."
Next Up:
The winner of Thursday's game will meet the winner of Thurday's other semifinal featuring the Freedom League's second-seed King's (18-7) at six-time Commonwealth League champion and the region's top-ranked team in Elizabethtown (23-2) in Saturday's MAC Championship Game. Susquehanna would be on the road regardless of the site. The Crusaders lost both of their games to Elizabethtown this season (82-68 at E-town Dec. 4., 67-61 at Susq. Jan. 30). While they didn't play King's this season, they dropped a 77-63 decision at King's in the MAC quarterfinals last season.
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