Lindley Era Begins at Metro State Classic
Nov 10, 2011 | General, Women's Basketball
Weekly Release
Live Stats (both games)
Live Webcast (both games - subscription required)
Live Audio (Metro State only)
The UNO women's basketball team takes to the court for the first time this season - and for the first time ever under new head coach Chance Lindley - as the Mavericks begin play at the Metro State Classic against Western State (Colo.) on Friday. The Mavericks and Mountaineers tip off at 4 p.m. (CT) at the Auraria Event Center in Denver, Colo.
On Saturday, the Mavs finish up play at the tournament against host Metro State at 6 p.m. (CT), also at the Auraria Event Center. Free live stats for both games will be available for fans to follow on OMavs.com. A live webcast link (subscription required) can be found at OMavs.com for both games. The Metro State game will have audio available over the Internet, and that link can also be found at OMavs.com.
The Teams
The UNO Mavericks begin their 41st season in school history on Friday, but for the first time they will be led by a male, as Chance Lindley takes over the program after Patty Patton Shearer resigned in March. The 2011-12 season will be the first for the Mavericks as a Division I school. UNO won't begin a full Summit League schedule until 2012-13, but the Mavs will still play 12 games against Division I opponents this year, including three against Summit League schools. UNO returns four starters from last year's team that went 8-18 overall and 5-17 in the Division II MIAA. Senior Heather Pohl returns after leading UNO last year in scoring (17.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). Junior point guard Jamie Nash averaged 11.5 ppg and a team-high 4.6 assists per game.
Western State returns five starters and all 12 letterwinners from its 2010-11 squad that went 11-16 overall and 9-13 in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for a tie-for-eighth finish in the conference standings.
Metro State returns three starters from last year, which saw the Roadrunners go 30-3 overall and 21-1 in the RMAC under first-year head coach Tanya Haave. The Roadrunners won the RMAC title and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
The Coaches
Chance Lindley is in his first year as the Mavericks' head coach. The 35-year-old Lindley comes to UNO from Arizona, where he was an assistant for three years. Lindley's first collegiate head coaching gig came at Barton County Community College, where he went 34-4 in 2007-08 before moving on to Arizona. Lindley graduated cum laude from Wichita State in 2000 with a degree in physical education.
Latricia Trammell is in her fifth year as the head coach at Western State. Trammell is 49-61 at the school and in her career. Trammell graduated from East Central in 1992. She is assisted by Jill Mahoney.
Tanya Haave is in her second year as the head coach at Metro State. Haave is 30-3 at the school and has a 66-89 career record over five years. Haave graduated from Tennessee in 1985. She is assisted by Tyler Cline and Jezzal Quintana.
Scouting the Western State Mountaineers
Western State returns five starters and all 12 letterwinners from its 2010-11 squad that went 11-16 overall and 9-13 in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for a tie-for-eighth finish in the conference standings. The Mountaineers went 0-3 in three exhibition games this season, losing at Baylor 94-24, at Arizona 73-56 and at Wyoming 61-46. Brooke Pendergraft and Nikki Trujillo each scored 7.0 points per game for WSC, while Katie Hall averaged 5.7 rebounds per game. Pendergraft is the leading returning scorer at 14.3 ppg.
Scouting the Metro State Roadrunners
Metro State returns three starters from last year, which saw the Roadrunners go 30-3 overall and 21-1 in the RMAC under first-year head coach Tanya Haave. The Roadrunners won the RMAC title and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. The Roadrunners split two exhibition games, knocking off Lubbock Christian 61-44 and losing at Texas Tech 73-43. Freshman Jenessa Burke scored 13.0 points per game to lead the Roadrunners. Senior guard Jasmine Cervantes is the top returning player, leading Metro State in nearly every major statistical category last season.
The Series
Friday's meeting with Western State will be the first ever between the Mavericks and Mountaineers.
UNO is 6-1 all-time against Metro State, including a 3-1 record on Metro State's home court. The two teams last met on Dec. 1, 2007, with UNO winning 69-56 at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
Pohl Set to Lead Nebraska Omaha in 2011-12
As the only senior and the Mavs' leading returning scorer and rebounder, Heather Pohl is UNO's undisputed leader on the court entering the 2011-12 season. The returning All-MIAA honorable-mention selection finished her junior year by avaraging 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, both team highs. Pohl also shot a team-best 84.3 percent from the free-throw line and 35.2 percent from the 3-point line.
Record Seekers
Pohl and Jamie Nash are climbing the charts in UNO women's basketball history. Pohl ranks seventh in school history in career 3-point field goals made with 113. With 56 treys this year, Pohl would move into second place in school history. She hit 62 last season, which ranks third for single-season 3-pointers made at UNO. Nash's 120 assists last season tied for ninth-best in a single season, and her 81 steals in 2009-10 are also tied for ninth in school history. Nash's 161 steals in her first two seasons at UNO rank just outside the top 10 in school history. Entering the 2011-12 season, Nash is on pace for 322 career steals. The school record is 331, set by Kriss Edwards from 1977-81.
Mavericks Reclassify to Division I
Nebraska Omaha announced in March 2011 its plan to reclassify from NCAA Division II to Division I, beginning with the 2011-12 school year. UNO, which was previously a member of the MIAA, accepted an invitation to join The Summit League and will compete as a full-fledged member with a regular-season conference schedule in 2012-13.
UNO Faces Challenging Schedule in First Division I Season
The Nebraska Omaha women's basketball team will play at last year's SEC runner-up Kentucky and will host two games against Division I opponents in the 2011-12 season. In all, the Mavs will play 27 games in their first season as a Division I transitional school, including 12 at the Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO will play 12 games against Division I opponents, including three against Summit League schools - Western Illinois twice and UMKC.
Mavs Add Six Fresh Faces
Chance Lindley made it a point of emphasis to recruit size in his first signing class. The Mavs added two 6-4 post players and a 6-1 forward. Last year, UNO's two tallest players stood 6-1.
Chadron native Kelsie Lliteras, a 6-4 junior forward, transferred from North Carolina State and will sit out the 2011-12 season because of NCAA transfer rules. Lliteras played in 20 games for the Wolfpack last season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. As a freshman, she played in the Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament game in 2010.
Also at 6-4, freshman Taijhe Kelly played on one of the nation's top high school teams the past two seasons. A Carson, Calif., native, Kelly averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for Long Beach Poly High School, which finished 25-3 last season and ranked eighth in the nation.
JUCO transfer Zenta Liepa adds more size at 6-1. A Riga, Latvia native, Liepa played last season at Independence Community College in Kansas. Before that, she played one season at Logan College in Carterville, Ill. Liepa averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Lady Pirates last season, helping them to a 30-3 record and the Region VI semifinals.
Rese Huddlin, a junior college transfer, adds a strong rebounding presence from the guard position. The 5-10 Hartford, Conn., native played two seasons at Casper College in Wyoming, averaging 9.6 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Cathleen Cox, a 5-9 freshman guard from Elkhorn, joins the Mavs after leading the Antlers in scoring last season with 15 points per game. She earned first-team all-state honors.
The Mavs also picked up Myhiah Dotzler, a walk-on transfer guard from Concordia.
Next Up for the Mavericks
UNO plays its first home game of the year on Tuesday, Nov. 15, as Upper Iowa visits the Sapp Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Live Stats (both games)
Live Webcast (both games - subscription required)
Live Audio (Metro State only)
The UNO women's basketball team takes to the court for the first time this season - and for the first time ever under new head coach Chance Lindley - as the Mavericks begin play at the Metro State Classic against Western State (Colo.) on Friday. The Mavericks and Mountaineers tip off at 4 p.m. (CT) at the Auraria Event Center in Denver, Colo.
On Saturday, the Mavs finish up play at the tournament against host Metro State at 6 p.m. (CT), also at the Auraria Event Center. Free live stats for both games will be available for fans to follow on OMavs.com. A live webcast link (subscription required) can be found at OMavs.com for both games. The Metro State game will have audio available over the Internet, and that link can also be found at OMavs.com.
The Teams
The UNO Mavericks begin their 41st season in school history on Friday, but for the first time they will be led by a male, as Chance Lindley takes over the program after Patty Patton Shearer resigned in March. The 2011-12 season will be the first for the Mavericks as a Division I school. UNO won't begin a full Summit League schedule until 2012-13, but the Mavs will still play 12 games against Division I opponents this year, including three against Summit League schools. UNO returns four starters from last year's team that went 8-18 overall and 5-17 in the Division II MIAA. Senior Heather Pohl returns after leading UNO last year in scoring (17.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). Junior point guard Jamie Nash averaged 11.5 ppg and a team-high 4.6 assists per game.
Western State returns five starters and all 12 letterwinners from its 2010-11 squad that went 11-16 overall and 9-13 in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for a tie-for-eighth finish in the conference standings.
Metro State returns three starters from last year, which saw the Roadrunners go 30-3 overall and 21-1 in the RMAC under first-year head coach Tanya Haave. The Roadrunners won the RMAC title and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
The Coaches
Chance Lindley is in his first year as the Mavericks' head coach. The 35-year-old Lindley comes to UNO from Arizona, where he was an assistant for three years. Lindley's first collegiate head coaching gig came at Barton County Community College, where he went 34-4 in 2007-08 before moving on to Arizona. Lindley graduated cum laude from Wichita State in 2000 with a degree in physical education.
Latricia Trammell is in her fifth year as the head coach at Western State. Trammell is 49-61 at the school and in her career. Trammell graduated from East Central in 1992. She is assisted by Jill Mahoney.
Tanya Haave is in her second year as the head coach at Metro State. Haave is 30-3 at the school and has a 66-89 career record over five years. Haave graduated from Tennessee in 1985. She is assisted by Tyler Cline and Jezzal Quintana.
Scouting the Western State Mountaineers
Western State returns five starters and all 12 letterwinners from its 2010-11 squad that went 11-16 overall and 9-13 in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for a tie-for-eighth finish in the conference standings. The Mountaineers went 0-3 in three exhibition games this season, losing at Baylor 94-24, at Arizona 73-56 and at Wyoming 61-46. Brooke Pendergraft and Nikki Trujillo each scored 7.0 points per game for WSC, while Katie Hall averaged 5.7 rebounds per game. Pendergraft is the leading returning scorer at 14.3 ppg.
Scouting the Metro State Roadrunners
Metro State returns three starters from last year, which saw the Roadrunners go 30-3 overall and 21-1 in the RMAC under first-year head coach Tanya Haave. The Roadrunners won the RMAC title and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. The Roadrunners split two exhibition games, knocking off Lubbock Christian 61-44 and losing at Texas Tech 73-43. Freshman Jenessa Burke scored 13.0 points per game to lead the Roadrunners. Senior guard Jasmine Cervantes is the top returning player, leading Metro State in nearly every major statistical category last season.
The Series
Friday's meeting with Western State will be the first ever between the Mavericks and Mountaineers.
UNO is 6-1 all-time against Metro State, including a 3-1 record on Metro State's home court. The two teams last met on Dec. 1, 2007, with UNO winning 69-56 at the Sapp Fieldhouse.
Pohl Set to Lead Nebraska Omaha in 2011-12
As the only senior and the Mavs' leading returning scorer and rebounder, Heather Pohl is UNO's undisputed leader on the court entering the 2011-12 season. The returning All-MIAA honorable-mention selection finished her junior year by avaraging 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, both team highs. Pohl also shot a team-best 84.3 percent from the free-throw line and 35.2 percent from the 3-point line.
Record Seekers
Pohl and Jamie Nash are climbing the charts in UNO women's basketball history. Pohl ranks seventh in school history in career 3-point field goals made with 113. With 56 treys this year, Pohl would move into second place in school history. She hit 62 last season, which ranks third for single-season 3-pointers made at UNO. Nash's 120 assists last season tied for ninth-best in a single season, and her 81 steals in 2009-10 are also tied for ninth in school history. Nash's 161 steals in her first two seasons at UNO rank just outside the top 10 in school history. Entering the 2011-12 season, Nash is on pace for 322 career steals. The school record is 331, set by Kriss Edwards from 1977-81.
Mavericks Reclassify to Division I
Nebraska Omaha announced in March 2011 its plan to reclassify from NCAA Division II to Division I, beginning with the 2011-12 school year. UNO, which was previously a member of the MIAA, accepted an invitation to join The Summit League and will compete as a full-fledged member with a regular-season conference schedule in 2012-13.
UNO Faces Challenging Schedule in First Division I Season
The Nebraska Omaha women's basketball team will play at last year's SEC runner-up Kentucky and will host two games against Division I opponents in the 2011-12 season. In all, the Mavs will play 27 games in their first season as a Division I transitional school, including 12 at the Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO will play 12 games against Division I opponents, including three against Summit League schools - Western Illinois twice and UMKC.
Mavs Add Six Fresh Faces
Chance Lindley made it a point of emphasis to recruit size in his first signing class. The Mavs added two 6-4 post players and a 6-1 forward. Last year, UNO's two tallest players stood 6-1.
Chadron native Kelsie Lliteras, a 6-4 junior forward, transferred from North Carolina State and will sit out the 2011-12 season because of NCAA transfer rules. Lliteras played in 20 games for the Wolfpack last season, averaging 0.9 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. As a freshman, she played in the Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament game in 2010.
Also at 6-4, freshman Taijhe Kelly played on one of the nation's top high school teams the past two seasons. A Carson, Calif., native, Kelly averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for Long Beach Poly High School, which finished 25-3 last season and ranked eighth in the nation.
JUCO transfer Zenta Liepa adds more size at 6-1. A Riga, Latvia native, Liepa played last season at Independence Community College in Kansas. Before that, she played one season at Logan College in Carterville, Ill. Liepa averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 rebounds for the Lady Pirates last season, helping them to a 30-3 record and the Region VI semifinals.
Rese Huddlin, a junior college transfer, adds a strong rebounding presence from the guard position. The 5-10 Hartford, Conn., native played two seasons at Casper College in Wyoming, averaging 9.6 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Cathleen Cox, a 5-9 freshman guard from Elkhorn, joins the Mavs after leading the Antlers in scoring last season with 15 points per game. She earned first-team all-state honors.
The Mavs also picked up Myhiah Dotzler, a walk-on transfer guard from Concordia.
Next Up for the Mavericks
UNO plays its first home game of the year on Tuesday, Nov. 15, as Upper Iowa visits the Sapp Fieldhouse for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
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