RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Eastern Kentucky University women's basketball schedule has been released for the 1998-99 season. The upcoming season will be highlighted by a trip to Manhattan, KS, to play Kansas State and an appearance in the Seelbach Classic hosted by the University of Louisville.
Following their second straight Ohio Valley Conference championship and at least a share of three of the last four OVC titles, the Lady Colonels hope the '98-99 season brings yet another title to EKU. Returning three starters from last season's club that finished the regular season with a 20-8 overall record, the Lady Colonels are primed for another big run.
The Lady Colonels will open the 1998-99 season at Kansas State on November 18. This will mark the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Eastern's remaining non-conference schedule will include Miami University (Nov. 18 in Richmond), Xavier University (Nov. 28 in Cincinnati), Coastal Carolina University (Dec. 12 in Conway, SC), Wofford College (Dec. 13 in Spartanburg, SC), University of Louisville (Dec. 28 in Louisville), either University of Nebraska or Kent State University (Dec. 29 in Louisville) and rounding out the non-conference schedule will be the University of Kentucky on Feb. 16 in Richmond.
"This is probably one of the toughest schedules we've had in a long, long time," said EKU head coach Larry Joe Inman. "We play some good folks early.
"We open the season at Kansas State, we play Xavier in Cincinnati and then we're in a tournament at the end of December with Nebraska, Louisville and Kent State. Kansas State is awfully good and Nebraska, Louisville and Kent were all in the playoffs last season.
"All combined, I think we have one our better schedules. We have a young team that will have to grow up quick."
Led by junior Marla Gearhart and sophomore Charlotte Sizemore, the Lady Colonels will look for a three-peat in 1998-99. Gearhart, a 5-9 guard, returns as the OVC's top three-point shooting threat as she connected on 39.8 percent of her three-point attempts last season and helped pace a team that shot 43.7 percent from behind the arc, third best in the nation.
After a great rookie campaign, Sizemore, a 5-11 forward, was named to the OVC All-Freshman team. She averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 rebounds for Eastern last year. Sizemore proved her scoring touch, adding 10 or more points in 11 of the 28 games she played in last year.
Also returning to the Lady Colonel starting line-up will be senior Jennifer King. The 5-11 forward averaged 3.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while starting 12 contests last year. King will return as the Lady Colonels' top field goal shooter, as she connected on 45.8 percent of her shots from the floor.
Other returnees to Eastern are 6-2 senior forward-center Shannon Browning (5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg); 6-2 senior center Cathy Dues (1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg); 6-1 sophomore forward-center Candice Finley (3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg); 6-1 sophomore center Karen Flannery (2.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg); 6-0 sophomore guard Shamira Thedford (1.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg); 5-9 sophomore guard Nyame Dobson (1.1 ppg. 0.4 rpg); 6-1 sophomore forward Susan Hatcher (0.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg); and 5-11 sophomore guard Larrya Wall (0.4 ppg, 0.5 rpg).
Four newcomers will be introduced this fall. They include 5-8 sophomore guard Casandra Ferguson from Detroit, MI; 5-7 freshman guard Mikki Bond from Knoxville, TN; 5-10 freshman guard Zoey Artist from Anita, IA; and 6-2 freshman forward-center Crystal Mason from Detroit, MI.
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