2008 Woodie Awards
FINAL FOUR AND NO MORE
Lady Rams fall to PSAC Champ IUP in final four
By LJ Harrell
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: Sports
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A season in which the Lady Rams lost star forward Katie Kline before division play began, West Chester finished with the same division record as last year (9-3). They also finished one win shy of twenty victories. West Chester finished second in PSAC East behind Millersville who finished with an undefeated conference record.
"I am very happy with the results this season," Head Coach Deirdre Kane said. "Especially after losing Katie Kline. We didn't quite meet expectations. We wanted to win the PSAC East and make it to the PSAC Championship."
This season was also full of history, good and bad. On Jan. 23, Cheyney University snapped a 16-year, 33-game losing streak against the Lady Rams when they defeated West Chester at Cope Hall 65-60. But on March 4, West Chester defeated Cheyney for the programs 600th all-time victory.
More milestones were met when senior Captain Catherine Andrews finished her West Chester career fourth on the all-time three-point field goals made (87) and fourth on the school's all-time three-point field goals attempted (320). Andrews was also named to the PSAC Eastern Division's second team. She ranked second on the team averaging 11.2 points per game and her 117 assists led the team.
Also, freshman point guard Megan Stewart became the first freshman in West Chester history to finish with 103 assists. Stewart also led the league in assist to turnover ratio at +1.81. She also averaged 6.8 points per game and three rebounds per contest.
Dana Weems, a transfer from Harcum Junior College, was instrumental in the success of the Lady Rams this year. She started playing guard, but the versatile player ended up playing the forward position when Kline went down to an injury. Weems finished the season leading West Chester in scoring (12 points per game) and second in rebounding (7.3 per game). She was also selected by the basketball coaches as the PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year and to the league's first team.
Sophomore center Janelle Garber, also named to the PSAC East's second team, averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. With the absence of Kline, Garber stepped up to the challenge and took on all comers throughout the year.
The Lady Rams will have a new look next season as Andrews, Kline and Amanda Vitzakovitch will be lost to graduation, but the nucleus of this year's PSAC East runner up remains in tact.
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