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KWC women's team working for more success this season

mark mathis, messenger-inquirer, owensboro, ky.
·4 min read

Nov. 2—Kentucky Wesleyan College was picked second in the G-MAC women's basketball preseason coaches poll.

That is a pretty big deal considering the No. 1 team in the G-MAC preseason rankings is Ashland. That Ohio school is also the defending NCAA Division 2 women's national champion.

Ashland was 37-0 last season and was ranked No. 1 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll that was released on Tuesday (Oct. 31) afternoon.

Like most coaches, Caleb Nieman doesn't put a lot of stock in preseason polls. Caleb and Nicole Nieman are co-head coaches at KWC.

"I don't think I have much of a clue," Caleb said. "Ashland will be good. They will be the team to beat, not just in the conference, but in the nation."

Playing in the same league as the top team in the nation in Division 2 carries some weight.

"We take a lot pride in it, being part of the conference we are in," Caleb said. "Several arguments are out there that we are the toughest conference in the nation. We put four teams in the (NCAA), we have the national champion. Malone gave them maybe their best game in the tournament.

"Our team takes a lot of pride in playing tough competition ever night."

KWC finished 23-7, 18-2 in the G-MAC last season, reaching the NCAA Regional for the fifth time with the Niemans has head coaches.

The Panthers open up their season on Friday, November 10th, when they travel to Nashville to take part in the Midwest Region Crossover at Trevecca Nazarene. There they will take on Drury and Southwest Baptist.

Trevecca Nazarene and Northwood took the two spots right behind the Panthers in the G-MAC poll.

KWC won't open at home until Wednesday, Nov. 15, when it hosts Simmons College.

The Panthers have gotten some work in scrimmages at Wabash Valley and Southeast Missouri.

"We were able to adjust and fix things on the fly, right as we were playing," Caleb said. "That's always a good sign, to be able to adapt within a game. We are still trying to have a fast pace of play."

The Panthers lost three key seniors to graduation last season, including two 1,000 points scorers in Cali Nolot and Tahlia Walton. Kentucky Wesleyan still brings back plenty of an experience, led by seniors Shiya Hoosier, Corina Conley, Jordyn Barga, and Shaylee McDonald. Those four have combined to play 358 games and total an impressive 8,061 minutes on the court. Also returning are sophomore Myah Montgomery and Hadley Lytton, who each saw significant playing time as freshman last season.

Helping out with experience will be transfers Emmy Ralph and Sydnee Richetto. Ralph, who comes to KWC from Indiana-Southeast, scored over 1,000 points at IUSE, and averaged an impressive 21.8 points a game last season. Richetto comes to the Panthers after playing 56 games at Division I Wofford the past two years. Last season, she helped the Terriers to their first ever 20-win season, as they won the SoCON regular season title.

KWC will have two redshirts ready to contribute, with senior Jevin Shreve and sophmore Marisa Wirtz ready to get back on the court after sitting out last season.

Newcomer Mariah Jones comes to the team after playing two seasons of volleyball for the Panthers. Prior to her college days, Jones was a standout basketball player at Pleasure Ridge Park high school in Louisville.

All this talent, combined with a freshman class of Jordan Gillies, Bailey Poole, Jazmin Torres, Graci Risley, and Mattie Clanton, will make for at team that can win a lot of games this year.

"We couldn't ask for more, as far as blended and coming together as a group," Caleb said of meshing quite a few new players in with the returning veterans. "When half the team is new players, you're concerned about how everyone is going to fit. It's been a joy to come in gym and work with them. Credit to the returnees who have helped guide them. Credit to new ones who have wanted to come in and grow and learn."