CLU Sports

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - After a 7-18 overall record a year ago and 5-9 mark in conference play the Cal Lutheran women's basketball team has been revamped and reloaded for the 2009-2010 season. Head coach Roy Dow enters his second season at the helm of the program and welcomes 12 new players to his squad along with seven returners.

Seniors Nita Sims and Kelsey Paopao lead the cast of returners after they ranked second and third on the team in minutes per game last season.

"We are going to be looking to improve with 12 new players," Dow said. "We will hopefully minimize the peaks and valleys of a young team because they are very talented and we have a lot of capable players."

Guards/Wings
At guard Dow and the Regals return sophomores Meaghan Goodenough, Britlyn Garrett and Danika Briggs along with the aforementioned Paopao.

Paopao made 23 starts and played in all 25 games last year. She ranked fifth on the team in scoring, fourth in rebounds, second in assists and third in steals.

Goodenough was the only player besides Sims to start in all 25 contests in 2008-2009 while Briggs and Garrett appeared in all 25 games and combined to make seven starts.

"Meaghan is our floor leader and worked extremely hard over the summer to become a true college guard," Dow said.

Dow admits the door is open at guard like it is at all positions this season with 12 new players on board and is excited about his athletic incoming class of recruits.

"We actually have wings this year," Dow said. "We have people that are longer, more athletic and can play in the wing position. We have gone from a position that we didn't have a year ago and now it has become one of our strengths."

Joining the Regals at the guard and wing position is junior transfer Donielle Griggs (Ventura, CA/Ventura College), sophomore transfers Nadine Izaguirre (Oxnard, CA/Ventura College) and Chelsey Hastigan (Saugus, CA/Western State College) and freshmen Taylor Autry (Lakeside, CA/El Capitan HS), Starla Wright (Newhall, CA/Valencia HS), Alex Nelson (Bothell, WA/Inglemoor HS), Lejla Mlivic (Vancouver, WA/Hockinson HS) and Erica Whitley (Oxnard, CA/St. Bonaventure HS).

"The guard position will have significantly improved play from a year ago," Dow said. "Last years group defended well enough but was subpar in all the other areas."

Forwards/Posts
Along with Sims coming back to the post position, junior Christina Cherry and sophomore Shana Moore are back on board for the 2009-2010 season.

Sims was the leading scorer and rebounder last year with 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and blocked a team-high 12 shots while starting all 25 games on the year. Cherry averaged two rebounds and 10 minutes in the 24 games she appeared in while Moore made 13 starts and played in all 25 games as a freshman averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds.

"I expect production, rebounds, defense and toughness from the post players and it starts with Nita," Dow said. "Shana proved her self capable last year and has improved."

Freshmen Ally Crocker (San Diego, CA/Westview HS), Channing Fleischmann (Sparks, NV/McQueen HS), Brianna Parker (Sacramento, CA/Grant Union HS) and Rachel Heagy (San Mateo, CA/Notre Dame-Belmont HS) will add depth to the forward and post position.

Coaching Staff
Dow, in his second season since moving over to CLU from the men's basketball program at Caltech, welcomes back assistant coach Ray Capella (2nd year) and a pair of new assistant coaches in Monica Quan (1st year) and graduate assistant Katelyn Harrison (1st year).

Schedule
The Regals season will get underway on Nov. 22 when they host Linfield (OR) College. One week later CLU welcomes defending national champion and No. 4 George Fox (OR) University to Gilbert Arena. The Bruins were 32-0 last season.

On Dec. 19-20 the Regals will host the CLU West Coast Classic and face UC Santa Cruz and the University of Puget Sound (WA).

CLU will also play host to the Posada Royale Classic on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. The Regals will face a pair of out-of-state schools in No. 16 Howard Payne (TX) University (2007-08 National Champions) and North Park (IL) University.

Two days later CLU will square off at home with the national runner-up from two seasons ago Messiah (PA) College.

"We play five of the eight Northwest Conference schools. That plus Chapman is a measuring stick for us," Dow said. "We have the two most recent national champions plus a national runner-up. It is a great challenge and opportunity to grow."

Just like the men's team, the Regals will enjoy an eight-game home stand stretching over the holidays starting on Dec. 6 and lasting until Jan. 9.

Once the Regals are through their strong non-conference schedule SCIAC play begins on Jan. 7 when they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.

Defending conference regular season champion Occidental College is set to come to CLU on Jan. 16 and the Regals will head to Tiger country on Feb. 11.

To close the regular season schedule Dow and the Regals will travel to Whittier College on Feb. 20 to face a Poets team that defeated CLU twice last season.

"The SCIAC competition will be very good," Dow said. "Of the All-SCIAC players last year there was only one that graduated, so it seems that the league should be quite mature and have a lot of quality teams."