Women's Mid-Con Notebook - TW (11-3-2005)

[ORUTerry]

Women's Mid-Con Notebook

By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer

11/3/2005

Senior stats: Maureen Obudho and Claudia Louis didn't put up huge stats, but each played huge roles in Oral Roberts' success down the stretch.

"They may not have done a whole lot stat-wise, but they had a lot of senior leadership," coach Jerry Finkbeiner said during the media day teleconference for the Mid-Continent Conference. "They helped us plow through the end of our season with the Mid-Con and NCAA."

So, who is the ORU coach relying on to fill those roles in 2005-06?

"We have four incoming players that we're very happy with, and you can throw Ebony Haliburton in there who is a junior college transfer who redshirted for us last year," he said. "She probably has the charisma to take over for Claudia. This team will be a little different. We're going to be a little deeper and a little faster. We'll see how that comes to play."

ORU opens the season Nov. 11 at New Mexico in the WNIT.

Oakland overlooked: How does a team that has three first-team all-conference preseason selections get picked to finish fourth in the league?

"I think the players are excited about that ranking; it maybe gave them some motivation," said coach Beckie Francis, who returns

to the Golden Grizzlies after a three-year absence.

Francis coached at Oakland until 2001-02.

Primed and poised: Tulsa metro area players Heather Wimberly of Booker T. Washington and Tobey Beer of Sapulpa are primed and poised to contribute at the point guard position for UMKC.

"We're real excited about those two young players," UMKC coach Bo Overton said. "They will play a big role. Right now Sammi Knapic will start at point, but with Heather and Tobey, we can move Sammi off the ball and utilize her shooting. Heather brings speed and quickness, and Tobey is just so smart. If you don't guard her, she'll make shots."

Overton directed the Kangaroos to the Mid-Con Tournament title game despite having just eight players. How equal are the teams this year?

"It's going to happen again," Overton said.

"I think last year when I first started talking to other coaches. Don't think for one second we don't have good coaches or players in this league, we do. Anytime you have a mix like that, you will have parity. I think the same thing will happen this year."

Block happy: IUPUI's Brooke McAfee ranks 21st in the NCAA career blocks list with 310 heading into her final year with the Jaguars.

Happy at home: Western Illinois holds the longest home winning streak in NCAA Division I men's or women's basketball with 39 consecutive victories.