Springfield Republican: 'AIC has upset on its mind'
Mar 21, 2006

By DICK BAKER

rbaker@repub.com

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Run down through the statistics of the Emporia State women's basketball team, and it becomes clear that American International College is the underdog in tomorrow's 3 p.m. NCAA Division II Elite Eight game.

The Yellow Jackets, coming off three straight wins to take Northeast Regional championship, are facing a team that just knocked off defending national champion Washburn University 61-59 in overtime in the South Central regional. That ended Washburn's 51-game overall winning streak, and its 37-home game run as well.

Emporia (28-4) came back from a 17-2 deficit to overtake No. 1 ranked Washburn, which was missing a key post player hurt a few games ago. It's the second straight year the Kansas-based school has knocked the No. 1 team in the nation out of the tournament on its own floor. Last year, the Lady Hornets defeated Drury, also in overtime.

Emporia is ranked No. 8 in the Division II Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 poll. AIC (24-7) is the only Elite Eight team that is not ranked.

The Lady Hornets are averaging 82.8 points while allowing only 61.7. They have recorded 235 more assists and 112 more steals than their foes, and have a seven rebound per game edge. They've also committed 124 less turnovers. They have size, including a 6-foot-5 center in Denisa Svarova.

But check out the numbers of their main threat, sophomore Michelle Stueve, to see what the Yellow Jackets are up against. She's averaging 23 points per game, shooting 45.3 percent from 3-point range (91 for 201) and 49.4 overall from the field. From the foul line, she's hitting 84.9 percent (152 of 179), tops of the team, and also sports a team-leading 8.9 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-2 standout is so good that even a passenger sitting behind AIC coach Pete Cinella on the plane during the first leg of yesterday morning's trip (to Baltimore) knew about her. By chance, the fellow was a Washburn supporter and had been at the regional championship game.

"She's streaky, and if she gets hot, she'll score 40," he warned.

So much for a smooth flight.

Still, the Yellow Jackets have some numbers of their own to boast about, and much of that is in regard to their defense.

"We've only given up more than 70 points once this year, and when they've (Emporia) been held to under 70, they're 2-3," Cinella said. "We have to play tough east coast basketball."

The job of guarding Stueve, at least at the start, will go to 6-foot-1 senior Tiffany Wooten.

"She has to deny her the ball," Cinella said. "And when she (Stueve) does shoot, go to the right with her, and don't foul."

Cinella feels that AIC must pressure the ball to keep Emporia from getting lob passes into Svarova or 6-1 junior Casey Henningsen, who is averaging 12.

Emporia guard Andi McAlexander, the only senior on the team, is averaging 13.4 points. Stueve, Henningsen, and McAlexander have passed the 1,000 career point mark.

The films show that Emporia loves to trap, and seeing that coming could be an opportunity for AIC to get the ball to the open player for an easy basket. AIC is going to need to run to get opportunities, but know when to pull back if the opening is not there.

And if Sharmion Selman, and Krystal Pressley can provide the offense, and Alissa Rubino takes guard Tegan Stuart out of her game, Emporia's impressive pre-game numbers won't matter anymore.

ELITE EIGHT ITEMS: The Yellow Jackets practiced yesterday at 7 a.m. at Butova Gymnasium before making the flight. At the end of practice, about 20 staff and faculty members showed up in the Butova parking lot to wish them well ... Washburn beat Emporia twice during the regular season. The first was 72-70 at Emporia, the second, 73-57 at Washburn. The other two Emporia losses came to Central Missouri, both 63-60. Emporia is averaging 2,648 per game at home this season after setting a school record and leading the nation in Division II last year at 2,384.