The University of Nevada women’s basketball team will host San Francisco State in an exhibition contest on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The game will take place at Lawlor Events Center and is free to the public.
San Francisco State leads the overall series with Nevada 4-3. The Wolf Pack have won the last three meetings by double digit margins, with the last victory coming in a 73-30 win during the 1988-89 season in Reno. Nevada is coming off of a seventh place finish during the 2011-12 season, its last in the Western Athletic Conference, ending the year (7-23, 3-11 WAC). Head coach Jane Albright enters her fifth year at the helm, holding a 64-64 record and 461-376 overall in 28 years of coaching.
“The team has trained hard and is eager to play Sunday,” head coach Jane Albright said. “There is an old saying that teams are built in the off season. We will be poised for improvement on the court this year after putting a lot of work in during the off season.”
Nevada enters its first year in the Mountain West with a fairly young squad, as Chanelle Brennan is the lone senior on the team. Brennan returns as the team’s leading scorer, finishing the 2011-12 season with 10.1 ppg. The Ventura, Calif., native started in 21 of Nevada’s 30 games last year. Juniors Danika Sharp and Arielle Wideman will see an increased role at the guard positions this season. Both appeared in all 30 games for the Wolf Pack and started in 18. Sharp returns as the team’s top free throw shooter, as her .813 percentage ranked third best in the Western Athletic Conference last season. Wideman returns as the team’s leader in assists. The junior recorded a total of 110 assists, 16 behind last year’s senior point guard Amanda Johnson. Fellow junior Amber Smith will also see an expanded role at the forward spot with the departure of Kate Kevorken. Smith appeared in 29 of Nevada’s 30 games during the 2011-12 season.
“Although we only return four upper classmen and are inexperienced, we hope to make up for that with our enthusiasm, hustle plays, defense, and team chemistry,” Albright said.
Sophomores Aja Johnson and Emily Burns return with a year of experience after logging solid minutes as freshmen. Both appeared in all 30 games, with Johnson starting in three and Burns in four. Johnson scored a career high 17 points in a win over Cal State Bakersfield, finishing the game a perfect 8-8 from the field, with six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Burns Recorded her first career double-double last year in a win over Idaho, finishing with 11 points and 13 rebounds Sophomore Mimi Mungedi will look to have a breakout year and fill the void in the paint left by last season’s senior forward Kayla Williams. Mungedi appeared in 24 games last season, logging a career high 17 minutes in the contest with Penn State. Faith Lois will also be prepared to take on an important role with the team in her sophomore year. The Westosha, Wisc., guard will see expanded minutes during the 2012-13 season.
Redshirt freshman Kelsey Kaelin will add depth to the guard position. Local freshman product Nyasha LeSure (Reed High School) will see time at the forward spot along with fellow freshman Julia Shelbourn from Whitewater, Wis. Daily City, Calif., native Terilyn Moe (Terra Nova High School), rounds out the freshman class and will look to bolster the point guard spot in her first year with the team.
“The community will be pleased with our individual and group improvements that we have made and will continue to make,” Albright said. “We look forward to seeing all of our fans back in Lawlor, as we begin to prepare for a tough new season in the Mountain West.”
