Athletics - Women's Basketball

MOUNT VERNON — The Cornell women’s basketball team continues to make strides in head coach Brent Brase’s third year of rebuilding the program.

“In the first two years, we established an identity. We went about things the right way,” Brase said. “In Year 3, we’ve been building on that. We’ve added more talent and more athleticism this season. We’re not a finished product, but I feel like we’re taking the steps we wanted to take.”

The Rams hope to improve on last year’s 8-17 overall record and 3-13 finish in the Iowa Conference. Cornell brings back seven letterwinners, including three starters in Tiffany Cowan (Independence, Mo./Truman), Brianna Wallace (Eldridge/North Scott) and Valerie Marean (Indianola/Indianola). The Rams added depth with eight newcomers to their 16-player preseason roster.

Five of the Rams recently joined the team after finishing their fall seasons in other sports. Cowan, Heather Roberts (Chicago, Ill./Gwendolyn Brooks) and Kristin Paczosa (Arlington Heights, Ill./ Buffalo Grove) were members on Cornell’s volleyball team. Wallace and Adrianna Montellano (San Luis Obispo, Calif./Sky View Christian) played soccer.

“We’ve had one practice with our full squad,” Brase said Nov. 7. “It’s like having five kids injured for all of the preseason. It will be January before we all catch up to speed. Our lineup could change in three or four weeks.”

The Rams have the luxury of playing five of their first seven games at home. Cornell opens the 2007-08 campaign Nov. 17 in a 2 p.m. tip-off at home against Monmouth. The Rams begin league play against defending IIAC champion Luther Nov. 28 in Decorah.

Cornell is picked to finish ninth in the IIAC Coaches Poll. Simpson is the preseason favorite with 70 points and six first-place votes. Luther follows close behind in second with 67 points and three first-place tallies. Loras and Wartburg are tied for third.

Cowan is the top returning player on a team that does not field a single senior. The 5-10 junior forward led the Rams in scoring (12.5 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg), blocked shots (18) and steals (2.2 spg) while shooting 35.3 percent (36-of-102) from 3-point range. Cowan ranked third in the IIAC in rebounds and steals per game. She recorded four double-doubles and started every game of her sophomore season.

Wallace, a junior, started the first 12 games last season before sitting out the rest of the year because of an ACL injury. The 5-6 guard totaled 83 assists and 53 steals as a freshman. Marean started 12 of the final 13 games last season. The sophomore guard ranked seventh in the IIAC with a team-high 50 3-point goals made. Marean was second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg), assists (40), steals (18) and free throw percentage (77.6).

Juniors Roberts and Stephanie Gillespie (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South) and sophomores Paczosa and Charlotte Milas (Arlington Heights, Ill./ Rolling Meadows) also earned varsity letters a year ago. Paczosa, who started the final four games of 2006-07, was second on the team in rebounds (5.0 ppg) and blocked shots (16).

The rest of the Rams roster includes junior Denise Duplessis (Lindenhurst, Ill./Warren Township), a transfer from College of Lake County (Ill.) Community College, sophomore Jericha O’Steen (Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland Christian) and freshmen Meghan Gorski (Villa Park, Ill./St. Francis), Sarah Moore (Green Bay, Wis./Green Bay Southwest), Tricia Weldon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty), Jen Swotek (Council Bluffs/Thomas Jefferson), Melanie Duplessis (Lindenhurst, Ill./Warren Township), Alicia West (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) and Montellano.

“We’ll have 12 or 13 players in the mix for playing time, including four of five newcomers,” Brase said. “To be successful, we’ll need to rebound, be good in defensive transition and limit our turnovers. For the first time since I’ve been here, we’ll be able to pick up full court (defensively) with constant pressure. You have to be good defensively to win games. I want the kids to compete on every possession.”