Lady Hawks counting on mix of experience and youth this season
By Chuck Tidmore
Sports Information Assistant
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon women's basketball team will be missing some familiar faces when the season opens on Friday with the Lady Hawks Classic.
Gone are the program's career scoring leader (Pat Pickens) and career-leader in rebounds (Tan Munford). But with nine returning players and 21 newcomers, head coach Buzz Phillips and assistant coach Paige Huff are optimistic.
"Any time you lose two players like Pat and Tan, who have been with the program for four years and have started since their freshman year, it hurts," Phillips said. "With those losses, we're going to have to handle the ball better and we're going to need to find some players to step up."
Leading the returning players are Savannah Ward, Mackenzie Garmany and Jenna Dorman, who each started more than 20 games last season.
"We're going to be counting on all three of those players," Phillips said. "Savannah started at point-guard last year and she's very scrappy. Mackenzie was our second-leading scorer last season and Jenna is someone we can count on to battle and get after it under the basket. Jello Weatherspoon is another returner who brings experience and speed to the court."
Among the newcomers are several Phillips believes will contribute immediately.
"I've been very impressed with freshman Mia Hudson. She has come in here and acts like she doesn't know what the word freshman means. She's responded very well," Phillips said. "Sophomore Gabby George is a transfer from LaGrange and she shoots the ball very well, freshman Peyton Hill from Brantley is a very good player and freshman Brooke Maddox has impressed me a lot. I think once those girls get some playing time and game experience, they'll only get better."
The Lady Hawks finished last season 13-12 (9-5 USA South) and were picked ninth in this season's USA South Athletic Conference preseason poll. Huntingdon missed out on the conference tournament during its first two seasons in the USA South. With a new tournament format this season, Phillips believes his team can reach its goal of making the conference tournament.
"The past two years we've been close to making it but we haven't," Phillips said. "There's a new format this year and it will take the top eight teams instead of using division rankings. I feel that will give us a good shot to make it. We need to take care of business, beat the teams we're supposed to beat and try to steal a few on the road."
Huntingdon will play Judson at 7 p.m. on Friday to close the first day of the Lady Hawk Classic. Huntingdon will play Agnes Scott on Saturday at 6 p.m. to close the tournament. Both games will be in Roland Arena.