2008-09 Pittsburg State University
Women’s Basketball Season Outlook

By Heidi Johnson
Media Relations Assistant
    Pittsburg State women’s basketball head coach Lane Lord is in his second season at the helm of the Gorilla’s program. His first season was the season to establish his ideals and system of play ... an adjustment season. The 2008-09 season will give a better picture of what the future of Gorilla basketball under Lane Lord will look like.
    “A year ago, everything was new for everyone,” Lord said. “It was a transition period for both the players and the coaches. This year things are already going much better. Practices are smoother, people know what to expect and we are all having more fun.”
    At the foundation of the 2008-09 squad will be 10 players with at least one year of experience. That experience and depth is needed to play Lord’s style of basketball, running full court all the time. This style will make the Gorillas as fun for fans to watch as it is for the team to play.
    “Our goal is to speed up our opponents and make them play our game,” Lord said. “We want people to be uncomfortable because of our pressure on offense and defense.”
    Most of Pitt State’s experience and depth comes at the guard position, required by Lord’s four-guard system, a system that allows the Gorillas to push the ball and rely on their quickness. Lord returns seven guards from his first season, including four with significant starting experience, and adds two new players and a former player who took the 2007-08 season off.
    Junior Marissa Poppe (5-10, Girard, Kan.) has the most experience, now entering her third season as a Gorilla. She is Pitt State’s top three-point shooter and has worked in the off-season to elevate her game on both offense and defense. Senior Brianna Buchanan (5-8, Junction City, Mo.), the team’s leading scorer a year ago, is in only her second season in Pittsburg, but has played four years in Lord’s system after following him here from Barton County Community College. She is a competitive combo guard who has the ability to play the one-, two-, or three-guard position.
    Junior DePrice Taylor (5-8, Detroit, Mich.) started and played in 24 of 27 games last season and will continue in that type of role again this year. She is a powerful slasher and scorer with great intensity on the court. After dealing with various injuries in her career, senior Caitlin Demarest (5-6, Albuquerque, N.M.) is fully healthy and ready to run the floor from the point. She is a solid player on offense and defense and her senior leadership will be crucial to the Gorillas success this season.
    Looking to take on bigger roles in their second season will be sophomore shooting guard Bailey Waugh (5-9, Barlett, Kan.) and redshirt freshmen point guards Courtney Tate (5-9, Grandview, Mo.) and Kayla Hruby (5-6, Bolivar, Mo.). Waugh, who played in all 27 games in 07-08, is able to provide a spark off the bench, as well a nice shot beyond three-point range. After redshirt seasons for Tate and Hruby last year, both will be expected to contribute quality minutes this season. Tate is an athletic guard who will be an asset in the full court press. Hruby is a sharp passer and solid defender who will lend a hand at the point.
    Senior guard/forward Candice Gilbert (5-10, Minneapolis, Minn.), while not a newcomer to Pitt State, is a newcomer to Lord’s system. She took last season off after an all-conference performance her junior year. She will bring back to the court her explosive defense and ability to create her own shot. Junior guard Whitney Conerly (5-9, Ontario, Calif.) comes to Pittsburg from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. She was a junior college All-America selection in 2007 and is expected to make an immediate impact. She is exceptionally quick in transition and has the leadership abilities to make the players around her better.
    True freshman shooting guard Amanda Orloske (5-9, Wichita, Kan.) is a tough competitor. Much like Mark Smith and Caleb Farabi on the football field, Orloske had an extremely successful high school career, both as an individual and with her team and expects that to continue in her collegiate career. She finished as Wichita Heights High School’s leading scorer and willing and able to shoot the three whenever needed.
    Pitt State’s post players are less experienced than the guards, but are no less talented. Of the four posts, only one has seen significant playing time for the Gorillas. Two are returning players and two are new this season.
    Sophomore Laura Glenn (6-0, Marshfield, Mo.) is the returning leader down low. She started 11 games as a true freshman last season and quickly worked into being an overall team leader. Though she may be undersized at the post, she works hard and is a tenacious rebounder. She also has the ball handling skills to pop up and play guard if she needs to. Lord describes her as the team’s hardest worker and all around toughest player. Redshirt freshman Larissa Richards (6-3, Great Bend, Kan.) is coming back after suffering an ACL tear in last season’s opening game. She is a big presence in the paint and has the ability to alter shots and provide much needed rebounding for the Gorillas.
    Joining the two returners are newcomers Aubrey Jones (6-3, Pittsburg, Kan.) and Nicole McCombs (6-1, Richmond, Va.). Jones is a local talent who came back to Pittsburg after spending two years at Independence Community College. She has good size and excellent shot-blocking ability. McCombs brings Division I experience to Pittsburg after transferring to PSU from Drexel. She will be expected to step in and contribute immediately. McCombs is a left-handed post player who runs the court well and can score inside and out.
    With added athleticism and depth, the Gorillas should be much better in Lord’s second season. The greatest challenge will be remembering the lessons learned from taking some hard knocks last season.
    “We have to remember how to compete and play at a high level every time we step on the court,” Lord said. “If we can keep cool heads in the face of adversity and rise to the challenge every night, we will be much more competitive in year two.”