Like the men’s team, the Lady Norse will lose valuable members of the 2006-07 team to graduation.
The Lady Norse won’t exactly have a bare cupboard for 2007-08.
NKU did not have a superstar on the team. It was balanced in just about every category, especially in scoring, led by senior Brittany Winner and junior center Angela Healy.
Both averaged 11.3 points per game in the Lady Norse’s balanced scoring attack. Healy and sophomore Cassie Brannen should become a formidable duo in the post in the 2007-08 campaign.
Healy, a 6-foot-1 center and former Highlands High standout, wasn’t just impressive as a scorer on the low block for the Lady Norse. She finished second on the team with 84 assists and connected on 81 percent of her throws.
Brannen, who was an integral part on the Mount Notre Dame team that won the Division I state title in 2004 and the team that was runner up in 2005, has opened eyes both offensively and defensively.
Coming off the bench in 31 games as a freshman, Brannen averaged an impressive 6.7 points and four rebounds a game as a freshman, while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
Brannen was even more impressive as a starter in 2006-07. She started 23 games for the Lady Norse and led the team in overall shooting at 59 percent. She also finished second in rebounding to fellow low-post presence Angela Healy at 5.1 boards per game.
The Lady Norse will need the frontcourt to play to its potential in 2007-08, and if this season was indicative of anything, Brannen and Healy are going to be a force in the GLVC.
Key members from the Backcourt Return
Nicole Chiodi will return for her senior year, and she has proven over the last three years to be a strong floor general and arguably the team’s best overall player.
Chiodi had an outstanding year, leading the Norse in assists, and despite playing point guard, finished third in rebounds.
She was also reliable near the end of games, shooting 75 percent at the free throw line. The Lady Norse will need more of the same in 2007-08, as the team loses five seniors.
The buzzer-beating loss to Ferris State will sting for a while. However, it will probably serve as motivation for the returning players, who over came a sluggish start to the season.
Things appear to be looking up for the Lady Norse in 2007-08.