By Caleb Scott
The Ohio Northern women's basketball team will look to compete for its third consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season title and second consecutive NCAA III Tournament birth under 16th-year head coach Michele Durand.
The Polar Bears posted a 23-5 record a season ago and won the OAC Regular Season title before advancing to the second round of the NCAA III Tournament.
Northern welcomes back a wealth of talent and experience, as 12 letterwinners return to the 2016-17 squad.
"We are pretty optimistic about this season," said head coach Michele Durand. "This is a talented group if girls and we are really looking forward to this season."
Here is a breakdown of the 2016-17 women's basketball team, by position:
Point Guards
Northern welcomes back eight letterwinners, including First Team All-OAC honoree Britt Lauck (Lima/Shawnee).
Lauck returns after ranking second on the team with 10.1 points per game, leading the team with 3.4 assists per game, and starting in all 28 games last season.
"Britt will start at the point but will also play at the wing position. Her experience and leadership will be important for our team to be successful," said Durand.
Juniors Lindsey Black (Urbana/Graham) and Alexis Kirkbride (Zanesville/Rosecrans) will also compete for minutes a the point guard position.
Kirkbride appeared in 11 games for the Polar Bears and ranked second on the team after shooting 40.0 percent from the three point land.
Black appeared in nine games for Northern, averaging 1.6 points per game.
"Lindsey and Alexis are both healthy this season and should be good contributors for us," said Durand. "The two will see significant time at the one position."
Wings
Also returning in the back court is senior Angela Tesny (Medina/Medina) and junior Courtney Cramer (Arcadia/Arcadia).
Tesny made appearances in all 28 games for the Polar Bears and had a team-best 45.2 shooting percentage from behind the arc.
The senior currently owns the third best three point shooting percentage (.435) in ONU history.
Cramer appeared in all 28 games off of the bench for Northern in 2016 and averaged 13.6 minutes per game.
Junior guard Cassie Lindeman (Fort Jennings/Fort Jennings) also returns to the team after spending two seasons with the JV squad.
"All three of these girls have the ability to shoot the ball well," said Durand. "They can all get to the basket and make an impact outside for us."
Junior transfer Shannon Jack (Akron/St. Vincent St. Mary) and sophomore Alyssa Manley (Lima/Bath) will also compete for minutes in the backcourt.
"Shannon can really shoot the ball and we think she will have a positive impact and contribute a lot for us," said Durand. "Alyssa should also contribute but is coming off a very successful soccer season so it may take her a few weeks to get into basketball mode."
Freshman Abby Weeks (Cincinnati/Mount Notre Dame) will also look to compete for minutes for the Polar Bears.
Forwards
Senior Amauria Campbell (Cincinnati/Summit Country Day), junior Cheyenne Raker (Columbus/Westerville South), and sophomores Jenna Dirksen (Beavercreek/Carroll) and Tori Wyss (Ada/Ada) return as letterwinners for Northern and will provide a wealth of depth at the forward position.
Campbell appeared in 22 games for Northern last season and averaged 1.6 rebounds per game.
Dirksen makes her return as posting a solid freshman campaign.
The sophomore ranked third on the team among returners with 4.6 points per game and appeared in all 28 games for Northern.
"Amauria should see significant time this season. We are depending on her to rebound and be a defensive stopper," said Durand. "Jenna will also see significant time at the four position but will also play on the wing. She has the ability to make the long range shot as well as get to the basket."
Raker and Wyss will provide more depth at the position for Northern.
Raker appeared in 15 games last season and ranks fifth among returners with 1.7 rebounds per game last season.
Wyss appeared in 13 games and averaged 5.8 minutes per game for the Polar Bears.
"Cheyenne has been practicing well and will see time at both the four and the five position," said Durand. "Tori has been competing hard in practice as well. She has shown she can make the outside shot, handle the ball and is very good on the boards."
Center
The center position will be led by First Team All-OAC and Second Team All-Great Lakes Region honoree, junior Amy Bullimore (Morrow/Little Miami).
Bullimore returns to the team as a two time letterwinner and two time All-OAC honoree.
The junior led the team with 12.9 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game a season ago.
"I have high expectations for Amy. She runs the floor better than any center in the conference and also can shoot the outside shot. We will need her to rebound for us to be successful," said Durand.
Freshman Emily Mescher (Maria Stein/Marion Local) will also look to get into the rotation at the center position.
"Emily will back Amy up at the center spot. She gets better everyday in practice. She is the physical presence we will need inside when Amy is out of the game."
Overview
The Polar Bears are looking for their third consecutive OAC Regular Season Title and second straight NCAA III Tournament Appearance.
Northern has posted seven consecutive winning seasons under Durand.
"Overall I like our team chemistry and work ethic. Consistency will be the key to our success. This league, as always, is very strong. We will need to be ready to play every night especially at the defensive end of the floor if we want another OAC championship."
The Polar Bears open the season Nov. 15 as they travel to Case Western Reserve and take on the Spartans at 5:30 pm.
