THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 30, 1996 TAG: 9603300446
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Wendy Larry and her coaching staff are in Charlotte this weekend for the women's Final Four, no doubt watching some familiar faces - Georgia, Tennessee and Stanford.
In its best season in Larry's nine years, ODU beat Georgia, which later would be ranked No. 1, in what was regarded as the biggest win inside the field house since the national championship years.
En route to a 29-3 finish, ODU was beaten on the road by Tennessee and Stanford. The Lady Monarchs' only other loss is the one that ended their season a week ago in Charlottesville, when ODU fell to a Virginia team that had won 15 straight postseason games on its home court in University Hall.
Ironic that the knock against ODU is that it doesn't play a tough schedule. In addition to playing three of the Final Four, ODU went 5-0 during the regular season against the rest of the NCAA field, with three wins over James Madison and victories over Texas and Colorado, both high seeds.
But the storied season is one for the ODU record books now, along with the careers of seniors Sarah Willyerd, Shonda Deberry and Esther Benjamin.
``Ticha (Penicheiro) will be a better floor leader next year,'' Larry said, noting that Penicheiro transferred in as a sophomore and has only worked with ODU's system for two years.
On paper, next season looks promising for ODU. The stars are back, led by Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year Penicheiro and first-teamer Clarisse Machanguana, the team's leading scorer. Both are candidates for the prestigious Kodak All-American team to be announced this weekend. Also back for more: CAA Rookie of the Year Mery Andrade and forward Nyree Roberts, who as a sophomore emerged as probably the best American player in the CAA.
But replacing Willyerd, Deberry and Benjamin won't be easy. They personify the game's fundamentals - classic role players essential in creating team chemistry. Larry has called Willyerd ``our heart, our stopper, our plugger.'' Willyerd and Benjamin started more than 100 games between them, and Deberry was a three-year starter.
Deberry's spot is up for grabs. Leading contenders would be sophomore Stacy Himes, gritty like a Deberry, or sophomore point guard Amber Eller, a complement to Penicheiro. But Andrade became a starter in her first year, and as ODU enters a recruiting season, a newcomer could be one of the starting five.
This year's two freshmen, Aubrey Eblin and Nicole Freudig, looked promising in limited playing time. Both spent the season being groomed on defense, and Eblin has proven herself a scoring threat, particularly from behind the 3-point arc. Sophomore center Angie Liston, at 6-foot-6, looks to be the next Benjamin, and had she not been slowed by a knee injury, would have seen more playing time.
Next year's schedule brings new challenges, too. ODU will meet Stanford at home and plays in the Central Fidelity Tournament in Richmond along with Duke and Vanderbilt.
After ODU's loss to Virginia, Larry was asked to expound on what a victory would have meant to the Lady Monarchs: ``It would have put us in the Elite Eight.''
That didn't happen this year. But a team that is top-heavy with goals accomplished one of its greatest for this season: to make the Sweet 16.
``That's a goal we set six months ago,'' Larry said after the Toledo win in the second round.
A No. 6 ranking and the most victories since the Marianne Stanley years are something the Lady Monarchs will try to build on for next season. by CNB