Oct. 15, 2004
The Duquesne University women's basketball team will officially start their season this Saturday, Oct. 16 under the direction of 12th-year veteran Dan Durkin.
Three starters are back for the 2004-05 campaign looking to build on last year's 16-13 overall mark, which included a 10-6 showing in the Atlantic 10. The program's 10 league wins ties the school record set back in 1998. Despite a strong drive for post-season play, the Dukes saw their chance to dance get just out of reach as four teams from the highly competitive and successful Atlantic 10 Conference advanced - two each in the NCAA and WNIT tournaments. Duquesne played solid ball going 10-2 at home, which included a 7-1 A-10 home record as their only fall came to WNIT participant Richmond in the season finale. The Dukes finished the year winning five of their last seven regular season contests, which included a 77-60 up-set of eventual A-10 Champion George Washington.
A quality corps of leadership and experience is back in starters Nicole Sinclair, Maria Stankevich and Aiga Bautre. Although DU suffered the loss of its top backcourt in seniors Candace Futrell and Shiri Sharon, the team has a deep talent pool in which to dip into with returning letterwinners Loui Hall, Erin Wehrle, Alyssa Borasky and Takneekia Baker. Also looking to fill the void is sophomore Brittany Warren, a mid-semester transfer from local rival Robert Morris, who will be eligible to play for the Dukes in December.
Three newcomers to the collegiate game will wear the Red & Blue in Rebecca Bonasso, Jocelyn Chandler and Jade Singleton. Junior College transfer Erin Crawford joins them to complete the squad. Bonasso, a 5-9 guard, averaged 11.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds as a senior at Morgantown HS. She was also a two-time all-conference pick. A 5-10 guard, Chandler helped her school to its first playoff bid in over 20 years back in 2002 and was a 1,000 point scorer as a prep. One of the WPIAL's top leading scorers as a junior, she averaged 27.4 points in 2003 and upped her tally to 29.2 ppg as a senior in 2004. Singleton, a 6-1 forward, aided in her team snagging the 2003 sectional crown and averaged 13.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior and was named an All-Erie selection and All-State honorable mention.
Going the JUCO route for the second-straight season, Coach Durkin gained the talents of 5-6 guard Erin Crawford out of Sinclair CC in Dayton, Ohio. The junior will have two years of eligibility at Duquesne. She averaged 15.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game for the 16-12 Sinclair CC in 2004.
The 2004-05 season begins with an exhibition contest Saturday, Nov. 13, vs UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia) at 3:00 pm at the Palumbo Center. A visit to East Carolina on Friday, Nov. 19 starts the official season while a bout with Pre-Season WNIT participant Bowling Green Saturday, Nov. 27, tips off the home slate.
