FIGHTING TIGER WOMEN EYE 2005-06 BASKETBALL SEASON
With the 2005-06 women’s basketball season fast approaching; college hoops fans around Cobleskill, NY are wondering, what will SUNY Cobleskill Head Coach Josh Suttles and his Fighting Tigers do for an encore this season? Suttles and his team have produced two of the best turnaround seasons, back-to-back, in junior college women’s basketball moving a perpetually stagnant program from a 3-23 record to 13-13 during his first campaign then guiding the team to the best record in program history and its first regional play-off since 1998 with a 22-6 mark last year. When asked the question directly the Fighting Tiger mentor answers with his usual blend of southern charm and evasiveness that has become his trademark.
“We’re just going to be very young and inexperienced and we’re going to be much smaller this year. We’ve got to be careful that we don’t turn things around in the other direction this year,” said Suttles. “But we’re going to be very quick and if I’ve learned anything it’s that you can’t teach speed and that speed kills. We seem to be a much better shooting team than last year and this season we have players that have a much better understanding of how to play the game. Since we’re going to be a much different team than last season; we’ve changed our offense to reflect our strengths. We might not be totally comfortable with things early in the season but I do think that we’re going to be much better for those changes at the end of the year. I won’t predict a victory total but our players have jelled together quicker and better than last year. I also think we’re going to be much deeper and better defensively. It’s going to be an interesting season and I’m just excited to get things started.”
Leading the way for the Fighting Tigers will be senior NJCAA All-American selection Dee Dee Smith, Monticello, NY, Redemption Christian Academy, the explosive 5’9” forward led Region III and the Mountain Valley Conference in scoring and finished ranked fifteenth in the nation in scoring averaging 17.2 points per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. The talented front-court performer also averaged 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.8 steals per contest during the season which also saw her garner First Team All-Mountain Valley Conference and First Team All-Region III honors. Joining Smith will be her long-time teammate senior center/forward Crystal Ferrer, Bronx, NY, Redemption Christian Academy, who averaged 7.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.0 steals per contest while shooting 44.1% from the floor.
The Fighting Tigers will get a much needed outside shooting boost on the wings from redshirt freshman Andrea Piedigrossi, Cortland, NY, Cortland High School, who returns after missing her season with an injury and freshman Kim Stahl, Scotia, NY, Scotia-Glenville High School. Freshman speedster Erinn O’Rourke, South Glens Falls, NY, South Glens Falls High School, will see time at the point guard position.
Cobleskill will open the season on Thursday November 3rd when they meet the Lakers of Finger Lakes Community College at 6:00 PM as part of an opening night doubleheader the Fighting Tiger men who will meet the Lakers at 8:00 PM.
