The Shawnee State University Women’s Basketball team should have no trouble continuing their winning tradition in the 2003-2004 season.  The Bears look for their sixth straight AMC Tournament Championship and eleventh straight trip to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. 

Despite the loss of three seniors, the Bears have the advantage of a strong core of nine returning players.  Lone senior Mandy Goin, a former 1^st Team All-American, returns after a year away from basketball.  She averaged 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2001 – 2002.   

Juniors Nikki Tucker, and Heather Schilling combine to provide one of the best backcourts in the American Mideast Conference.  Schilling led the Bears in scoring last year with 15.8 points per game on her way to earning 1^st Team All-AMC honors for the second straight year.  Tucker averaged 6.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds running the point last season.   

Sophomores Shannon Thomas and Anna Ramey look to build on very solid freshmen seasons.  Thomas averaged 9.7 points and 2.7 rebounds off the bench.  She earned All-AMC Freshman Team honors.  Ramey started all 33 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. 

Rounding out the returning players are Mandy Deal, Natalie Gill, Sarah Tackett, Tara Walker, and Mandy Wagner.  Deal, Wagner, and Walker started 11 games between them last season, and they all provided valuable and productive minutes. 

Jeanna Diamond a 6-0 Center returns to action after sitting out with a medical redshirt, due to a knee injury suffered after only two games last season.  In those two games she averaged 10.5 points and shot 80% from the field. 

New to the squad, are freshman Deanna Jones, and two transfers, Cassie Hackworth and Megan Tackett.  Jones is a 3-time City All-Star out of Glenville High School in Cleveland.  In two years at Marshall, Hackworth played in 56 games and made 19 starts.  She averaged 6.1 points per game as a freshman and 5.3 points per game as a sophomore.  Tackett played one season at Rio Grande.  She played in just 9 games and averaged 2 points per game. 

Shawnee State opens the season at the Lambuth Invitational on Friday, November 7.  The Bears’ home opener is Friday, November 14, in the Wendy’s SSU Classic versus Seton Hill.