FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2007
Contact:  Dwayne Hanberry, SCAC Associate Commissioner

DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION DEPAUW WOMEN
CLEAR FAVORITE TO WIN 2007-08 SCAC TITLE

SUWANEE, Ga. - DePauw University returns to the hardwood this season looking to not only repeat as Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) champions, but also to defend its NCAA Division III national title. So it should come as little surprise that Coach Kris Huffman's Tigers are the near unanimous selection to win the 2007-08 league championship based on exclusive voting by the sports information directors of the conference.

DePauw received 10 of 11 first-place votes and came in with 120 total points, while the coaches’ second choice, Oglethorpe University, received 105 points. Trinity University, who received the remaining first-place vote, was the SID's third pick with 102 points.

The DePauw Tigers cruised through the SCAC women’s basketball tournament, defeating Sewanee-University of the South (82-58), Austin College (67-38) and Oglethorpe (73-60) to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament. From there, Trinity rolled off six straight wins, culminating in a 55-52 victory over Washington (Mo.) University in the national championship game. Although two-time SCAC Player-of-the-Year and 2007 Women’s Final Four MVP, Liz Bondi, has graduated, DePauw still returns a quality core from last year's title squad.

Senior guard Gretchen Haehl, a Third Team All-SCAC selection a year ago, averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 assists (eighth in the SCAC) per game last season and junior guard Cassie Pruzin is the team's leading returning scorer at 8.9 points per game and also averaged 2.9 assists (11th in the SCAC). Senior guard Kalei Lowes, the SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year last season, also returns (6.5 ppg) as does sophomore forward Emily Marshall - team's leading returning rebounder (5.9 rpg).

Oglethorpe University is coming off its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and the Petrels return six of their top seven scorers from last season's team that advanced to the SCAC tournament final for the first time in school history. First Team All-SCAC junior guard Katie Kulavic averaged 14.4 points (seventh in the SCAC), 4.0 assists (fourth in the SCAC) and 2.2 steals (fifth in the SCAC) per game a year ago, and she'll be helped by a pair of juniors who were Second Team All-SCAC last season - guard Anna Findley and forward Biz Richmann. Findley led the Petrels in scoring last season (15.1 ppg - sixth in the SCAC) and Richmann was the team's leading rebounder (7.5 rpg - fourth in the SCAC). Findley led the league in three-point field goals made (80) as well as three-point field goal percentage (45.7%) and Richmann was fourth in the league in steals (2.3 spg). All three - Kulavic, Findley and Richmann - finished in the top 11 in the SCAC in both field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

Trinity University is looking to get back to the SCAC title game after missing out on the event for the first time in four years last season. The TU Tigers also had its streak of two-straight NCAA tournament appearances snapped. Trinity returns Second Team All-SCAC performer junior post Krista Prato Matthews, who averaged a team-high 12.4 points (13th in the SCAC) and 9.1 rebounds (second in the SCAC) last season. She also led the league in blocked shots (2.1 per game). Senior forward Meghan Scholbe (Third Team All-SCAC) also returns after averaging 11.8 points (15th in the SCAC), 7.0 rebounds (fifth in the SCAC) and 2.9 assists (second in the SCAC) a game a year ago.

The SIDs fourth pick, Rhodes College, will rely on the play of senior guard Ashley Farrell, who is the league's leading returning scorer at 19.0 points per game. Farrell, who was named Preseason All-American by Women's DIII News, was First Team All-SCAC last season and has scored 1,226 career points (27th all-time in SCAC history and the most of any active player). She also averaged 3.4 assists (fifth in the SCAC) and led the league in steals with 3.2 per game.

Austin College is slotted at fifth and looks to build on last season's performance that saw the first-year SCAC program finish 15-10; 8-6 in league play, which included winning seven of its last 10 games to earn the fifth seed at the conference tournament. Katy Williams, the SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year last season and a Third Team All-SCAC selection, returns to lead the 'Roos. Williams averaged 12.6 points (12th in the SCAC) and 8.6 rebounds (third in the SCAC) and led the league in field goal percentage (59.9%) as a freshman. Hendrix College, the SID’s sixth pick, has to find a way to replace a pair of All-SCAC First Team selections in Tori Huggins, the league's all-time leading scorer, and Bonnie Hicks. Sophomore guard Amanda Morris and junior guard Krista Goss both averaged 6.8 points per game last season.

Southwestern University is selected to finish seventh in the preseason poll. Junior forward Natasha Azizi is the Pirates' leading returning scorer (11.9 ppg - 14th in the SCAC) and rebounder (6.2 rpg - 11th in the SCAC). Junior guard Jessica Stephenson was fourth in the league last season in three-point field goals made per game (2.0). Colorado College, selected at eighth, begins its first season in the SCAC. The Tigers, who went 10-14 in 2006-07, return junior guard Melanie Auguste, who was named to the Association of Division III Independents 2007 All-Independent third team after leading the Tigers in rebounds (8.2 rpg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (2.4 spg), and finishing second in scoring (12.3 ppg).

Centre College and Sewanee-University of the South tied at night. Centre returns sophomore guard Chelsea Goodman, who was a Third Team All-SCAC selection in her first year in the league. Goodman averaged 14.0 points (ninth in the SCAC) and 2.2 steals (tied for sixth in the SCAC) per game. She will team with sophomore guard Chrystal Claunch (9.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 spg) in what should be a formable backcourt for the Colonels. Although Sewanee struggled for the second consecutive year, included in the Tigers’ nine wins last season was wins over three teams (Oglethorpe, Thomas More and Piedmont) that advanced to the NCAA tournament. Senior forward Courtney Childress (6.4 ppg and 6.5 rpg - eighth in the SCAC) and sophomore guard Steffi Renninger (13.6 ppg - 10th in the SCAC) headline the return of four starters.

After a one-year absence, Millsaps College, the SID’s 11th pick, will attempt to get back to the SCAC tournament behind the play of junior forward LaReina Adams. Adams averaged 13.0 points (11th in the SCAC) and a league-leading 10.8 rebounds per game last season, and also led the SCAC in double-doubles with 11. Junior forward Crystal Dickerson (9.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.2 apg) also returns.

Birmingham-Southern College, in the first year of its four-year provisional transition from Division I to Division III, will not count in the league standings.

The 2007-08 season tips off Friday, November 16.