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MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team made enormous strides during the 2005-2006 season as the Lady Cougars exceeded the win total of the previous two years combined to finish at 15-14 for the program’s first winning record in five years despite starting the season with just five returning players.

“Coming off back-to-back seven-win seasons with only five returning players back doesn’t typically leave a coach with a lot of optimism,” said MVNU head coach Steve Gregory, who became the first coach in the program’s history to record 100 wins as he completed his eighth year. “However, when you have a good recruiting class and the five returning players are all people who played significant minutes, optimism and confidence is what is instilled.”

“We knew going into the year that our freshmen were not only going to have to compete but compete at a high level,” Gregory added. “Ultimately, they could not play like freshmen for us to enjoy the kind of success that we wanted heading into the season. Fortunately, our freshmen came along through the year and played like upperclassmen.”

The season got off to a great start for the Lady Cougars as they won five of their first six games with the only loss coming at Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) University, who finished the year ranked fifth in the NAIA Division I poll with a 27-3 record. The team also topped the century mark in scoring twice in the early going with 103 points in victories over both Houghton (N.Y.) College and Ohio State University-Newark.

Over the next 11 games, MVNU went 7-4 to improve to 12-5 overall. Two of the team’s losses came in double overtime to nationally-ranked Capital University (109-106) and Wilberforce University (92-90), and the Lady Cougars fell 86-85 at the University of Rio Grande. The other loss came at the hands of Cedarville University, the top-ranked team in NAIA Division II.

At that point, the team went through a tough stretch in which MVNU lost eight straight games to see its record slip to 12-13 overall. However, the Lady Cougars were able to close out the regular season with consecutive wins over Ohio Dominican University, Malone College, and Urbana University to improve to 15-13 and qualify for the National Christian College Athletic Association East Region Tournament for the first time in five years.

“We didn’t intend on having to battle so many off-the-court issues which forced us to change our personnel,” said Gregory. “However, I am excited about the way our team rolled with the punches all year long. They were handed setbacks and issues which could have easily just made them want to bag the season, but that never happened. Each time, they came back with more resolve. I am very proud of my team in that respect. It shows me what they are made of and their determination level.”

In the NCCAA East Region championship game, MVNU gave top-seeded Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) College all that it could handle despite dressing just nine players for the game and starting three freshmen. Despite a valiant effort, the Lady Cougars fell 81-79 in overtime as their season came to an end.

“Qualifying for the postseason was a big hurdle for the team to get over this year,” said Gregory. “The girls battled hard and came up just short in overtime at Roberts Wesleyan. I was extremely proud of their effort and intensity. I think this sets us up for the years to come and what to expect once we qualify for the postseason again. The kids have big dreams and know what it takes to get to the next level.”

Individually, several players had outstanding seasons for MVNU. Junior guard Katie Keller led the team in scoring (17.5 points per game) and set a new single-season points total with 507. She also made a team-best 81 three-pointers while shooting 44.3 percent from three-point range. She shot 82.1 percent at the free throw line and also recorded 75 assists and 75 steals. For her efforts, she was named to the American Mideast Conference South Division Second Team and the NCCAA East Region First Team. She moved into fifth place on the school’s career scoring list with 1,243 points, and she is second in career three-pointers (183) needing just one more to tie for the all-time school mark.

“Katie truly had a special season this year,” said Gregory. “She was the leading scorer and most accurate, deadly three-point shooter this season. I am very proud of the year that she was able to put together, and I’m quite sure that she would say that her season would not have been what it was without a lot of help from her teammates. That is the type of team player that she is.”

Sophomore wing Amy Sebastian followed up her good freshman season with another solid campaign. She averaged 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and contributed 44 assists and 53 steals. For her efforts, she was selected as both an AMC South Division and NCCAA East Region Honorable Mention pick.

“Amy is widely respected by her teammates and coaches because she plays so hard when she is out on the floor,” said Gregory. “She is a coach’s dream because she is so coachable and loves the game. She is continuing to improve and received honors both in the conference and the region as recognition of her hard work.”

Freshman guard Rachel Fiely joined Keller and Sebastian in starting all 29 games for the Lady Cougars this season. She led the team with 122 assists and 79 steals while shooting 82.6 percent at the free throw line (114-for-138). She also averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds and was named to the AMC South Division All-Freshmen Team, the NCCAA East Region Second Team, and the AMC South Division Honorable Mention list.

“Rachel put together one of the finest freshman seasons that I have ever been a part of,” said Gregory. “She played the point guard position and led the team in assists and steals while committing only 83 turnovers for a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. She had a very special rookie season and did most of her damage despite suffering from a stress fracture in her foot. She never complained and just went out and performed every game. She was also our best defender and was usually assigned to guard our opponent’s best offensive player. She did all of this without drawing any attention to herself because she is all about her team and epitomizes team-above-self.”

Junior post Miranda Capuano also added depth for MVNU on the inside. She averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing in all 29 games. “Miranda is another upperclassman who we have depended on for stability in the post and on the perimeter,” said Gregory. “She gave us strong supportive minutes over the course of the season.”

Several other freshmen made significant contributions throughout the course of the season. Guard Ashley Brown played in all 29 games with 10 starts and averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds to go with 65 assists and 41 steals. Melissa Mastrodonato, a post, contributed 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, while guards Jessica Lynn and Bethany Hughes both added depth off the bench.

“Ashley is a player who is only going to get better and better as time goes on,” said Gregory. “She played four different positions for us, and her versatility is a huge plus. She will never get out-worked by anyone, and she gives everything she’s got from start to finish.”

“Melissa really came on strong at the end of the season and got her first start in the playoff game,” Gregory added. “She responded by posting a double-double. Jessica was also a late bloomer for us as she came on at the mid-point of the season and showed the coaching staff that she could play. Primarily a shooting guard, she had some games where she stepped up and knocked down some timely perimeter jumpers. Bethany is another guard who gave the team valuable minutes throughout the season. Like Jessica, she is a solid defender and role player who has continued to develop.”

With the expectation of returning the entire squad that finished the season, the future looks bright for the Lady Cougars as they look to continue their winning ways next year. The experience gained by the younger players this season should pay off with even bigger dividends next year.