Catching up with the Panthers

Sorry that we have been so behind on the blog, we have been having some technical difficulties but hopefully this will catch you up to speed!

Sunday Day 1:                                                                                                                                                     

On Sunday morning we left Davenport for our journey to Iowa! Along the way we stopped at Purdue to watch the women’s game against Illinois. Although Illinois lost, we still had a good time! Coach Williams got us tickets that were two rows behind the bench, which was a pretty cool experience. After the game we had dinner and then traveled to Champagne, Illinois were we stayed the night.

Monday Day 2:

We woke up Monday morning in Champagne and headed to Illinois’ gym for practice. As cool as it was practicing in a Big Ten gym, it was also nice to see their facilities, coaches’ offices, and talk with their coaching staff. After our practice at Illinois, we loaded up on the bus to complete the rest of our 8 hour journey to Iowa. We had a little hold up on the way as we thought the bus was a little shorter than it actually was and we didn’t clear the over passing bridge. The long bus ride consisted of movies, eating, playing cards, and plenty of sleeping. We finally made it to Sioux City, Iowa Monday night and got our rooms at the Country Inn.

Tuesday Day 3:

Day 3 is when the nationals festivities started to begin. We woke up in the morning to a snow storm in Iowa and headed to Tyson Event Center for the first time for all of the newcomers. Here we participated in the Special Olympics event they were hosting. We had the opportunity to shoot hoops, pass, dance, and make friends with many of the Special Olympians. After that we headed to practice at Morningside College. After practice we got some lunch at Subway and the afternoon to ourselves to do homework and hang out while the coaches went to meetings and got things all set for the National Tournament. Today was also the day for the banquet to introduce and honor all of the teams we qualified for the tournament. This year’s theme for the banquet was circus. There was a photo booth which we all actively participated in along with clowns and flame throwers. The nationals committee put together a circus themed video which we starred in! The banquet was also a time for us to all dress up nice, which rarely happens. I must say that we were definitely the best looking team in the building (pictures to come).

Hopefully this helps in catching you up on what the Lady Panthers have been up to, and keep following for much more to come!

2012-13 Season Kicks Off!!

Coach Jori Monnich(Right) and Mariska Bruggenthijs (Left)

As we move one step closer to the 2012-13 season. We would like to give a big congratulations to a Jori Monnich, a former to team captain for Davenport and recently added assistant coach for the panthers!!!! Congrats Jori

Second Round of Nationals

Friday March 9th we played our final game of the season with a loss to Briar Cliff (Iowa) 67 to 65. It was the toughest loss we have had all season. They fought till the every last second, with the ref making a critical call with 3.2 seconds left on the clock sending Briar Cliff to the line shooting two, making both free throws. Down 2 points Karli Harris takes the in inbound pass knowing how much time was on the clock she raced down the court with all her energy putting up a last second three pointer to hopefully win the game that rolled off the rim left. Abby Neff playing her heart out in her very last time in a Davenport jersey, putting up 18 points and five rebounds. Karlee Despres also contributing with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, also Abbey Hengesbach with 13 points and 5 rebounds. We thank the seniors Carrie Grubius, Julie Janish, Karle Despres, and Abby Neff for an outstanding season and wish in luck in the future

First Round of Nationals

Wednesday, the lady panthers played Cal State San Marcos to open the first round of the NAIA tournament. The lady panthers know exactly how to open the tournament with a big win against Cal State, winning 84 to 63. In last nights game we had four lady panthers in double figures. Leah Sevcik posting her best game of the season, tying her season high with 14 points, also contributing to the great win was Abbey Hengesbach with 18 points, Karlee Despres with 14 points, Abby Neff with 12 points, and karli Harris with 8 assists. The Ladies take on Briar Cliff of Iowa friday at 3:30 pm.

Day 2 of nationals!!

Tuesday we had the opportunity to participate in a Special Olympics clinic here at the NAIA National Tournament. Following our year long partnership with Special Olympics in Grand Rapids, we especially enjoyed being able to teach, talk, and play with the Special Olympians here in Sioux City. In true DU Women's Basketball fashion, there was plenty of cheering, dancing, and laughing! Overall, we had a memorable experience with Special Olympics in Sioux City, and feel fortunate to give back during such an exciting week of basketball.

Written by Alexis Burbul.

Nationals Day One!!

Monday, day one of the national tournament was a unique memorable experience for our lady panthers. The team got to practice at the Hawkeye center, where the Iowa Hawkeyes boys and girls basketball  programs play, as well get a tour of the arena. It was a great experience for our girls to get ready for the first round of the national tournament.

WHAC Champions!

Thursday Davenport Women's basketball team won the WHAC tournament over Concordia University 65 to 49. Holding Concordia to only 49 points; a season low for them. Leading the way was Karli Harris with 16 points and 5 assists, both game highs. This win over Concordia gives us our third straight WHAC tournament title. We congratulate Coach Mike Williams and the Davenport women's team for the great season, and wish you luck as you compete in the national tournament; playing Cal-State San Marcos for first round of nationals.