Women Look to Continue Recent Success with Young Roster

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – After back-to-back 20 win seasons, Juniata head women's basketball coach Danny Young-Uhrich ('00) will look to a solid core of returning lettermen and a crew of fresh faces for the Eagles to continue their recent success.  Juniata, who is receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches and D3Hoops.com preseason polls, opens the 2012-13 season with a trip to the La Roche College Tip-Off Classic on Friday, Nov. 16 where they take on the hosts before facing Saint Vincent College.

For the first time in four years, the Eagles will take the court without standout guard Ashton Bankos ('12). Juniata returns three starters from last year's top 25 ranked squad.  Junior Kate McDonald (Pa. Furnace., Pa./State College Area) brings the much needed size in the paint, while seniors Natalie Glinsky (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and Jordan Speck (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) provide experience at the guard position.

"Our seniors and juniors will need to step up," said Young-Uhrich.  "For the last two years Kate has been a steady presence on the floor but I am expecting a lot out of our guards, Natalie Glinsky, Jordan Speck and Jordan Hileman."

McDonald, named a D3Hoops.com preseason All-American, was second on the team in minutes per game (28.8) last year, averaging 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds.  Glinsky and Speck were the Eagles top three-point threats, accounting for 40 percent of the team's total deep balls.

"Speck can shoot from the parking lot," commented Young-Uhrich.  "She catches the ball in bounds and is pretty much in shooting range.  Natalie is another scorer.  She is very offensive minded.  And we can't replace [Ashton] specifically, but Hileman is going to step up big for us in the point position this year."

The experience of the upperclassmen will be needed to balance out the youthfulness of the remaining group.

"We have four juniors and seniors to nine sophomores and freshmen," said Young-Uhrich.  "That's what makes our so team young.  But at the same time, I think we are a pretty strong team.  Our sophomores are starting to step up and get acclimated to the college game and our freshmen are pretty good."

The majority of Young-Uhrich's newest recruiting class comes from competitive and successful high school programs. Freshman Karli McFatridge (York, Pa./York Catholic) went to the same high school as Bankos, a program that is state championship contenders annually.  Freshman Maria Photiades (Abbottstown, Pa./Delone Catholic) comes from a program that develops NCAA Division I prospects and freshman Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) was the primary offensive threat at her high school.

Included in the freshman class is Natalie Hager (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) whose older sister played ball at Vanderbilt and two older brothers, Nick and Nate, both played basketball for Juniata.  Nick is still involved with Juniata basketball.  He is one of the current men's assistant coaches.

The Eagles open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, Nov. 24 when they host Gwynedd Mercy College at 2 p.m. They then hit the road for four games before returning home for a rematch with Saint Vincent on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.

Juniata will be busy over the holiday season.  They will host the Juniata College Holiday Classic Friday, Dec. 28 as they take on John Jay College in the nightcap of a doubleheader that has King's College facing Farmingdale in the opener. Consolation and championship games will be held at 2/4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29.

After hosting Wilkes University on Wednesday, Jan. 2 in a non-conference matchup the Eagles will dive into Landmark Conference action with a visit to the University of Scranton on Jan. 5. The Landmark has changed their scheduling this year from back-to-back weekend games to a Wednesday, Saturday format.

Despite coming off the most successful season in school history (26-3, 14-0 Landmark), Young-Uhrich knows what lies ahead will not be easy.

"It's an honor to be recognized but that is based upon what you did last year," she said of the preseason polls.  "But we still have our work cut out for us and we know that. It's just going to be an incentive to work harder and practice because to be listed in the company of those who are listed is huge."

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