Women's Basketball Game Notes Volume 7 | Page 4

@LadySabreH oops BASKETBALL NOTES *As of Jan. 3 NACC Standings NACC OVR 1. Concordia Wis. 6-1 9-1 2. MSOE 5-1 7-4 3. Wis. Lutheran 4-1 6-3 4. Alverno 5-2 7-4 5. Benedictine 4-2 4-7 6. Marian 3-2 3-7 7. Aurora 3-3 4-7 8. Edgewood 3-4 3-9 9. Lakeland 2-4 5-6 10. Rockford 2-4 5-6 11. Dominican 0-6 0-11 12. Concordia Chi. 0-7 0-10 Around the NACC Saturday, January 4 Time * Benedictine at Marian 4:15 * Concordia Wis. at Rockford 4:15 * Dominican at Wis. Lutheran 4:15 * Concordia Chi. at MSOE 4:15 * Aurora at Lakeland 4:15 * Alverno at Edgewood 4:15 Tuesday, January 7 * MSOE at Aurora 7 * Lakeland at Rockford 7 * Concordia Chi. at Concordia Wis. 7 * Marian at Alverno 7 * Wis. Lutheran at Benedictine 7 * Edgewood at Dominican 7:15 Thursday, January 9 * Marian at Wis. Lutheran * Denotes NACC contest 7 GAME 11: BENDICTINE ON THE HORIZON The Sabres will gear up for a busy three-game week next week as they travel to Alverno (Jan. 7) and Wisconsin Lutheran (Jan. 9) for difficult league road tests before returning home for a date with Rockford (Jan. 11). Marian will have just four home games left following its match-up with Rockford. FROM WAY DOWNTOWN Like it did last year, Marian is once again leading the NACC and ranks fourth in the nation in three’s made per game. However, the biggest difference from last year has been the increase in makes and efficiency. The Sabres are averaging 9.6 makes on 24.7 attempts per game in 2013-14 compared to 8.3 makes on 26.3 attempts last year. The Sabres are currently first in the league in threepoint percentage at 38.7, a 7.2 percent increase from last year’s squad, which finished fifth in that department. STIFF NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE The Sabres faced the brutal task of taking on five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents to make up their 2013-14 non-conference schedule, which included four road dates. Despite coming up short in all five, Marian had a respectable showing against UW-Platteville on the road, falling in overtime, 81-77. The Sabres wrapped up nonconference play at UW-Oshkosh, Dec. 18, falling to the then-21st-ranked Titans, 65-44. One of the more dominant leagues among Division III conferences, Marian’s WIAC opponents have combined for a 40-19 mark through Jan. 3. FOR THE 42nd TIME Marian University women’s basketball began its 42nd season in program history when it faced UW-Stout on the road Tuesday, Nov. 19. The Sabres played their first-ever season under former Head Coach and Athletic Director, Bruce Prall, back in 1972-73. LIVING UP TO THE “BILL ”ING Head Coach Bill Peters, who enters his fourth season at the helm, has revived a struggling program that won just 19 games combined in the three seasons leading up to his arrival. Peters was the third-fastest in Marian history to 32 wins over his first three seasons. @LadySabreH oops BASKETBALL NOTES GAME 11: BENDICTINE RECORDS MAY FALL Sarah Albert has shown to be one of the purest shooters in the conference, if not in the nation. The Howards Grove native averaged 49.6 percent from three-point range in her first season as a Sabre back in 2011-12. She followed it up with a 42.4-clip last year for a career average of 45.7 percent. After going 21-for-48 through 10 games this season to give her 144 career made three-pointers, she sits just 10 away from tying Kerri (Holz) Huebel (‘01) and Leslie Daubert (‘93) for second place all-time. Brook Haen (‘11) stands as the all-time leader with a program-best 204 made three’s. Albert currently holds the career standard in free throw percentage, going 85.2 percent (109-for-128) in her third season. PRESEASON POLL The Marian University women’s basketball team was picked to finish eighth in the 2013-14 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the NACC head coaches and sports information directors. Three-time defending champion Wisconsin Lutheran was the majority pick to repeat once again, garnering 18-of-the-24 firstplace votes for 281 poll points, after going 25-3 a season ago, including a perfect 17-0 in league play. 2013-1