By Darius Hicks–The Morningside College women’s basketball team will travel to Clinton, Iowa, the weekend of Nov. 1 to begin the 2013-14 season. They’ll be competing in the Ashford Classic.
The Lady Mustangs enter the 2013-14 year with a preseason NAIA National ranking of third. They also were chosen as co-favorites to win the GPAC along-side conference rival Concordia. Both received 93 points in the preseason GPAC Coaches Poll.
Morningside returns two starters and ten letterman from the 2012-13 season, when they posted a 31-5 record and a tenth consecutive national playoff appearance.
Junior forward Ashley Muhl is Morningside’s leading returner. She was named an NAIA Division II honorable mention All-American and first-team All-GPAC player last year. Muhl lead the team in rebounds with an average of 7.4 per game and finished second on the team in scoring with a game average of 11.5 points. She also was team leader in blocked shots last year with a total of 30, and finished the season with a field goal percentage of 55.8.
The Mustang’s also return sophomore Jessica Tietz, a 6-2 center from Bancroft, Nebraska. During her freshman campaign Tietz earned GPAC Freshmen of the year and was named to the All GPAC Honorable Mention team as well. She averaged a total of 6.4 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game as well. Although Tietz was coming off the bench, she led the Mustangs in field goal percentage with a team best 56.0.
Senior guard Leann Osten is a two-year starter for the Mustangs and looks to fulfill that role again for the third year in a row. The Columbus, Nebraska, native averaged a total of 5.9 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game during last season. Osten also led the team in steals last year, with a high of 66 total and a game average of 1.8.
Lexi Ackerman is a newcomer to the team, but expectations are high and she looks to make an immediate impact. The 5-10 freshman guard from Rock Rapids, Iowa, is expected to see plenty of action this season. During her prep career she led the state of Iowa in assist’s her junior and senior year. She was also named captain of the Iowa State Tournament team after she lead Central Lyon to the 2013 class 1A state championship. Ackerman averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds’, 8.3 assist and 5.0 steals per game, as she earned first-team ALL-Sate honors.
Tip off for the Ashford Classic is set for 7:30 pm Friday November 1, as the Mustangs take on the Ashford Saints. The Lady Mustang’s will also play Olivet Nazerene University Saturday, November 2. Tip off for that game is scheduled for 1 pm.
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