Donovan Campbell
Adrian, MI- The Siena Heights University’s (SHU) Women’s Basketball team has been making strides the past few seasons to become a top team in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), and a top team in the nation. The Saints are currently at 12 wins and five losses in the WHAC, while posting 17 wins and eight losses overall.
Sue Syljebeck is entering her ninth season as head coach for the SHU women’s basketball program. Last season she became the all-time leader in wins for any SHU women’s basketball coach with 112 in route to a 20 win season.
The Saints are currently on pace to surpass that mark. When Syljebeck was asked about her expectations for this year’s group she stated “We weren’t really sure what we were going to achieve seeing that we graduated five of our top seven players from last year.”
Even with graduating five seniors Syljebeck was confident in the group that returned this season.
“We returned a good group. Amanda Duke was our second leading scorer, and at one point she made (WHAC) Player of the Week. We knew she had the talent, we knew Chandler Levit had the talent, and with Grace Howrigon setting her single season assist record last year and just passed it now we knew we had somebody to get people the ball, and then Morgan Warfield to return.” Syljebeck continued, “Everybody else has just been stepping up, Taylor Langenderfer stepped up, Jen Jasinski came in as a transfer, Sierra Calhoun coming back and then Mackenzie Tomasik.”
This team has had highs and lows throughout the season, but keeps growing as a team. “I would say the highlight of the season so far if I had to take a quick glance is how well they play together and get along,” Syljebeck said.
She credits the great chemistry to the leadership of her three seniors Chandler Levit, Amanda Duke and Taylor Langenderfer. “They’re good people to start with, they’re great people so it helps and spreads down.”
The cohesiveness of this group has help propel them to becoming the 26th ranked team in the nation in this past week’s polls, but Syljebeck believes that her Saints are being snubbed not getting into the top 25. “It’s disappointing because I personally think we should be in the top 25. I feel that we’re getting some disrespect when we’ve played outside our league.”
The Saints have played a tough non-league schedule consisting of ranked opponents such as Saint Francis (IN) and Saint Xavier (Ill.), not to mention the Concordia (Mich.) and Davenport (Mich.) who are all currently in the top ten. Syljebeck talked about the struggle for the Saints this season by stating, “I think our struggle is coming out and putting people away because we have that ability, we do it and sometimes we don’t. We jump up on Davenport by 11 and we couldn’t take that next step.”
Syljebeck continued, “We’ve looked ahead, and you do it but really have to stay focused and just to play in the present.”
The women Saints next home game will be this Saturday, February 9th, at 5:00 p.m. against Madonna University Crusaders.
