New coaching era begins for Monmouth women’s basketball

Release Date: November 18, 2005

Head Coach, Melissa Jones

MONMOUTH, Ill. — After an outstanding athletic career at Monmouth College that saw her earn All-Midwest Conference honors in 15 of a possible 16 sports seasons, Melissa Jones is ready to embark on the head coaching end of her Fighting Scots’ career.

Her first women’s basketball team at Monmouth will be strong on the perimeter but a little short on punch in the post. However, Jones is an authority on the latter subject, as she used her long, athletic frame to post career averages of 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds at Monmouth from 1999-2003.

“Guard defense should be our strong suit,” said Jones, whose team opens play Nov. 19 at Glennie Gym against Robert Morris-Springfield. “We should also have balanced scoring. Any one of the top nine players in our rotation could lead us in scoring on a given day. That will make us much harder to defend.”

A year ago, eight Scots posted game-high scoring totals during Monmouth’s 6-17 campaign, including six different players in the first seven contests. Surprisingly, Mallory Mulvihill’s name was only atop the scoring list for the Scots once last season after she posted eight team-high performances her freshman year while earning All-MWC honors with a 10.2 scoring average.

Knee and other injuries affected the small forward’s play throughout last season, though, and she lost that quick first step that had made her so effective. Her scoring dipped to 5.9 points per game, but Jones was happy to proclaim she’s “definitely seeing a new Mallory. She’s a different player compared to last season.”

Junior college transfer Tiffany Muehe, a “quick, hard-nosed player,” is Mulvihill’s backup. She missed last season at the College of Lake County after suffering a torn ACL.

“Tiffany’s the type of player who can come in and make things happen for us, especially on defense,” said Jones.

There were times two years ago when both Mulvihill and classmate Laura Jahn would take over games. Jahn, a post player, also saw her production fall off last year, averaging just 3.5 points after netting 7.2 per game the year before. She will back up starting posts Ashley Yeast and Lisa Curry.

Yeast was a pleasant surprise in her rookie season, making an immediate impact with a 12-point, 10-rebound game in the Scots’ season opener. She will again be making the transformation from volleyball to basketball, but Jones thinks Yeast should hit her stride by the time Monmouth’s conference slate opens next month.

“Ashley will see a lot more minutes this season,” said Jones of the West Prairie product, who was on the court for 19 minutes a game last year. “A few elements of her game need to be refined, especially her play with her back to the basket. She scored a lot on putbacks last year, but to be the force she can be, we want her to add some post moves.”

Yeast was second in the conference with her rebound average of 7.8 per game, and she averaged 7.7 points.

Curry posted 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last year, and that included a 21-point, 15-rebound effort in a win over Grinnell. It’s not difficult, then, to guess Jones’ wish for the senior from Stark County.

“We’re working on Lisa’s consistency and in having her play more aggressively,” she said. “We want her to demand the ball in the post and then go up strong.”

Also seeing time inside will be former Monmouth High School star Cassie Jensen, who earned increased playing time midway though last season and responded with 30 points in a four-game stretch.

“She’s got the right attitude and works hard every day in practice to earn playing time,” said Jones.

On the perimeter, Monmouth features two extremes in experience, but Jones feels it should be a solid combination.

At one end of spectrum is the team’s lone freshman starter, Melissa Gorski. Jones calls the Buffalo Grove product “a very solid all-around player who could possibly lead us in several categories this year. She’s shown us a lot in practice.”

On the other end, senior Courtney Scherrer has emerged as one of the top points guards in the MWC, and her all-around floor game included a league-best 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals to go with her 7.8 points per game.

“Courtney’s definitely a big leader for us,” said Jones. “You can definitely tell the respect the underclassmen have for her. They listen attentively to what she has to say.”

Jones looks for her coach on the floor to bring a little more offense to the table this year, and the first-year coach said the All-MWC selection is becoming more comfortable in that role.

Scherrer may be asked to make some 40-minute starts for the Scots, but when she’s not on the floor, her duties will be handled by Belleville East product Lindsey West.

“Lindsey’s absorbing all she can from Courtney this year,” said Jones.

Rounding out Monmouth’s roster are junior Liz Martin, sophomore Brittany Koritz and freshmen Tanesha Hughes (Woodruff), Kortney Johnson (Rockridge), Crystal Myers (Byron), Brooke Peterson (Gurnee Warren) and April Wishecoby (Morton West). Johnson, an honorable mention All-Stater with the Rockets, may have to undergo surgery for an elbow injury.

Jones feels the Scots, who finished eighth in the league last year with a 5-11 mark, will be picked in the bottom third of the conference. She makes no secret, though, that their goal is to finish in the top four of the 10-team league and earn a playoff spot. Obstacles in the way include such team as defending regular season champion St. Norbert and Lake Forest. Ripon won the conference tournament last year to advance to the NCAAs but lost Player of the Year Janine Emmer and all-conference pick Amanda Guay.

While the Scots battle with a new coach, a new system and the common search for team chemistry, they will at least do so in the friendly confines of Glennie Gym. Monmouth plays its first five games at home, including the Pizza Hut/Econofoods Classic Nov. 26-27 and conference games vs. Ripon and Beloit Dec. 2-3.

“Last year, we were 1-10 on the road, but we were nearly .500 (5-6) at home,” she said. “It should be a big advantage for us to start off at home, and we’ll be battle-tested by the time we make some road trips.”

Women's Basketball Homepage