To the rescue, for Stony Brook women's basketball, come a trio of transfers and a potential scoring threat lost to injury last season.
To the rescue, for Stony Brook women's basketball, come a trio of transfers and a potential scoring threat lost to injury last season. By taking some of the heavy lifting off the shoulders of senior Kirsten Jeter, it could mean a decided step up from a 10-20 season that ended in the America East semifinals.
Jeter, the 5-10 forward from Elmont, led the team in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (7.5) last season. But the anticipation for coach Michele Cherry's team is that newcomers Juanita Cochran and Whitney Davis will provide a decided boost.
Cochran is a 6-2 center from Saginaw, Mich., by way of the University of New Orleans. Davis is a 5-10 junior forward/guard from Muskegon, Mich., who played for Muskegon Community College last season.
Cochran averaged 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds and blocked 32 shots for New Orleans last season. Davis was a second-team junior college All-American at Muskegon, leading her conference in scoring with 17.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
A third transfer, guard/forward Talisha Bridges, also comes to Stony Brook from New Orleans. And Jodie Plikus, a 5-8 senior guard from Waterford, Conn., returns after missing the last season and a half because of illness. Some success from behind the three-point line as a freshman and sophomore makes Plikus' return intriguing for a team that likes a fast pace.
Added depth and experience are a blessing for Cherry's up-tempo style, which dips deep into a playing rotation, so returning sophomores Sam Landers, Amanda Corona and Dani Klupunger again will get their share of minutes. Senior Misha Horsey, second in scoring and first in assists last season, again will trigger the attack at point guard.
Stony Brook will open its season against Troy on Friday in a two-game mini-tournament in Elon, N.C., before returning home to play Hofstra on Nov. 18. Conference play will begin Jan. 3 against Maryland-Baltimore County.
