Women's Basketball season preview: Falcons have high expectations
MEQUON, Wis. -- Concordia Wisconsin enters the season again with high expectations after winning the NACC regular season and advancing to the NACC Tournament Championship game as the top seed. The Falcons return four starters and have a wealth of experience on their roster.
Click here to listen to an audio interview with head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones.
CUWFalcons.com breaks down a few important notes you must know in advance of the season.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE: Concordia Wisconsin begins the season with No. 13 Hope, followed by a road NACC-opener at Lakeland before traveling to No. 20 UW-Whitewater a week after the season-opener. It will be a difficult test for the program, which head coach Stacey Brunner-Jones setup to help them prepare for a NACC Championship run. They play eight road games before the calendar year expires, with just three home games in the first 11 of the season. The month of January will test the experience of the Falcons, as they have 10 games within a 29-day span. They'll conclude the regular season with a pair of home games and three on the road during a critical NACC stretch in February.
EXPERIENCE KEY TO SUCCESS: The Falcons experience revolves around four starters who return (Baylee Barker, Marciarae' Harmon, Brianna Wagner, Audrey Scharmer) and six players in total who started at least nine games. Wagner, Barker and Scharmer all averaged in the 9-point range to lead the Falcons, who were the NACC's best team in regards to field goal percentage (42.2). The forward duo of Scharmer and Wagner have a combined 102 games started during their careers.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE: Concordia Wisconsin has always been known for its defensive abilities and the goal to shut down the opposition will be high on the list of things to accomplish this season. Last year they held opponents to a NACC-best 54.2 points per game and 13 times allowed 50 or fewer points. More so, they limited NACC foes to just 21.3 percent from outside the arc last season.
HEIGHT TO BE A FACTOR: The Falcons height and size will definitely play a key factor in them winning games during the 2017-18 season. On the roster, there are 12 players who are listed at 5-foot-8 or taller of the 18 who will dress. There is a possibility that several combinations on the floor could cause difficulties for the opposition in regards to rebounding and doing anything around the hoop.
PICKED TO WIN, AGAIN: Concordia Wisconsin is picked to win the NACC regular season, in a vote by the league's head coaches and athletic communicators. It is the seventh time in the now 12th year of the conference they have been atop the preseason poll. Last season the Falcons won the regular season with an 18-2 record and their season ended in the NACC Tournament Championship game. The program is 175-30 all-time in NACC play, which is good for an 85.4 winning percentage.
