ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Basketball is ready for the 2017-18 season. MAC Freedom Coaches picked the Eagles to finish fourth in the league.
With the graduation of four-time All-MAC Freedom forward Emily Lavin, Eastern will rely on a more perimeter attack. Senior guard
Taylor Price figures to lead that attack.
Price, who is closing in on 1000 points for her career, has been a fixture in the Eastern line-up for the past three seasons and has shown the ability to score from the perimeter and in transition while taking on the key defensive role of stopping the opponents top perimeter threat. She averaged 13.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and nearly 3.5 assists per game last year.
Price will be joined on the perimeter by veterans
Amanda Riiff and
Taylor Azer. Riiff has 109 career 3-pointers and averaged a career-high 9.9 points per game last year. She and Price are both exceptional free throw shooters. Azer returns after taking a year off. She started 15 games at the point in 2015-16 and figures to give Price more opportunity to work off the ball in situations.
Regie Robinson earned MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year honors two years ago and averaged 12.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last year. Robinson placed in the MAC High Jump and ran on Eastern's 4 x 100 and 4x 200 relay teams last spring. While she will give away inches to several post players she will battle, Head Coach
Eric Houston believes that Robinson will be prepared to use her strength and quickness to win the battle inside.
Brianna Young-Harris also returns in the front court. Houston believes that he has several new players who will play significant minutes and provide production inside.
The Eagles open their season at home against Cabrini tomorrow and will play at Lebanon Valley College's tournament this weekend before hosting Messiah College next Tuesday. That challenging early-season run will give Houston and his charges a good foundation as the team builds toward its MAC Freedom Opener in January.
Tomorrow night's doubleheader is sold out, but fans will be able to watch on Eagle Vision.
