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Appalachian loses in opening round of SoCon tournament, coach resigns |
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Thursday, 20 March 2008 |
by ERIK RHYNE
Sports Reporter
by RYAN WIXTED
Sports Editor
The Appalachian women’s basketball team never found its rhythm in a 63-44 opening round defeat to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament March 6.
The Mountaineers shot a combined 27 percent from the floor as they struggled to find their groove.
After trading early baskets in the game, ASU began to turn the ball over, allowing the Spartans to push out to a 19-11 lead.
At the end of the first half, Appalachian was down 16 points at 33-17.
In the second half, freshman Sam Ramirez hit four consecutive three-pointers in an attempt to get ASU back into the ball game.
The All-SoCon freshman selection led the Mountaineers with a game high 16 points.
ASU did top UNCG in the rebounding category by a margin of 39-36
Senior Whitney Tossie added only three points, all from the free throw
line, and senior Courtney Cunningham added eight rebounds to end their
careers at Appalachian.
The Mountaineers finished the season with a 5-13 conference record and an 8-22 overall record.
For head coach Adrienne Shuler, it was the last time she will lead the
Mountaineers into the SoCon tournament as she resigned Tuesday as head
basketball coach.
Her contract expires in April and will not be renewed by Appalachian.
In Shuler’s six seasons here, she compiled at 63-110 record, including an 8-22 mark in the 2007-08 season.
Her most successful season was the 2005-06 season, in which she guided
the Mountaineers to an 11-7 conference record and 15-13 overall record.
It was Appalachian’s first winning season since the 1996-97 season.
In 2002, Shuler became the sixth head coach in Appalachian’s women’s basketball history.
She was an assistant at SoCon foe Furman University prior to her arrival to the High Country.
“We’re appreciative of Coach Shuler’s efforts over the past six seasons
and thank her for her contributions to the women’s basketball program,
the athletics department and the university community,” ASU director of
athletics Charlie Cobb said in a press release. “She is a great person
who represented Appalachian with the utmost class. We wish her the very
best in her future endeavors.”
However, some of the returning players were a little surprised to discover Shuler would not be returning.
“When I heard the news, I was a little taken back by it,” junior
forward Brittany Mixon said. “It kind [of] came as a shock, but at the
same time, it might have been coming but we didn’t know.”
Mixon said Shuler called a team meeting Tuesday and explained to the team the situation at hand.
“It was a pretty emotional experience for us,” Mixon said of the team’s
reaction. “It’s always hard to say goodbye to someone. We invested
time and energy and all bonded. It’s difficult to say goodbye,
especially to Coach Shuler, who is an awesome person.”
Even with the loss of their leader, Mixon believes the team morale is
still high and is excited about starting a new chapter in Appalachian
women’s basketball.
“As a team we are pretty solid and together with it,” she said. “There
are some people it’s going to affect more than others, but overall
we’re ready for a new beginning. It’s another chapter as our lives come
to an end with Coach Shuler. It’s going to open with someone else, so
we’re pretty positive about it. We’re taking it in a good way.”
The university hopes to have a new coach named by the beginning of next
month, but a definite time frame has not been determined.
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