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2 L I B E R T Y 1971 Lynchburg Baptist College was founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church Lynchburg Baptist gained affiliation with the National Christian Collegiate Association Lynchburg Baptist College was renamed Baptist College, with the school colors changing from green and gold to red, white and blue. The Flames joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as an associate member. The Baptist women s basketball team played its first varsity schedule in , under head coach Brenda Bonheim and assistant coach Curt Christians, finishing Linda Farver became LBC s second head women s basketball coach in program history Baptist joined the NCAA at the Division II level as an associate member Baptist became a full member at the NCAA Division II level, and also became eligible for NAIA postseason competition. Sept. 1, 1983 Baptist was accepted as a member of the East Coast Athletic Conference Baptist joined the Mason-Dixon Athletic Conference The Flames dropped their NAIA affiliation and became eligible for NCAA Division II postseason competition Baptist College became University Mike Goad took over as the third head women s basketball coach in history. Sept. 1, 1988 was accepted for NCAA Division I membership. CHRONOLOGY Nov. 27, 1988 defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore, 83-56, at the VCU Thanksgiving Tournament, marking the Lady Flames first NCAA Division I triumph Sue Kelly took the reins as the fourth head women s basketball coach in program history Rick Reeves became the fifth head women s basketball coach in program history. July 1, 1991 became an official member of the Big South Conference began playing all of its home games at the Vines Center. March 1, 1997 beat UNC Greensboro by an count at the Vines Center to win its first-ever title. March 14, 1997 The Lady Flames lost to host Old Dominion, , in their first trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Feb. 28, 1998 won its 28th-consecutive game, defeating UNC Asheville, 65-53, for the program s second Big South Championship. March 14, 1998 The Lady Flames faced eventual national champion Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The match-up marked the only time in tournament history two undefeated teams squared off. June 8, 1999 Carey Green was named the sixth head women s basketball coach in program history. March 20, 2005 upset No. 4-seeded Penn State, 78-70, for the Lady Flames first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. March 22, 2005 The Lady Flames knocked off No. 5 seed DePaul by an margin to reach the Sweet 16. April 16, 2005 graduate Katie Feenstra was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 8 pick of the WNBA Draft s opening round. She was then dealt to the San Antonio Silver Stars the same day Big South Champions Lady Flames Basketball

3 L A D Y This list contains the jersey numbers worn by women s basketball players, from the season to present. The names under each number are listed beginning with the most recent to wear the number, with current players highlighted in italics Jennifer Eaddy Anna Barrington Roli-Ann Nikagbatse Courtney Watkins Aundrea Dawson Laura Rollyson Nina Willemse Flori Willie Sarah Hillyer Amy Peterson Sondra Fox Robin Vestal Debbie Carr Pam Dwyer Allyson Fasnacht Monique Leonard Kimmie Reeves Christina Popoff Della Sue Reynolds Cynthia Thomson Saundra Bridges Robin Vestal Egle Smigelskaite Leslie Jones Rachel Young Tiffany Ratcliff Rebecca Thomson Marsha Houff April Johnson Paula Lassiter Lynn Attwood Heather Smith Michelle Parker Kristina Usaite Becky Blesch Julie Bintz Ginny Holloway Jeri Wiley Kristi Mercer Debbie Wait Julie Jacobs Penny Ervin Jill Vincent Coleen Flynn Sarah Wilkerson Erma Williams Theresa Bream Wendy Johnson All-TIME JERSEY NUMBERS Sharon Freet Donna Lidstone Karolina Piotrkiewicz Agne Jasinskaite Carol Barnes Vivian Ewalefo Sheila Ford Jamie Feagin Susan Foreid Miranda Kettery Genie Stinnett Ginny Holloway Rachel Hammond Stephanie Walker Britton Bennett Charity Williams Erma Jackson Ann Marie Bowdoin Angie Johnson Stephanie Cox Pam Wilder Sheila Ford Avery Warley Egle Smigelskaite Tekita Butler Michelle Johnson Lori Milburn Elena Kisseleva Angie McDaniel Kathy Wooten Annetta Paraham Rebecca Lightfoot Daina Staugaitiene Jennifer Spurlock Erin Wall Wendy Johnson Stacey White Malynda Keck Beth Ralph Rima Margeviciute Michelle Fricke Kirstyn Bliss Carolyn Curry Melaney Massey Renee White Malynda Keck Crystal Peace Robin Ingalls Dee Paulson Trish Harris Rachel McLeod Ana Sousa F L A M E S Zandrique Cason Krystal Reeves Erin Wall Beth Hopkins Kathy Wooten Kim Ensing Harriett Blair Tracie Woolridge Sharon Wilkerson Dena Freeman Sandy Schwasnick Tracey LaRose Leslie Mason Patti Gallant Mari Kong Janet Rorer Alexandria Bream Kristal Tharp Megan Frazee Kristina Palaimaite Amy Vickers Renee White Jennifer Fairfax Karen Gouch Karen Mitcham Sarah Beth Faber Molly Frazee Moriah Frazee Nicole Steckis Lisa Towson Missy Roberts Kittery Maine Katie Feenstra Dawn Woodruff Michelle Wyms Lynn Beardslee Leslie Williamson Roli-Ann Nikagbatse Meribeth Anderson Lisa Bateman Dawn Coleman Pam Stanfield Angela Clark Lona Isaacs Daina Staugaitiene Irene Sloof Keri Johnson Tacha Woods Theresa Bream Cheri Yates Lisa Stricklin Flames.com 119

4 L I B E R T Y 1997 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Youth Generates the Turnaround Season It was a moment that will not soon be forgotten in the history of University. For those who were among the 2,319 record-setting crowd in the Vines Center, March 1, 1997, the emotions came flooding back at just the mere mention of it. The basketball floor was a sea of humanity participating in a wild celebration. The Lady Flames had just finished their miraculous come-from-behind victory over favored UNC Greensboro. The come-back story was one of the greatest in NCAA history. Not just the 13 points the Lady Flames trailed by in the second half of the championship game, but of rebounding from winning just five games the year before. The 180-degree turn was mostly due to a triumvirate of freshmen, all of whom were named to the all-conference and alltournament teams: tournament MVP Elena Kisseleva, the 6-1 forward from Russia, and the Wilkerson twins, guards Sharon and Sarah, from Princeton, W.Va. Kisseleva scored 32 points, connecting on 17-of-18 free throws, while grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out five assists. For LU, she was the scorer, however the spark for the Lady Flames was the twins. Midway through a first half that saw several players bruised and battered, Sharon Wilkerson was forced to leave the game with severe cuts above her right eye and on her chin, and a chipped tooth thanks to a collision with the court after a UNC Greensboro player landed on her head. As Sharon was helped from the floor, it was obvious Sarah was emotionally shaken. In the second half, however, she was shaking-and-baking the UNCG defense. Down by as much as 13 just after the break, Sarah scored eight-straight points in one stretch as LU knotted the game at with 9:42 left. The Spartans were plagued by secondhalf foul trouble. Freshman Melinda Goodson, who scored 20 points in the first half, picked up her fourth foul with nearly 15 minutes left in the game and was forced to the bench. She finished with 25 points. When the LU freshmen weren t leading the way, it was senior Genie Stinnett, who scored 14 points, while making 4-of-5 threepointers, including a big one with 3:13 left to make it, The Lady Flames had gone ahead when center Michelle Wyms, their only other senior, scored with 6:57 left to make the score 73-71, and it was a lead LU would not relinquish. After the emotional victory, there would be one more game for the team. Old Dominion, the number-two ranked team in the nation, proved their ranking with a win over the Lady Flames in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. While may have gotten its feet soggy wet in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, it failed to diminish the mountain-top experience of a great turnaround season and winning the firstever Big South title Championship Game 89, UNC Greensboro 82 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. NCAA Mid-East Sub-Regional Tournament Old Dominion 102, 58 ODU Fieldhouse, Norfolk, Va. Kisseleva f Wall f Willie c Sa. Wilkerson g Sh. Wilkerson g Stinnett Wyms Jess Bliss Totals UNC Greensboro Lewis f Goodson f Brediger c Ochs g Cole g Viverette Smith Ferguson West Totals Attendance: 2,319 Officials: Richard Adams, Tom Baldinelli, Horace Graham Kisseleva f Wall f Willie c Stinnett g Sh. Wilkerson g Jess Bliss Bintz Wyms Bateman Bowdoin Ratcliff Totals Old Dominion Andrade f Machanguana f Roberts c Himes g Penicheiro g Small Diaz Eller Bradley Eblin Totals Attendance: 4,855 Officials: Marty Noritch, Bobby Giles, Mary Day Lady Flames Basketball

5 L A D Y 1998 Championship Game 65, UNC Asheville 53 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. NCAA Mid-East Sub-Regional Tourn. Tennessee 102, 58 Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn. UNC Asheville Fellers f Credito f Hill g Edwards g Freed g Polokowski Kuehn Brewer Januseski Gay Totals Kisseleva f Bliss f Willie c Sa. Wilkerson g Sh. Wilkerson g Jackson Sloof Wall Bateman Reeves Ratcliff Bintz Kong Totals Attendance: 5,041 Officials: Richard Adams, Tom Baldinelli, Joe Church Kisseleva f Bliss f Willie c Sa. Wilkerson g Sh. Wilkerson g Jackson Sloof Wall Bateman Bintz Kong Reeves Ratcliff Totals Tennessee FGA FTAOR-TRPF TP Holdsclaw f Catchings f Stevens c Jolly g Randall g Clement Geter Laxton Milligan Greene Butts Totals Attendance: 12,577 Officials: Phyllis Deveney, Tom Danaher, Jack Plunkett F L A M E S 1998 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Undefeated Regular Season Highlights Magical Year After losing to Old Dominion in the openinground of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Flames vowed in the NCAA locker room to do whatever it took to earn a better record, a second-straight conference title and a return invitation to the NCAA Tournament. When the ball went up for the tip-off of the season, was ready for a magical season, and a magical season it was. The Lady Flames went through the first part of their schedule without a blemish, starting to gain national attention of the poll voters, receiving its first Top 25 votes in school history. The Shot by Sharon Wilkerson highlighted a road victory over New Orleans in early January and gave the team momentum as they went through the conference slate without a loss, only having close contests with Elon, Winthrop and Radford, entering the conference tournament as the number-one seed. remained undefeated and advanced to its second-straight championship with a victory over Charleston Southern. Sarah Wilkerson scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had four assists and came up with three steals. Top-seeded captured its secondstraight Big South Conference title and remained undefeated with a victory over UNC Asheville, at the Vines Center. Elena Kisseleva led all scorers with 23 points, 15 coming in the second half and Sharon Wilkerson finished with 14 points. The Big Three once again shined throughout the season, as they were selected to the all-conference and all-tournament teams for t h e second-straight year. Elena Kisseleva was named Player of the Year for the first time, and Rick Reeves was selected Coach of the Year for the second-straight year. The pinnacle of the Lady Flames poll placement was reached after the with the Associated Press ranking them 32nd, and the coaches placing them 39th in their poll. However, the vision of the team gaining a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament was thwarted as the bracket was announced, placing as the 16th-seed against the number-one team in the country, Tennessee. caught the Lady Vols a little flat early in front of an NCAA first-round record crowd of 12,577, as the Lady Flames scored first and stayed with top-seeded Tennessee for the first seven minutes of the game. After tying the game at 12, LU could get no closer as the Lady Vols size and depth carried them on to a victory. Sharon Wilkerson put on a show with her 26-point effort, 20 of those coming in the first half. She tied an NCAA Regional record, hitting six three-pointers for the game. The magical season was over, but not before posting a school-best 28-1 record, a second-straight Big South title and invitation to the NCAA Tournament along with welldeserved national-media attention, putting the program on the national map. Flames.com 121

6 L I B E R T Y 1999 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Lady Flames Achieve the Three-Peat Thoughts of the previous years seeding by the NCAA Tournament committee still loomed in the minds of the Lady Flames as they prepared for the new season. Out to gain the respect they believed they earned, the schedule was upgraded significantly with more nationally-ranked opponents added to the slate. Early unexpected losses had finding themselves with a 6-6 record, heading into conference play. The highlight was an come-from-behind upset victory over Kentucky in Lexington. Once the conference season started, the Lady Flames found their equilibrium. They won 12 straight games coming down the stretch and found themselves as the number-one seed, heading into the conference tournament once again. After receiving a first-round bye, the Lady Flames drew conference-rival Charleston Southern. Elena Kisseleva scored 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Flames to a hard-fought victory. Sharon Wilkerson finished with 16 points and Sarah Wilkerson and Rachel Young each added 10 points. After playing to a tie at the half, opened the second half on a 6-0 run and then built as much as a nine-point lead with 9:29 left in the game. LU closed out the last 6:17 of the game on a 17-6 run to advance to the championship game of the tournament for the third-straight year. Behind the 28-point, sevenrebound performance of Kisseleva, won its third-straight championship title by defeating Coastal Carolina, The Lady Flames built a nine-point lead in the second half, before Coastal Carolina ran off nine unanswered points to tie the game at with 15:47 left in the game. The Lady Flames proceeded to go on a 17-6 run over the next eight minutes and built an 11-point lead, 57-46, with 7:06 left in the game. finished the game outscoring CCU, The Big Three once again collected their share of conference hardware, being selected to the all-conference and all-tournament teams for the third-straight year. Kisseleva was named Player of the Year for the second straight year and the tournament s most outstanding for the second time in her career. Rachel Young was an All-Rookie team honoree. Once again the team was gathered in the Vines Center to watch the selection show on the big screen. This time there was only joy. was awarded a 14th seed and assigned to play Georgia. led through most of the first half and played competitively most of the game. The Lady Flames used outside shooting to take a five-point lead with 7:15 left in the first half. Georgia answered with a 13-3 scoring run, finishing out the first half with a five-point lead. The Bulldogs pushed its lead to as much as 10 points midway through the second half and finished the game on a scoring run. Three straight seasons of excellence, threestraight conference championships and three NCAA invitations. However, this time, the Lady Flames received the national respect they earned, putting an exclamation mark on another great year Championship Game 68, Coastal Carolina 55 Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, N.C. NCAA Mid-East Sub-Regional Tournament Georgia 73, 52 Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga. Coastal Carolina McNeil f Gray f Weisbrod g Davis g McGill g Foster Van Acker Rodriguez Blossom Totals Kisseleva f Sloof f Spurlock c Sa. Wilkerson g Sh. Wilkerson g Woodruff Ki. Reeves Kr. Reeves Kettery Young Willemse Totals Attendance: 1,000 Officials: Richard Adams, Horace Graham, David Curry Kisseleva f Sloof f Spurlock c Sa. Wilkerson g Sh. Wilkerson g Woodruff Kr. Reeves Kettery Ki. Reeves Totals Georgia Murphy f Ball f McDonald c K. Miller g C. Miller g Vishniakova Brown Irwin-Osbolt Nolan Willis Totals Attendance: 2,089 Officials: Dennis DeMayo, Judy Schneider, Bill Titis Lady Flames Basketball

7 L A D Y 2000 Championship Game 74, Coastal Carolina 64 Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, N.C. Attendance: 4,226 Officials: Joe Cunningham, Wilson Rosemond, Richard Adams Sub-Regional Tournament Louisiana State 77, 54 Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, La. Coastal Carolina Bach f McNeil f Gray c Weisbrod g Foster g Reddick Rodriguez Calabrese Total Kisseleva f Cason f Fricke c Young g Sh. Wilkerson g Sa. Wilkerson Sloff Feenstra Blesch Kettery Reeves Rollyson Total Kisseleva f Cason f Feenstra c Young g Sh. Wilkerson g Sa. Wilkerson Fricke Sloof Blesch Kettery Reeves Total Louisiana State Brown f White f Ferdinand g Crockett g Hibbert g Tardy Hawkins Johns Lymon Traylor Weiner Total Attendance: 1,706 Officials: Trammell, Herke, Stevens F L A M E S 2000 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Seniors Finish Four-Year Run With Another Championship New coach and several new players, but same old results for the Lady Flames as left the Asheville Civic Center with their fourth consecutive Big South Conference title and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 2000 season started out as a year of adjustments as Rick Reeves, who had led the Lady Flames to three-consecutive Big South Championships, was no longer on the sidelines for the Lady Flames. Instead, firstyear head coach Carey Green was now at the helm for a growing dynasty. Despite Green s newness to the head coaching position, the 12-year assistant at Clemson brought something the Lady Flames had desperately desired since starting their run three years earlier the experience of winning in an NCAA Tournament. Green helped guide the Lady Tigers to 11 NCAA Tournaments and three Sweet 16 appearances which was a place a senior laden squad had been looking to reach for three years. The year began just as the previous one had as tipped off the season against instate foe Virginia Tech. And just as the Hokies had done the year before, 17th-ranked Virginia Tech started the Lady Flames off with a loss. The remainder of the non-conference schedule saw the Lady Flames experience their ups and downs. defeated in-state opponent Richmond for the first time in 13 attempts before falling to eighth-ranked Notre Dame in the championship of the Wachovia Women s Invitational. The Lady Flames posted their first win over an ACC opponent in the program s history with a victory over Wake Forest, starting a three-game winning streak heading into Big South Conference play. However, the streak would end as a night of first was experienced in the Vines Center when Elon defeated to picked up their program s first conference victory and hand the Lady Flames their first Big South loss in the "Furnace" since the 1997 season. The only other blemish on the Lady Flames Big South docket was a loss to Elon, too, giving the Lady Flames the top-seed heading into the tournament. Prior to the start of the tournament action, four Lady Flames were honored with all-conference selections, while made a clean sweep of the Big South s big awards with Player (Sharon Wilkerson), Rookie (Michelle Fricke) and Coach (Carey Green) of the Year honors all going the Lady Flames way. Just as the awards rolled in for the Lady Flames so did the wins as defeated first-year tournament participants High Point and Elon to advance to the championship game. Their opponent was a familiar foe as faced Coastal Carolina in a rematch of the 1999 championship game and as had happened the season before, was able to overcome the challenges of the Chanticleers and once again cut down the nets as the seniors completed their quest to win fourconsecutive championships. For the second-consecutive year, received a 14th-seeded in the Big Dance, having to square off against 12th-ranked Louisiana State in first round of the NCAA Tournament. Sharon Wilkerson's three-pointer with 3:05 left in the opening period gave the Lady Flames their first lead in the contest. looked well on their way to contending for its first NCAA Tournament victory as they trailed by one at the intermission. However, the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Flames 23-8 in the first 10 minutes of the second half to open up a margin that would be unable to overcome. Flames.com 123

8 L I B E R T Y 2001 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Magical Run Continues With Fifth-Straight Title With every Big South school out to end the Lady Flames strangle hold on the conference title, had a huge target on them every time they stepped on the court. However, a resilient Lady Flames squad kept the storyline the same. The non-conference season brought a roller coaster of emotions to the squad. After knocking off Big East foe West Virginia to even their record at 2-2 early in the season, the Lady Flames dropped seven straight with loses to the likes of Virginia, Iowa State and Wake Forest. With a 2-9 record at the start of 2001, LU won its final non-conference game of the season at Hampton to get the ball rolling. The Lady Flames cruised to four straight conference wins before falling at Elon by 18 points its worst conference loss in four year. LU continued to fight through adversity and reeled off six straight league wins to put themselves ahead of the pack for the regular season title. After a five-point loss to High Point, the Lady Flames won their final two games to claim their fourth BSC regular season crown. For their efforts in helping LU to the regular season title, four Lady Flames were honored by the BSC. Michelle Fricke was named the first-team all-conference squad while Rachel Young took home second-team honors. Freshmen Monique Leonard and Kristina Palaimaite both were named the league s all-rookie team. Still looking for the bigger crown and an NCAA tournament berth, LU started the league tournament with a win over UNC Ashville at the Roanoke Civic Center. After knocking off High Point in the semifinals, Elon was the only team standing between the Lady Flames and the school s fifth straight conference tournament title and a trip to the NCAA tournament. After trailing by one-point at halftime, LU did not give up in claiming a win and the conference title. Leading the Lady Flames in the tournament was Fricke who was named tournament MVP after posting a double-double in each of LU s three win. Young and Palaimaite were also named to the all-tournament team as the Lady Flames pushed on toward the NCAA tournament. The Lady Flames received a 15th-seed and were given a first round date with the nation s fourth ranked team the Georgia Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 22-7 edge midway through the opening half and never looked back in dashing LU s hopes for an NCAA tournament win Championship Game 52, Elon 47 Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, Va. Attendance: 764 Officials: Bob Schildt, Dan Outlaw, Anne Marie Treadway Sub Regional Tournament Georgia 77, 48 Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Ga. Elon Ghee Hepburn DeVeaux Chikos Lawson Milosavljevic Green Andrews Blankeney McLeod Nyborg TOTALS Fricke Palaimaite Feenstra Young Sloof Rollyson Leonard Foreid Peace TOTALS Foreid Fricke Feenstra Leonard Young Rollyson Peace Palaimaite Sloof TOTALS Georgia Nolan Briggans McDonald K. Miller C. Miller Taylor Lycett Thomas Brown King McEntire Washington Henson TOTALS Attendance: 4,116 Officials: Angela Lewis, Cameron Inouye, Steve Stelljes Lady Flames Basketball

9 L A D Y 2002 Championship Game 57, Coastal Carolina 33 Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, Va. Attendance: 1,170 Officials: Kim Watt, Jennifer Rezac, Mike Utley Sub Regional Tournament South Carolina 69, 61 Colonial Center, Columbia, S.C. Coastal Carolina Calabrese Co. Brown Cr. Brown Reddick Shearer Meeks Huntzinger Ingle TOTALS Palaimaite Stagaitiene M. Feenstra Rollyson Young Leonard Usaite Jasinskaite Foreid Walker Peace Sousa Tharp K. Feenstra TOTALS Palaimaite M. Feenstra Walker Tharp Stagaitiene Rollyson Leonard Young Jasinskaite Foreid Peace K. Feenstra TOTALS South Carolina Geter Penn Ujhelyi Ciocan Gortman Ajanovic Morrone Troina Segras TOTALS Attendance: 3,727 Officials: Mark Zentz, Tom Danaher, Deb Allen F L A M E S 2002 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Lady Flames Continue Championship Run & Nearly Achieve NCAA First Round Victory A trio of newcomers were instrumental for the Lady Flames ride to the school s sixth straight Big South women s basketball title. For the second time in school history three freshmen led the squad in scoring and the end result was the same for the rest of the conference. Freshmen Katie Feenstra, Kristal Tharp and Stephanie Walker became the second group of freshmen to lead in scoring six years after the Big Three of Elena Kisseleva, Sharon Wilkerson and Sarah Wilkerson turned the trick during the Lady Flames first run at the league title. Feenstra lead the way averaging 10.8 points a game, playing in 16 contests after missing the first 14 with a knee injury. Her regular season accolades help land her on the Big South All-Rookie squad. Feenstra was vital at the Big South tournament were she averaged 18.0 points and 7.7 rebounds a game at the four-day event in earning All- Tournament honors. Not far behind was Tharp who scored 9.2 points a game on the strength of a team high 33 made shots from behind the arc. In addition to being named the Big South All- Tournament and All-Rookie team, the Chillicothe, Ohio native became the school s fourth Big South Rookie of the Year. Walker was the squad s third leading scoring tallying 8.6 points a game while playing in all 30 games, including a start in 20 of those contests. Walker was honored as a member of the Big South All-Rookie team as well as receiving league Rookie of the Week honors twice during the regular season. The Lady Flames record stood at 4-6 heading into the start of 2002 but they didn t let passed setbacks hurt their remaining portion of the schedule. reeled off six straight wins before Elon handed their only league loss on Jan. 21 but the Lady Flames responded by winning their next 10 regular season games and three straight at the Big South tournament en route to the championship. In addition to the freshman honors, Meribeth Feenstra received first-team allconference honors after scoring 5.9 points, 6.2 rebound a game while leading the Big South in blocked shots with 77. Flames.com 125

10 L I B E R T Y 2003 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Lady Flames Continue Title Reign With Seventh-Straight Crown A new year - the same old story. For the seventh-consecutive year, the Lady Flames headed to the NCAA tournament after dominating the competition in the Big South during the regular season and postseason. The Lady Flames seventh-straight conference title, not only tied a Big South record held by Radford, it placed among elite company in the nation, giving them the third-longest championship run, behind just Old Dominion (12 straight CAA titles) and Louisiana Tech (eight straight titles). The Lady Flames posted a 26-4 record during the 2003 campaign, with the program s biggest win to-date, a thrilling overtime victory over 23 rd -ranked Virginia, marking the first time that the Lady Flames had beaten a ranked opponent. However, after opening the season with three wins, would go on to lose three out of the next four games to begin the season 4-3. What happened next would be simply amazing. After a sluggish 4-3 start, the Lady Flames reeled off 22-straight victories, giving the second longest such streak in the nation. Only the eventual national champions, the Connecticut Huskies, had a longer winning streak. Over those 22 games, was led by their top two sophomore sensations - Katie Feenstra and Kristal Tharp. Feenstra nearly averaged a doubledouble by scoring 16.8 points a night, on a 59.7 shooting percentage and collecting 9.1 rebounds, while Tharp chipped in with 12.6 points a game, shooting 44.0 percent from behind the arc, and grabbing 4.2 boards a night. Collectively, outscored its opponents by an average of 17.4 points and out rebounded them by 11.6 over the 22-game span. For the second time in school history, and the first under fourth year head coach Carey Green, the Lady Flames went through conference unscathed, with a perfect 14-0 record en route to their sixthstraight regular season title and seventhstraight tournament title on an victory over High Point in the championship game, led by a 28-point, 13-rebound performance by Feenstra. With that dominating performance, Feenstra was named to the Big South All-Tournament Team, along with Kristal Tharp, and earned MVP honors. With a 26-3 record and another Big South Championship, the Lady Flames earned their first-ever national ranking, as they were ranked 25 th in the nation in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll on March 11. took its Top 25 ranking into the NCAA Tournament as the 13 th seed to face the fourth-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores. In what would prove to be a defensive struggle, the Commodores ended s 22-game win streak and hopes of its firstever NCAA Tournament victory with a victory and end the Lady Flames season. The Lady Flames received numerous accolades during the season, as Carey Green was named Big South Coach of the Year for the second time and Feenstra was named Player of the Year. First-Team all-conference honors were awarded to Feenstra and Tharp, while Tharp was also named to the all-academic team Championship Game 84, High Point 71 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. High Point Jenner Rosser Henry Scott Brockman O Brien Vinson O Dell Mills Scott TEAM 4 TOTALS Tharp Palaimaite Feenstra Jasinskaite Staugaitiene Dawson Leonard Foreid Walker Butler Margeviciute Sousa Anderson TOTALS Attendance: 3,071 Officials: Jennifer Rezac, Darrelly Johnson, Tom Baldinelli Sub Regional Tournament Vanderbilt 54, 44 Ted Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk, Va. FG FT Staugaitiene Palaimaite Feenstra Jasinskaite Tharp Dawson Leonard Foreid Walker Butler Margeviciute Anderson TEAM 4 TOTALS FG FT Vanderbilt McElhiney Benningfield Anderson Ramsey Hager Battle Early TEAM 3 TOTALS Attendance: 5,239 Officials: John Weeks, Jack Jones, Cameron Inouye Lady Flames Basketball

11 L A D Y 2004 Championship Game 54, Birmingham-So. 41 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. Attendance: 1,521 Officials: Lawson Newton, Jennifer Rezac, Dan Outlaw Sub Regional Tournament Georgia 78, 53 Liacouras Center Philadelphia, Pa. Birmingham-So. Spears Gentsch oods Anthony Boyett Knotkova Oliver TEAM Total Palaimaite Feenstra Dawson Leonard Staugaitiene Parker Feagin Margeviciute Peace Tharp TEAM Total Palaimaite Feenstra Dawson Leonard Staugaitiene Jones Parker Ewalefo Feagin Margeviciute Peace Tharp TEAM Total Georgia Thomas Rowsey Baker Hardrick Kendrick Pierce Chambers Frye TEAM Total Attendance: 2,037 Officials: Dennis Mayer, Angie Lawson, Alicia Walker F L A M E S 2004 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Eighth-Straight Big South Title Sets Benchmark for Basketball Championships The 2004 season was one of record proportions. Vying to join elite company around the nation and set the bench mark for basketball championships in the Big South, the Lady Flames entered the season looking to do what no other team in the Big South had done; win eight-straight Big South basketball titles. And that's exactly what they did as they marched through the conference unscathed for the secondconsecutive season, while breaking their own record for consecutive regular Big South victories (37). During the regular season, posted a 25-7 record, reeling off 16-straight victories to close out the season as they entered the NCAA Tournament for the eighth-straight time and squared off against the Lady Bulldogs of Georgia for the third time in six postseasons, dropping the contest Although the Lady Flames failed to win their game in the NCAA Tournament and move on, it was one of the more special seasons, especially for junior Katie Feenstra who recorded arguably the greatest season-ever by a Lady Flame basketball player; or for that matter any basketball player. The six-foot-eight center began the year in unchartered waters as she became the first Lady Flame to be named as a Street & Smith's Preseason Honorable Mention All-American. However, the honors didn't stop there. Feenstra dominated her competition, posting a careerhigh 22 double-doubles and becoming the only player in the nation to be in the Top 15 in field goal percentage (1st, 65.7), points (10th, 21.1), rebounds (10th, 11.0) and blocks per game (14th, 2.6). With those statistics, Feenstra earned national honors as she was selected to Kodak/WBCA All-America Region II Team, Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America Team and Academic All-America District III Second- Team. Head coach Carey Green and his staff continued their brilliance from the sidelines. On January 17, Green earned his 100th career victory as he would go on to record 15 more to bring his five year record to ; making him one of the most successful head coaches in the nation. Green currently stands just 22 victories shy of becoming the all-time winningest women's basketball coach. Former head coach Rick Reeves currently holds the top spot with 136 career victories at. Flames.com 127

12 L I B E R T Y 2005 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS Lady Flames Earn Ninth Big South Title; Earn First NCAA Tournament Win Would this be the year? Would this be the year that talent met expectations? Would this be the year that the seniors would leave their mark on the women's basketball program? Would this be the year that the Lady Flames made a national impact? Those are the questions that faced the women's basketball team and by the end of the season the Lady Flames had a question of their own! It wouldn't be an easy season for the squad as road games at Virginia, Kansas State, Duke and Ohio State mixed in with home dates with Richmond and Virginia Tech posed tough challenges. During head coach Carey Green's tenure at, the Lady Flames had been close, real close, to upsetting some big time programs. With only one victory over a top 25 team in five years, Green and his coaching staff looked to change that statistic and they had more than their share of opportunities. The Wildcat Classic was one of those chances for this team. After running over a Tennessee State team, 74-38, took on a Kansas State team that was ranked No. 17 in the nation and riding a 35-game home winning streak. However, All-American Katie Feenstra and the rest of the team were not intimidated as they went on to hand the Wildcats their worst loss at home since 1998 with a 21 point loss, The win marked the biggest victory in 's 30-year history, but it would be just the first of many extraordinary Lady Flames' accomplishments to come. After dropping its next two games to Virginia Tech and No. 3 Duke, would reel off 16 victories over its next 17 contests. Next up was a home date with the Panthers of High Point - the last Big South team to hand a defeat. The Lady Flames entered the game riding a 57-game conference streak and the seniors had recorded a 61-1 (.984) record against Big South opponents. But neither of those stats matter much as came out flat and was held to 17 first half points en route to a High Point victory. The Panthers' win certainly end something, but it started something as well: a buzz that could be beat and they were vulnerable. Although they couldn't see it at the time, the High Point loss was the best thing to happen to a complacent team. In the previous two seasons the Lady Flames cruised through the back-half of their schedule and entered the NCAA Tournament on winning streaks of 22 games and 19 games. But this time, had lost with just two games remaining in (Continued on page 129) 2005 Championship Game 88, UNC Asheville 41 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. Attendance: 2,738 Officials: Jason Lawson, Kim Watts, Sue Blauch Sub Regional Tournament 78, Penn State 70 Comcast Center, College Park, Md. UNC Asheville FGA FTA REBPF TP Elder Clapp Roche Vuncannon Hood Barton Hendley Opfer Young Baldwin Kirby Shepard TEAM Total FGA FTA REBPF TP Margeviciute Tharp Feenstra Fasnacht Staugaitiene Watkins Jones Parker Piotrkiewicz Feagin Walker Nikagbatse TEAM Total Margeviciute Tharp Feenstra Fasnacht Staugaitiene Watkins Feagin Nikagbatse TEAM Total Penn State FGA FTA REBPF TP Brown Schwab Brenden Strom Wright Squire Joseph Bland Harris TEAM Total Attendance: 3,767 Officials: John Weeks, Connie Pardue, Daryl Humphrey Lady Flames Basketball

13 L A D Y Sub Regional Tournament 88, DePaul 79 Comcast Center, College Park, Md. FGA FTA REBPF TP Margeviciute Tharp Feenstra Fasnacht Staugaitiene Watkins Jones Parker Piotrkiewicz Feagin Walker Nikagbatse TEAM Total DePaul FGA FTA REBPF TP Carney Smith Rubino Quigley Dant Smith Smith Benton TEAM Total Attendance: 3,838 Officials: Bill Titus, Scotty Herndon, Mary Day Sweet 16, Chattanooga Regional LSU 90, 48 The McKenzie Arena, Chattanooga, Tenn. Margeviciute Tharp Feenstra Fasnacht Staugaitiene Watkins Jones Parker Piotrkiewicz Feagin Walker Nikagbatse TEAM Total LSU FGA FTA REBPF TP Johnson Hoston Augustus Jones Willis White Mitchell Leblanc Chaney Williams Whitfield Fowles Biernacka White TEAM Total Attendance: 5,702 Officials: Joe Cunningham, Eric Lawson, Charles Gonzalez F L A M E S 2005 NCAA TOURNAMENT What A Sweet Feeling: Upsets DePaul To Advance To The Sweet 16! (Continued from page 128) their schedule before the Big South Tournament. While some outsiders thought that this was the season, 's dominance of the conference might end, the insiders knew what had happened: a giant had been awaken! What followed over the next five games turned the doubters into believers. The Lady Flames rolled over their opponents by an average of 41 point per game, while holding them to 25.2 percent shooting. set yet another record as its 47- point victory in the championship game over UNC Asheville demolished the old record for margin of victory in a championship game of 24 points. So, would this be the season that the Lady Flames finally won an NCAA First Round game, or would it be the same old story; dominate the Big South, get dominated in The Tournament. Having faced seven-straight SEC opponents in the opening round in previous trips, caught a break and was matched up against Penn State of the Big Ten - a match-up that would prove favorable to. The Lady Flames out played the Lady Lions and earned the Big South's first NCAA Basketball Tournament victory and the team's first victory in nine NCAA Tournament attempts. When the lights shone the brightest, 's best showed up as Katie Feenstra poured in a game-high 22 points. But it was a freshman that surprised most as Allyson Fasnacht ran the show flawlessly, scoring a season-high 18 points with no turnovers. The victory marked just the fourth time that a No. 13 seed knocked off a No. 4 seed in the women's tournament. Coming into the tournament, No. 13 seeds were Next up was the Blue Demons of DePaul. Once again it was Feenstra who did what she had done so many times of during her four-year career; she dominated the game. The center proved to be nearly unstoppable, scoring the Lady Flames' first eight points en route to a game-high 29 on 11-of-14 shooting, while also grabbing 13 rebounds for her 49th double-double of her career, propelling the team to victory. With the win, earned a spot in the Sweet 16 and quieted all the critics. Although they'd go on to face the overall No. 1 seed in LSU and lose, the season will be remembered as one of the greatest in Lady Flames' basketball history. After answering all the critic's questions, it was Feenstra, who while being interviewed by Jimmy Dykes of ESPN after their upset of No. 5 DePaul on why she chose, that asked the final question: Why not? Flames.com 129

14 L I B E R T Y 2006 BIG SOUTH CHAMPS A Perfect 10: Lady Flames Keep Big South Title Streak Going With four starters from the previous season s Sweet 16 squad lost to graduation and a roster completely devoid of seniors, prospects were uncertain as the women s basketball season tipped off. Would this be the season that saw the Lady Flames string of Big South Tournament titles end at nine? Head coach Carey Green s squad opened the season with a home contest against Virginia Union. In that game, Lady Flames supporters got a taste of what was to come in the 25-point win. Although the faces were different (two freshmen started), Green s philosophy was still the same control the boards and play stifling defense. The Lady Flames won the rebounding battle by 10 and held the visitors to 25 percent shooting. Freshman Megan Frazee made an immediate impact, scoring 17 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists in the first game of her collegiate career. She would go on to record nine double-doubles in the first 13 games, averaging 18.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. She was able to pick up a good portion of the scoring slack that had had been lost from the previous year s squad. All seemed to be going well until Frazee went down with a season-ending knee injury during a mid-january home game against Coastal Carolina. From that point on, Green s coaching ability and the young Lady Flames mettle would be put to the test. Fortunately for the faithful, those tests were passed with flying colors. High Point knocked off the Lady Flames, 64-55, on Jan. 25, but went on to win its next 14 games. Two of those 14 victories came against High Point. The first of those revenge contests came in front of a seasonhigh 3,366 fans at the Vines Center on Feb. 18. seized control of the Big South lead with a victory. That triumph made Green the winningest women s basketball coach in Big South history with 159 career wins. The two teams would square off again on March 11 at the Vines Center, this time with the Big South Championship trophy at stake. High Point got off to a fast start, taking a lead into halftime. The Lady Flames were able to dig out of the hole by using their bread-and-butter, rebounding and defense. outrebounded the visitors by 18 and limited High Point to 19 percent shooting in the second half. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Allyson Fasnacht came through in the clutch. Already a Big South first-team all-conference honoree, she added a MVP award to her collection, sealing that award with the gameclinching jumper with 14.9 seconds remaining. That victory gave its unprecedented 10th-straight Big South title and sent it back to the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Flames, seeded 13th, met a familiar foe in the first round, DePaul. had knocked off the Blue Demons to reach the Sweet 16 the previous year. This time, DePaul turned the tables on the Lady Flames, ending s season at 25-6 with a triumph. players and Green took home a good deal of hardware at season s end. Sophomore Roli-Ann Nikagbatse was named the conference s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year. Moriah Frazee was included on the Big South All-Freshman Team. Megan Frazee earned a spot on the VaSID All-State second team. Green won both Big South Coach of the Year and VaSID State Coach of the Year honors. The version of the Lady Flames not only silenced their doubters but paved the way for a bright future with so many young players gaining valuable experience throughout the year Championship Game 53, High Point 50 Vines Center, Lynchburg, Va. High Point FGA FTA REBPF TP Thys O Dell Ralls Cook Sellars Thompson Manuel Brockmyer Tripp TEAM Total FGA FTA REBPF TP Piotrkiewicz Frazee, Mor Nikagbatse Watkins Fasnacht Parker Feagin Hammond Lightfoot Frazee, Mol TEAM Total Attendance: 898 Officials: Lawson Newton, Jennifer Rezac, Bryan Brunette NCAA San Antonio Sub Regional Tournament DePaul 68, 43 Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Ill. Piotrkiewicz Frazee, Mor Nikagbatse Watkins Fasnacht Jones Parker Feagin Hammond Smigelskaite Lightfoot Bream Frazee, Mol TEAM Total DePaul FGA FTA REBPF TP Smith, C Smith, K Rubino Quigley Towers Mitidiero Cattell Carney, R Johnson Morrison Carney, E Musante Benton Medley Collins TEAM Total Attendance: 3,266 Officials: Melissa Barlow, Connie Pardue, Maj Forsberg Lady Flames Basketball