The Geneseo women’s basketball team will begin their quest to 20 plus wins this season starting on Friday Nov. 18. The Knights hope to continue their legacy as a premier Division III basketball program in the SUNYAC conference. The Knights have been preparing for this season in a number of different ways. From workouts to offensive and defensive strategizing, the Knights are looking to come out of the gates strong and to take an early lead in the division. The team will be coming off a strong 2015-16 season where they went 21-8 and made it to the NCAA DIII Tournament.
With the start of the season just days away, the goals of the program have not changed as Geneseo embarks on its fifth consecutive winning season. This is certainly no small feat for any college basketball team.
“I think it’s become an expectation for our players to compete for championships every year,” head coach Scott Hemer said. “We have things that we pride ourselves on, such as defense and rebounding, which we will continue to do.”
Positive outlook aside, it’s no secret that the Knights will be down key contributors this year. To name a few, the Knights will have to fend without guard Dana Cohen ‘16 and forward Allison McKenna ‘16, who both helped lead the Knights last year.
Geneseo has had a strong recruiting system, however, especially in women’s basketball. Hemer worked hard to find the best of the best and to create a lasting dynasty at Geneseo.
Hemer made sure to recruit talented freshman that will be groomed to win championships by the time they become upperclassmen. With the addition of two new guards, the Knights are looking sharp heading into this season. Although there are changes, Hemer remains optimistic.
“We aren’t going to change who we are, but we are going to change the style in which we play in those systems,” he said.
The women are counting down the days before they head to Annville, Pennsylvania, to compete in the Lebanon Valley Tournament. There, the team will face their first opponent of the season, Penn State-Harrisburg.
“I think they are very excited to get the season underway,” Hemer said.
Geneseo will face the 0-1 Penn State-Harrisburg Nittany Lions on Friday Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. Harrisburg suffered their first loss in a sloppy game against Misericordia College, where they lost 56-26.
With high expectations for the season, the Knights hope to get off to a strong start in order to carry the momentum all the way through February.