The expectations are high for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women’s basketball team this season.
The Panthers return four of five starters from last season’s squad, which advanced to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion La Roche.
That is one of the main reasons they were picked to finish second (La Roche received all 10 first place votes) in the AMCC in 2014-15.
“Our expectation is to compete for a championship,” said head coach Patrick Daniel. “If you want to compete for a championship, people are going to come after you. We understand that and we accept the challenge, now we just have to go out and show it.”
Returning starters for Pitt-Bradford include forwards Alicia Kimmel (senior) and Brittany Watts (sophomore), as well as guards Abby Brate (junior) and Kaserra Owens (sophomore). Junior guard Allison Osborne also started a handful of games a season ago, giving Pitt-Bradford a wealth of experience.
Daniel was careful to point out, however, that his squad will use a multitude of lineups.
“We do a lot of different lineups in practice so that when we get into games, it’s familiar with them,” he said. “I think now, more than in my previous two years, we have the opportunity to do some different things in terms of our lineup because of the pieces that we have.”
That all starts with Kimmel, a second team all-conference pick a season ago after leading the Panthers in points (14.1) and rebounds (7.0).
The 5-10 senior from Pine Grove is poised for a big senior season, with consistency being the key, according to her coach.
“How Alicia goes, nine times out of 10 is how we’re going to go,” Daniel said. “She has to be consistent and that’s on both ends, and I know she can do it.”
Kimmel will be joined in the frontcourt by Watts.
The sophomore from Johnsonburg is also an all-conference performer in volleyball and is joining the team a little late after helping lead the volleyball squad to the AMCC playoffs.
She came on strong at the end of her freshman season and averaged 6.7 ppg. and 5.3 rpg.
“She had some very good games last year; she can be dominant,” Daniel said. “She’s quick, is a good rebounder and is able to block shots. It’s taking her a little bit of time getting into basketball shape, but we’re excited about her. She was at our practices and able to watch and I think that helped her in terms of her knowledge of the things we want to do.”
Also expected to see time at forward are 5-10 sophomore Casey Stringer, who played in 22 games last season, as well as 5-9 senior Melanie Yanetsko and 6-0 freshman Brooke Osborne.
Yanetsko started 14 games in 2012-13, but missed the entire 2013-14 season due to injury.
“We have some height, some length and I think we can be very good rebounding and out in transition,” Daniel said. “With Melanie being out and coming back, that’s going to take some time, but I’m excited about it. I think we can do some different things down there offensively and defensively that we haven’t done in the past.”
Brate, Owens and Allison Osborne, meanwhile, are part of a deep and talented backcourt.
Brate led the team in assists last season (101) and was also the second leading scorer behind Kimmel.
“Abby did a tremendous job for us last year in terms of getting assists,” Daniel noted. “She played well defensively and with Abby specifically, she needs to improve that jump shot. She can get to the hole, it’s just about improving that jump shot to where it’s more consistent and makes her even tougher to guard.”
Owens, meanwhile, may be the Panthers’ quickest player. The former Bradford Area High School standout led the team in steals (62) and was third on the team in scoring at 8.6 ppg.
Daniel has seen rapid growth from Owens and is expecting big things from her.
“Kaserra is the one person right now who has improved from last year to this year in terms of practicing and doing the things she’s capable of doing,” Daniel said. “She’s getting out and running the court extremely well and is playing very good defense. She’s driving, she’s shooting, she’s doing all of the things I saw her do at Bradford High and that’s very exciting. It helps that she has her running mate.”
That running mate is incoming freshman guard Ali Rinfrette, Owens’ teammate for three years at Bradford High.
Rinfrette enters the fold after a decorated high school career that includes being a three-time first team District 9 selection.
And, as Daniel puts it, she’s not an ordinary freshman.
“With freshman there is a transition going from high school to college, but Ali has the type of game where she can have an immediate impact,” the coach said. “She’s a great leader on the court and her teammates have a lot of confidence in her. That’s going to help in her transition.”
Daniel described Osborne, saying she has “a great basketball IQ and sees the floor really well.”
Overall, it’s a talented group, one with a nice mix of youth, experience, size and speed.
As far as what it’s going to take to for them to live up to, and possibly exceed expectations, however, Daniel knows where it begins.
“It always starts on defense for us,” he said. “I think, after we play a few games, we’ll see where we are defensively. For us, our offense is predicated on how we play defense. We can’t be a team that’s going to try and trade baskets back and forth. We have to play good team defense and that’s going to lead to our offense.”
Daniel and his staff, which includes, Kimberly Rublee and Grace Williamson, believe in their group.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team, I believe in this team,” Daniel stated. “We have to get them to have that same type of confidence and belief in themselves from the very start. I think they’re gamers, I really do.”
