JOIN THE DOANE DEFENSIVE EXCELLENCE CLUB or Doane Athletic Club

	Knievel Transferring to Doane (6/1/06) Jackie Knievel, a freshman at Wayne State College this past season, will be transferring to Doane College and will join the Tiger basketball squad.  Knievel was a decorated athlete in high school as she was a member of four consecutive "C2" basketball titles at West Point Central Catholic.  She earned first team all-state honors while averaging 16 points and seven rebounds a game for the Bluejays her senior season.  At WSC this past season, Knievel saw limited minutes in 30 games.  She averaged 2.9 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game as WSC advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament.
	Fagot Signs on with Tigers (6/1/06) Lisa Fagot of Eustis-Farnam High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall.  She averaged 12.2 points and 2.8 steals per game for the Knights. Fagot connected on .421 percent of her 2-point attempts and .650 percent from the free throw line. She earned "D1" honorable mention all-state honors her junior and senior seasons.
	Metzner Signs with Doane (5/17/06) Cassie Metzner of Falls City Sacred Heart High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Metzner was the starting point guard the past two years and helped lead the Irish to back-to-back state tournament appearances. She averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this past year. She also finished tenth in "D2" in three-point percentage as she connected on 39-120 attempts for a mark of .325. Metzner was named honorable mention "D2" by the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald.
	Rohde Signs with Doane (5/10/06) Valerie Rohde of Emerson-Hubbard High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Rohde was seventh in scoring in Class "C2" with 15.5 points per game and 12th in rebounding with 7.9 per game. She shot .472 percent from the field for the Pirates. Rohde earned honorable mention honors this year from the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald.
	Helman Signs with Doane (5/9/06) Hannah Helman of East Butler High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Helman was the second leading scorer in Class "C2" with 18.8 points per game. She also averged 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She led "C2" in three-point shooting by hitting .459 percent of her attempts and she was third in free throw percentage (.802). Helman was named Second Team Class "C2" by the Lincoln Journal Star, Omaha World Herald, and Huskerland Prep. She was recently named East Butler High School's Female Athlete-of-the-Year.
	Koster Signs with Doane (5/4/06) Jenna Koster of Manhattan High School in Kansas has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Koster was the second leading scorer for the Indians with 8.9 points per game. She also added 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Koster hit 33 three-point baskets this season, second most in school history. She was named Second Team All-Centennial Conference.
	Shaw Signs with Doane (5/2/06) Lindsay Shaw of Silver Lake High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Shaw led the Mustangs in scoreing and finished 10th in "D1" with 14.1 points per game. She also averaged 4.4 rebounds per game and was ninth in "D1" for free throw percentage, hitting .735 percent of her attempts. Shaw was named Second Team Class "D1" by Huskerland Prep, the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald.
	Munter Signs with Doane (4/27/06) Vanessa Munter of Norris High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Munter was third in scoring in Class "B" with 16.9 points per game, sixth in rebounds with 7.4 per game, and second in steals with 4.7 a game for the Titans. Norris advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament during Munter's junior season. Munter was named First Team Class "B" by the Lincoln Journal Star and Huskerland Prep and Second Team by the Omaha World Herald.
	Anderjaska Signs with Doane (4/25/06) Betsy Anderjaska of Wauneta-Palisade High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Anderjaska helped the Broncos to the "D1" girls state basketball tournament for the second straight year. She led the team in scoring (12.7 pts), rebounding (7.2 reb) and free throw percentage (.656). Anderjaska was named honorable mention "D1" by the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World Herald.
	Trautman Signs with Doane (4/25/06) Kylee Trautman of Bertrand High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Trautman led the Vikings with 12.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this year. She was ninth in "D2" in two-point field goal percentage with a mark of .530 (97-183). Trautman was named honorable mention "D2" by the Omaha World Herald.
	Kassman Signs with Doane (4/20/06) Kia Kassman of Holyoke High School in Colorado has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Kassman helped lead the Dragons to a 24-2 record and state runner-up finish in "2A". In 2005, her team finished 22-4 and in third place at the state tournament. Kassman averaged 12.8 points per game and was named Second Team All-State by the Rocky Mountain News. Kassman will also participate in the throws events for the Doane track and field program.
	Davis Signs with Doane (4/20/06) Molly Davis of Friend High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Davis led "C2" in scoring this year by averaging 20.9 points per game for the Bulldogs. She also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. Davis was named Second Team "C2" by the Lincoln Journal Star and Huskerland Prep while earning honorable mention honors from the Omaha World Herald.
	Anderson Signs with Doane (4/19/06) Nicole Anderson of Ravenna High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's baskeball team next fall. Anderson helped lead the Bluejays to the "C2" state championship this year with a team-high 21 points in the championship game victory over four-time champion West Point CC. Anderson averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on the season and led "C2" in free throw percentage by hit 48-60 attempts (80%). She was named 1st Team Huskerland Prep and honorable mention "C2" by the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star.
	Flaherty Signs on with Doane (4/18/06) Michelle Flaherty of Guernsey High School in Wyoming has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Flaherty is a 5-6 guard and helped lead her team to an undefeated regular season and third place finish in "1A". Also this year, her volleyball team won the Wyoming "1A" state championship.

Tigers Earn All-Nebraska Honors (4/16/06) The Omaha World Herald released their All-Nebraska teams for men's and women's basketball on Sunday. In the NAIA division, five Tigers represented the list. Alissa Holland was named to the First Team, Ashley Sullwold and Marti Blecha were named to the Second Team and Ashley Howard and Lindsay Anderson were named to the honorable mention list.

Marsh Signs on with Doane (4/11/06) Becky Marsh of Bellevue East High School has signed with Doane College and will be a member of the women's basketball team next fall. Marsh was an important member to the Chieftains state championship team. She averaged better than 11 points and five rebounds per game and often guarded the opponents best player. Marsh had a team-high 17 points in the championship game victory of Lincoln Northeast. She was named Honorable Mention All-Class "A" by the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star.

Fairbanks Named NAIA Region II Coach-of-the-Year (3/15/06) Doane College Head Women's Basketball coach Tracee Fairbanks has been named the 2006 Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coach-of-the-Year for Region II of the NAIA.  Fairbanks led the Tigers to their best season since the 1995-96 season, which coincidentally was her senior season at Doane College.  Doane finished the 2005-06 season with a 25-7 record, 15-3 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), and ranked No. 8 in NAIA Division II.  Doane advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament and lost 55-56 in the round of 16 on a three-point basket at the buzzer.  Fairbanks' coaching job this year looks even more impressive when it is noticed that she only had 13 players to work with.  Those 13 women played for each other all season and their efforts received praise day in and day out from all of those who watched them.  After adapting a new defensive style two years ago, Fairbanks credits her players for having bought into this system which produced the top defensive team in the GPAC, allowing only 56.9 points per game.

Three Tigers Named NAIA Scholar-Athletes (3/13/06) Seniors Marti Blecha and Shana Reese and junior Ashley Sullwold have been named NAIA Scholar-Athletes for the 2005-06 season. To be named a Scholar-Athlete, a student must have a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, be of junior or senior status, and may have to meet individual sport requirements. Blecha and Reese are two-time honorees while Sullwold has been honored for the first time. (from left to right: Sullwold, Reese, Blecha)

Buzzer Beater Ends Tiger Season (3/10/06) The Tigers came back from a nine point deficit and took their final lead of the game with eight seconds remaining when Ashley Sullwold hit Alissa Holland on a slip screen to go up 55-53 over Benedictine College. With six seconds remaining and coming out of a time out, the Ravens were able to inbound the ball (after what seemed like a long five-count). After penetrating to the basket, a kick out to Angeline Finazzo near the top of the key proved deadly for the Tigers. Finazzo was left wide open and drained a three-point basket as the clock expired to give Benedictine a 56-55 victory and ended the Tigers' season at 25-7. The Ravens were 9-26 from behind the arc compared to Doane's 2-10. The Tigers could not get an official's call to go their way down the stretch and then continued to hurt their own cause with turnovers. Doane had 28 turnovers for the game.

Holland and senior Marti Blecha had 15 points to lead the offensive attack. Ashley Howard added seven and senior Shana Reese came off the bench to add five points and four rebounds. Lindsay Anderson and Howard had nine rebounds a piece as Doane out-rebounded Benedictine 50-25. The two Tiger seniors, Blecha and Reese, help Doane to their best season since the 1995-96 season (31-7)...a season that was celebrated earlier this year at halftime of the Tigers' first game in the KH Classic.

Doane Defense Crushes Ottawa (3/9/06) The Doane Tiger defense stepped up when the offense lacked and shut down Ottawa University in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. Doane defeated the Braves 50-40 to advance to the Sweet 16 round and will face Benedictine College. The Tiger defense held Ottawa to 14.3 percent shooting from the floor, an opponent's season low. Ottawa only made nine field goals in the 40 minutes of play. Nearly half their points came from free throws, 18 of 40 to be exact. Doane was led by Lindsay Anderson's 12 points and eight rebounds. Marti Blecha added 11 points, including 5-6 from the free throw line. Ashley Sullwold added 10 rebounds. Ashley Howard and Alissa Holland each collected eight rebounds as well for Doane as the Tigers out-rebounded the Braves 55-54. The Tigers and Braves had 23 turnovers a piece.

Tigers Draw Ottawa in Round One (3/1/06) The Tigers will be featured in the very last game of the first round in this year's NAIA National Tournament when they take on Ottawa University at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday evening, March 9. The Braves advanced to the tournament by defeating Tabor College for the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship. A hot team down the stretch, Ottawa won six games in a row to end the season and nine of their last 11. The Tigers and Braves have two common opponents, Morningside and Graceland. Ottawa fell to Morningside by 11 back in November and defeated Graceland by 21 in early January. Ottawa is led by a balanced offensive attack. Their leading scorer, Hallie Boyce, is averaging 11.76 pts/gm. Brittany Broyles is second with 11.29 pts/gm, Renee Sidney is next with 10.79 pts/gm and Amanda Stichler is near double-digits with 9.68 pts/gm. The winner of the first round match-up will face the winner of Benedictine/Daemen at 9:15 p.m. on Friday, March 10.

Five Tigers Named All-GPAC (3/1/06) Doane placed five members of this year's team on the All-GPAC team for 2005-06. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) and Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) were named First Team All-GPAC, Marti Blecha Superior, Neb.) and Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) were named Second Team All-GPAC, and Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC. Below is the official release from the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

GPAC RELEASE - Lynnze Martinsen from Hastings has been selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) women's basketball player-of-the-year to headline the GPAC basketball all-conference teams for 2005-06.
Martinsen is averaging 20 points and four rebounds per game for the Hastings Broncos. The Broncos shared the regular season championship in the GPAC with Morningside. Both Hastings and Morningside posted 16-2 league records. Hastings along with Morningside, Doane, and Northwestern will represent the GPAC in the NAIA Women's Division II National Basketball Tournament, March 8-14, at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City , Iowa .
Other post-season honorees in the GPAC include defensive player-of-the-year Tevan Wenbourne from Mount Marty , freshman-of-the-year Dani Gass from Morningside, and the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC coach-of-the-year Tony Hobson from Hastings .  The GPAC all-conference team is selected by the league's 13 head coaches.

2005-06 GPAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams:
First Team (10 Members, Listed alphabetical by last name):
Katie Dent, Hastings – 5-9 Sr. Forward - Mullin, Nebraska
Dani Gass, Morningside – 5-11 Fr. Guard - Sioux City , Iowa
Jaime Hoegh, Northwestern – 5-10 Jr. Guard - Atlantic , Iowa
Alissa Holland, Doane – 5-11 So. Forward - Lincoln , Nebraska
Dana Lehner, Briar Cliff – 6-1 Sr. Center - Le Mars, Iowa
Lynnze Martinsen, Hastings – 5-8 Sr. Guard - St. Paul , Nebraska
Jill Pudenz, Morningside – 5-9 Sr. Guard - Iowa Falls, Iowa
Ashley Sullwold, Doane – 5-9 Jr. Guard - Elm Creek , Nebraska
Deb Remmerde, Northwestern – 5-9 So. Guard - Rock Valley , Iowa
Tevan Wenbourne, Mount Marty – 5-7 So. Guard - Aberdeen , South Dakota

Second Team (10 Members, Listed alphabetical by last name):
Lindsay Anderson, Doane – 5-9 Jr. Guard – Holdrege, Nebraska
Devan Aschtgen , Nebraska Wesleyan – 5-9 So. Forward - Springfield, Nebraska
Autumn Bartel, Morningside – 5-8 Fr. Guard - Cherokee, Iowa
Marti Blecha, Doane – 5-4 Sr. Guard - Superior, Nebraska
Jennifer Francescon, Morningside – 5-9 Sr. Guard - Moline, Illinois
Jill Haan, Dordt – 5-10 Sr. Forward - Sioux Center, Iowa
Amy Nichol, Dana – 5-6 So. Guard – Des Moines, Iowa
Chelsey Nelson, Sioux Falls - 5-7 Sr. Guard - Platte, South Dakota
Liz Sneed, Midland Lutheran – 5-10 Jr. Guard - Malvern, Iowa
Stacy Svoboda, Hastings – 5-11 Jr. Forward - Lawrence, Kansas

Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Player-of-the-Year: Lynnze Martinsen, Hastings
GPAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year: Tevan Wenbourne, Mount Marty
GPAC Freshman-of-the-Year: Dani Gass, Morningside
Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Coach-of-the-Year: Tony Hobson, Hastings

Honorable Mention
Briar Cliff- Mel Shidell
Concordia- Jessica Domina, Jennifer Lovegrove, Carly Dittenber
Dakota Wesleyan- Jennifer Pommer, Kelly Haiar, Sarah Mortenson
Dana- Jennifer Endres, Felicia Ellis
Doane- Ashley Howard
Dordt- Lindsay Van Wyk, Shawna Flikkema
Hastings- Maggie Schmaderer, Ali Clouse
Midland Lutheran- Karmen Jericevic
Morningside- Kayla Wibben
Mount Marty- Carrie Ahlers, Amy Bigge
Nebraska Wesleyan- Samantha Porter
Northwestern- Miranda Boekhout, Amy Larson, Mandy Carr
Sioux Falls- Jenna Kraayenbrink, Kristen Klaassen

Tigers Fall at M-side, Await Tourney Bid (2/25/06) Despite out-rebounding Morningside 51-32, the Tigers were unable to come away from Allee Gymnasium victorious on Saturday evening, dropping a 74-60 decision to the Mustangs. Despite the loss, the Tigers will likely receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. Morningside and Northwestern will play for the GPAC Tournament championship and an automatic bid while the loser of the game will likely receive an at-large berth.

Morningside's three-point shooting did in the Tigers for the second time this year as they converted 13 of 32 (40.6%) attempts. The Mustangs hit three consecutive three-point baskets in the final minute of the first half to change a four point lead into a 13 point lead. The Tigers had 21 offensive rebounds for the game but only scored 14 points on their second opportunities.

Leading the way was Alissa Holland and her 15 points and eight rebounds. Lindsay Anderson added 12 points and eight rebounds. Desirae Albus came off the bench to add eight points and seven rebounds. Dani Gass led Morningside with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals. The NAIA will announce the qualifiers for the National Tournament late on Tuesday, Feb. 28, after all tournament games have been played. The National Tournament bracket will be released on the evening of March 1.

Tigers Advance to Face Morningside (2/23/06) Doane put together a strong second half attack to pull away from Dordt College on Thursday evening 81-47. The Tigers only led by 11 points going into the break but a 10 minute scoreless stretch by the Lady Defenders allowed Doane to open up the lead. For the game, the Tigers shot 51.5 percent to Dordt's 30.6 percent. Dordt was also held to 1-14 from behind the three-point arc while Doane was 7-11 (63.6 percent). Every Tiger either scored, collected an assist, or picked up a steal in the victory.

Leading the way was Alissa Holland and Lindsay Anderson. Each scored 19 points and collected three three-point baskets. Ashley Sullwold added 10 points and five assists. Ashley Howard and Marti Blecha each collected nine points and Blecha also had five assists.

The Tigers will be in action again on Saturday when they travel to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Morningside College. The two teams split during the regular season but Morningside won the game that was in conference play. Morningside advanced to the semifinals with a win over Sioux Falls, 87-65. The Mustangs were led by freshman Dani Gass. Gass collected a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds (7 offensive). She was 8-8 from the free throw line. Jill Pudenz added 14 points while Betsy Reynolds added 13 and Autumn Bartel had 12 points. Tip-off for Saturday will be 6:00 pm.

Tigers Host Dordt in Quarterfinals (2/21/06) Dordt College defeated Dana College 80-56 to advance to the quarterfinal round of the GPAC Tournament and will travel to face the Doane Tigers at 7:30 on Thursday evening. In the Defenders' victory on Tuesday, three Dordt players scored in double figures, led by Jill Haan's 13 points. Dordt out-rebounded Dana 45-27, including 25 offensive rebounds. The Defenders also forced 27 Viking turnovers. Doane Student Activities Commitee (SAC) is sponsoring "nerd night". Come dressed for the occasion.

Doane Set to Host Quarterfinal Round of GPAC Tournament (2/18/06) Doane secured the No. 3 seed in this year's GPAC Tournament with a 62-47 win at Concordia on Saturday afternoon. Doane will receive a bye in the first round of the GPAC Tournament and host the winner of Tuesday's First Round game between Dana College and Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Doane is on the same side of the bracket as Morningside, Sioux Falls, and Briar Cliff. A win on Thursday would pit the Tiger against the winner of Morningside and Sioux Falls/Briar Cliff. Doane would either be at Morningside or home to Sioux Falls/Briar Cliff. Hastings is the No. 1 seed and will be at home throughout the tournament.

Tigers Win at Concordia, Finish Regular Season at 23-5 (2/18/06) Doane picked up their first win at Concordia University in five year on Saturday afternoon, capping their regular season record at 23-5 and 15-3 in the GPAC. With their 62-47 victory, Doane clinched the No. 3 seed in the GPAC tournament. Doane took a 30-18 lead into halftime when Amy Fox (Papillion, Neb.) picked up an offensive rebound and got the put back bucket. Leading the charge was Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.). Howard collected a game-high 20 points on 10-15 shooting from the floor. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) and Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) each picked up 11 points. Ashley Sullwold had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Tigers. Concordia was led by Melissa Tinkham's 12 points off the bench. Doane out-rebounded Concordia 37-26 and out-scored the Bulldogs 34-16 for points in the paint.

(Pictured at right: Freshman Amy Fox)

Doane Fends off Dana College (2/14/06) The Doane Tigers held off Dana College on Tuesday evening 70-60.  With the win, Doane improves to 22-5 and 14-3 in the GPAC while Dana College falls to 10-18 overall and 3-14 in the GPAC.  Doane stays one game back of first place in the GPAC conference as they head into their regular season finale on Saturday at Concordia University in Seward.  The Tigers were led offensively by junior Ashley Howard 's (Falls City, Neb.) 20 points.  Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) added 13 points while Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) and Shana Reese (Grant, Neb.) had 10 points each.  Doane out-rebounded Dana 38-28 and Doane collected 23 offensive rebounds.  Dana was led in scoring by Jennifer Endres' 14 point effort.

Doane Holds Off Dakota Wesleyan Charge (2/11/06) The Doane Tigers held off the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers 62-57 on Saturday afternoon. Doane never trailed by more than one point in the game and even built a ten point led in the second half, but DWU three-point baskets kept the blue Tigers within striking distance. Doane got a balanced attack on offense and were keyed by 18 offensive rebounds. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) led Doane with 11 points despite 2-13 shooting from the floor. She hit two three-point baskets and was 5-6 from the free throw line. Brittany Hardin (Holland, Neb./Norris HS) came off the bench to add 10 points and Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) also notched 10 points. Doane will be in action again on Tuesday, February 14 when they host Dana College in the home regular season finale.

Tigers Pick Up Win No. 20 (2/8/06) Trailing 38-29 with 10:20 to play in the game, the Tiger defense stepped up and held Hastings College to four point the rest of the way as Doane rallied for a 44-42 victory over the No. 2 Broncos. The victory brought the Tigers win total to 20 (20-5) on the season and clinched a first round bye in the GPAC tournament while also moving Doane to with in a game of first place in the conference standings. In what may be described as an ugly offensive performance, the top two scoring defense in the GPAC put on a show. The 42 Hastings points were the third fewest allowed by Doane this year while the 44 Doane points were the second fewest allowed by Hastings this year. Doane's late charge was just another one for the books as the Tigers have done it several times already this season.

Doane was led in scoring by GPAC player-of-the-week Alissa Holland's (Lincoln, Neb.) 16 points. She also added nine rebounds. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) collected a double-double in front of her high school teammates (the Holdrege H.S. team was in attendance) as she notched 13 points and 13 rebounds. Doane also got seven points from Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) and four points from Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) and Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) to round out the Tigers offense. Doane will be in action again on Saturday when they host Dakota Wesleyan University at 2:00 pm.

Holland Named GPAC Player-of-the-Week (2/7/06) Doane forward Alissa Holland is the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week. Holland, a 6-0 sophomore from Lincoln, Nebraska, averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game as Doane went 2-0 on the week. For the week she was 16-19 from the floor (84%) and made 9-12 free throws (75%). In a win over Dordt she scored a career high 27 points, and against Nebraska Wesleyan her double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds paced the Tigers in a come from behind win on the road. The 10 th ranked Tigers are 19-5 overall and 11-3 in the GPAC. Doane will play at #2 ranked Hastings on Wednesday night. -GPAC Release

Tigers Strike Early, Hold Off Defenders (2/4/06) Doane jumped out early and built a lead of 23 points with four minutes left in the first half only to have Dordt end the half on a 9-3 run to knock the lead down to 17 going into the break. Doane again built a lead of 22 points but over the final seven minutes of play, Dordt was able to chip at the lead and knock it down to 13 points with full court pressure. In the end, Doane came out victorious 71-56.

Doane picked up a career-high 27 points from Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.). Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) added 22 points on senior night. Fellow senior Shana Reese had a game-high six assists. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) added eight points and a game-high nine rebounds. Doane was able to survive 30 turnovers in part to out-rebounding Dordt 39-28 and by shooting 51 percent for the game. The Tigers will travel to Hastings College on Wednesday to take on the No. 2 Broncos. It should match-up the Tigers for their fourth game of the season in a battle of Top 15 teams. To date, Doane is 2-2 in those games, splitting with Morningside and defeating Northwestern, and falling to Hastings.

Doane Survive Prairie Wolves' Trap (1/31/06) Doane led Nebraska Wesleyan for 1:39 of the 40 minutes on Tuesday evening. The final 0:57 were the most important. Doane took the lead late in the second half on an Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) free throw after trailing by as many as nine with 5:30 left in the game. On NWU's next possession, Sullwold picked up a key steal and then knocked down a jumper late in the Tiger's shot clock. Wesleyan then got a layup to pull within one point but Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) converted two free throws to clinch the 56-53 win. NWU missed a three-point shot at the buzzer. Doane ended the game on a 14-2 run over the final 5:28. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points to go with her game-high 10 rebounds. Holland had five offensive rebounds. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) added 11 points for Doane. Nebraska Wesleyan was led by Sarah Sedlak's 15 points and Christine Johnson's 10 point effort. The Tigers will be in action again on Saturday when they host Dordt College at 5:30 pm.

Tiger "D" Frustrates Briar Cliff (1/28/06) Doane held Briar Cliff to 35 percent shooting and to 23 points in the first half and 25 in the second half as the Tigers came away victorious 66-48 in Sioux City on Saturday. Doane shot 48 percent for the game including 7-11 (64 percent) from behind the three-point arc. Doane was led in scoring by Marti Blecha's (Superior, Neb.) game-high 21 points. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) added 12 points and Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) added 10. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) had a game-high nine rebounds. Blecha and Sullwold collected four assists each. Doane out-rebounded the Chargers 40-28. The Tigers are in action again on Tuesday when they travel to Lincoln to take on rival Nebraska Wesleyan. The Prairie Wolves are 4-3 in GPAC play since playing the Tigers to open the January slate with losses coming to Northwestern, Dordt, and Hastings.

Second Half Surge Carries Tigers (1/24/06) Doane used a 13-1 run to open up the second half on Tuesday evening to pull away from Graceland University for a 76-55 victory. Doane improved to 16-5 overall while Graceland dropped their 16th straight game as they fell to 4-17. Doane ends the non-conference slate at 8-2. The Tigers battled back and forth in the first half with the Yellow Jackets but outscored GU 13-8 over the final five minutes to take an eight point lead into halftime. Doane was led in scoring by Ashley Howard's (Falls City, Neb.) 13 points. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) and Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) added 12 points and Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) and Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) added 11 points each. Shana Reese (Grant, Neb.) added seven points off the bench. Doane forced 28 Graceland turnovers and had steals on 23 of those turnovers. Doane scored 32 points off of the turnovers.

Blecha Named GPAC Player-of-the-Week (1/24/06) Doane guard Marti Blecha is the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women's Basketball Player-of-the-Week. Blecha, a 5-4 senior from Superior, Nebraska, averaged 21.5 points per game in two Tiger wins. In a road win at Midland Lutheran she scored a career high 27 points, while on Saturday she netted 16 against Sioux Falls . In the Midland Lutheran game she was 7-8 from the three point line (her only miss a shot at the end of the half). For the week she shot 62 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the three point line (8-10). Doane, ranked 11 th in the country, is now 15-5 and 8-3 in the league. - GPAC Release

Tigers Get Complete Game Against Sioux Falls (1/21/06) In a game that could determine a first round bye in the GPAC Tournament in February, Doane put together a statement game against Sioux Falls that they are determined to stay at the top of the GPAC. Doane jumped out early against USF and came away victorious 96-67. Entering the game, both teams were tied in the loss column in the GPAC. A victory in the only meeting of the season virtually gives Doane a two game lead over the Cougars. Doane had four starters in double-figures, led by Lindsay Anderson's (Holdrege, Neb.) 21 points. Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) added 18 points while Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) and Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) each totaled 16 points. Anderson, Howard, and Sullwold each collected six rebounds. Doane shot 49 percent for the game and committed a season-low 10 turnovers. Doane also was 21-23 from the free throw line, 91.3 percent. The Tiger scoring was capped by baskets from Samantha Frank (West Point, Neb./West Point-Beemer), Rudi Molet (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Amy Fox (Papillion, Neb./Papillion-Lavista). Doane will be in action again on Tuesday when they host Graceland University in the final non-conference regular season game of the season. (Pictured - Ashley Sullwold, one of four Tigers in double-figures on Saturday evening)

Tiger "D" Shuts Down Warrior Attack (1/17/06) The Doane Tiger defense limited Midland Lutheran to 17 first half points and forced 28 turnovers for the game as they came away victorious 78-51 in Fremont on Tuesday evening. The Tiger offense was led by Marti Blecha's (Superior, Neb.) career-high 27 points. Blecha was 7-8 from behind the three-point arc, her only missing rimming out as the horn sounded to end the first half. Blecha also had four assists and three steals. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) added 18 points and nine rebounds while Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) came off the bench to contribute 11 points. For the game, Doane was 10-17 from behind the three-point arc, receiving baskets from Blecha, Holland, Anderson, and Shana Reese (Grant, Neb.). Point guard Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) had a game high six assists and four steals to go with zero turnovers.

The Tiger defense collected 18 steals on the evening and held MLC to 35 percent shooting including 10 percent from behind the three-point arc, a strength of the Warrior offensive attack. Midland Lutheran kept things close late as they got to the free throw line and shot 22 second half free throws. Midland Lutheran was led in scoring by Shari Elofson's 17 points. Doane will be in action again on Saturday evening when they host the University of Sioux Falls at 6:00 pm.

Second Half Drought Doesn't Stop Tigers (1/14/06) Despite scoring only 18 points in the second half, Doane held on to defeat Mount Marty College 47-45 on Saturday in Crete. The Tigers held MMC to 17 points in the second stanza. Both teams can look at free throw shooting for their woes. Mount Marty shot 50 percent (10-20) while Doane was only 42 percent (8-19).

The Tigers got balanced scoring as only one player was in double figures. Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) had 12 point to go with eight rebounds. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) had seven points and four assists. Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) and Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) also added eight rebounds each. Holland had six of the Tigers 17 offensive rebounds. Mount Marty was led in scoring by Tevan Wenbourne's 12 points while Brandi Trudeau added 10 points, all in the first half. The Tigers will travel to Fremont to take on Midland Lutheran College on Tuesday.

Free Throw Line Haults Tigers (1/11/06) Doane shot only 40 percent from the free throw line in the second half as they fell to Hastings College 62-57 in Crete on Wednesday evening. For the game, the Tigers were only 9-17 from the charity stripe compared to Hastings' 16-23. Doane was led in scoring by Ashley Howard's (Falls City, Neb.) 16 points. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) added 14 points. The Tigers are in action again on Saturday when they host Mount Marty College. The Lancers took the first meeting back in November in an overtime thiller.

Tiger Turnovers Stop Key Opportunity (1/7/06) Doane committed 21 turnovers in the first half and 33 for the game as they fell to No. 7 Morningside College 83-63 on Saturday afternoon in Sioux City. To add to the Tiger woes, Morningside was 12-22 (54.5%) from three-point range, including 8-13 (61.5%) in the second half. Doane trailed 37-19 at halftime and fell behind by 25 points with 15:50 remaining. The Tigers cut the Mustang lead in half with a 12-0 run over the next 3:20. The run was stopped when Jennifer Francescon hit one of her six three-pointers. After falling behind by 18, Doane got another 5-0 run which was again stopped by a Francescon three-pointer. Doane was never able to recover and needed a 5-0 run to trim the Mustang lead as the game came to a close.

For the game Morningside shot 43% to Doane's 40%. Doane did force 18 Morningside turnovers but were outscored 20-12 on points after turnovers including a 17-4 gap for Morningside in the first half. The Tigers were led in scoring by Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) and Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.). Each player scored 14 points. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) led all rebounders with 10. Doane out-rebounded the Mustangs 45-26. Morningside was led by Francescon's 21 point effort. She was one of four starters in double-figures for the Mustangs. Doane will have little time to bounce back as they face another challenge on Wednesday when they host No. 10 Hastings College at 7:30 pm.

Tigers Survive Wesleyan Charge (1/3/06) Doane used a 12-0 run over four minutes in the second half to pull away from an upset-minded Nebraska Wesleyan squad 68-54. The Tigers led by one point with 10:47 left. The Tigers then picked up some key plays from freshman Brittany Hardin (Holland, Neb.). Hardin had two jumpers, an assists, and a steal in the Tigers four minute spurt. Nebraska Wesleyan was able to stay with the Tigers thanks to 20 offensive rebounds and an aggressive defensive attack that slowed down the Doane offense.

Doane was led in scoring by Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.). Howard totaled 15 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) collected her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) added 12 points and five rebounds while Shana Reese (Grant, Neb.) came off the bench to score nine points and snag four steals.

For the game Doane shot 43% while NWU shot 33%. The Tigers shot 64% from the free throw line while the Prairie Wolves shot only 27%. Doane will be in action again on Saturday when they travel to Sioux City to take on the two-time defending National Champions Morningside College. Tip-off is set for 2:00 pm.

Tigers Claim St. Xavier Championship (12/29/05) Doane rebounded from a poor shooting night on Wednesday to shoot 45% in the championship game Thursday evening as the Tigers coasted to a 70-40 victory over St. Vincent College (Penn.). The victory runs Doane mark to 8-0 in three St. Xavier Tournament appearances.

Doane (11-3 overall) jumped out to an early 11-0 run as four different Tigers scored in the first five minutes of play. Doane built their largest lead of 34 points at the 2:59 mark in the the second half of play on a Justine Munsterman (Beaver Crossing, Neb.) layup. Tournament MVP Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) collected her second double-double in three days by scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) also had an identical double-double, 16 points/10 rebounds. All-tournament members Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) and Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) also had big nights. Blecha had 15 points and five assists while Sullwold had eight points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists. St. Vincent (5-7 overall) was led in scoring by Laura Klimchock and Christina Paolino who scored eight points each.

Doane will be in action again on Tuesday when they return home to open the 2006 slate of GPAC basketball. The Tigers will host rival Nebraska Wesleyan University at 7:30 p.m. in Fuhrer Field House.

Doane Wins Ugly, Advances to Championship (12/28/05) The Doane Tigers advanced to the championship game of the St. Xavier (Ill.) University Holiday Tournament with a 48-34 victory over Madonna University (Mich.) on Wednesday evening.  The Tigers forced 35 Madonna turnovers and held the Crusaders to 25 percent shooting and 12 made field goals.  Doane's shooting was not much better, hitting 16 field goals on 35 percent shooting. 

The Tigers were led in scoring by Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) and Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.), each scoring 11 points.  Holland also added a team high eight rebounds.  Brittany Hardin (Holland, Neb.) and Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) chipped in six points a piece.  Madonna was led by Christie Carrico's nine points. 

Doane will play at 7:00 pm on Thursday evening against St. Vincent University.  St. Vincent advanced to the championship by defeating host St. Xavier 81-66.  The last time Doane took on St. Vincent was December 2003 when the Tigers won 87-58 in the first round of this tournament.  Doane went on to win the championship then and looks to improve to 8-0 in their last three trips to the St. Xavier Holiday Tournament with a win on Thursday.

Tigers Cruise to Victory in Chicago (12/27/05) Doane jumped out to a 13-0 lead and never looked back as they cruised to a 73-57 victory over University of St. Francis (Ill.) in the first round of the St. Xavier Holiday Tournament in Chicago. The Tigers were led by Ashley Howard's (Falls City, Neb.) 21 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Howard was 7-9 from the floor and 7-12 from the free throw line. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) and Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) added 13 points while Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) chipped in 12 points. The Tiger defense held USF's leading scorer Kelly Pero to four points on 1-10 shooting. USF was led by Brittani Hunter's 14 points. Doane will be in action again on Wednesday when they take on Madonna University in the semifinals of the tournament.

Doane Upsets No. 2 Northwestern in Orange City (12/10/05) The Tigers made their final game before the Christmas break a memorable one with a 96-94 overtime victory at No. 2 Northwestern College. Doane jumped out to an early eight point lead only to have Northwestern tie the game at 28-28 with eight minutes to play in the first half. The Tigers took the lead back but with 3:45 left, Northwestern grabbed their first lead of the the game at 35-34. Senior Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) came back with a quick lay-up for the Tigers only to have the Red Raiders answer with a pair of free throws. Northwestern quickly built a lead of seven points with 0:50 second remaining. Blecha hit a jumper with 0:23 left to pull within five. Northwestern ran the clock down only to have a jumper by Deb Remmerde miss. Desirae Albus (Lexington, Neb.) grabbed the rebound, kicked out to Blecha who took two dribbles and fired from the right corner of the half court line and drained the shot to pull Doane to within two going into halftime.
(CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SHOT - allow time for download)

Northwestern came out strong in the second half and built their lead to seven within the first five minutes of play. Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) tied the game at 60-60 with 12:16 left in regulation by converting two free throws. From that point on, neither team would lead by more than four points. The Tigers took a two-point lead with 0:36 remaining after Blecha converted two free throws. Northwestern tied the game at 86 on a Jamie Hoegh layup. Doane had two opportunities to win in regulation but were unable to convert.

Northwestern jumped out to an early four point lead in overtime after a pair of free throws and a jumper by Remmerde. Doane pulled within two after a Howard lay-up but Northwestern answered when Remmerde drew a foul on Doane and converted the free throws. Remmerde finished with a game-high 39 points. After exchanging buckets, Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) converted two free throws to pull Doane within two at 94-92. The Tigers forced the Red Raiders into a shot clock violation and tied the game on an Anderson jumper. After a missed shot by Northwestern, Doane set up a play that got Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) to the free throw line. Holland converted both to seal the game for Doane with 0:03 left. Northwestern's last shot attempted sailed long.

Anderson finished with a team-high 25 points while coming off the bench. She was 8-15 from the floor including 4-6 from behind the three-point arc. Howard and Blecha each had 20 points while Holland ended the game with 19. Howard also collected a game-high 10 rebounds and four steals, while Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) had a game-high nine assists and Blecha added six assists. Doane also out rebounded Northwestern 39-28, which led to key second chance points. Northwestern out-shot Doane 55% to 50%. Doane will be in action again after Christmas when the take on the University of St. Francis (Ill.) at the St. Xavier Tournament in Chicago, Ill.

Top 15 Match-up Highlights GPAC weekend (12/9/05) No. 13 Doane College will travel to No. 2 Northwestern College on Saturday for the featured match-up in the GPAC on the women's side of basketball. The two teams tip off at 2:00 p.m. in Orange City, Iowa. The Red Raiders enter the game with a 12-0 record overall and 4-0 in the GPAC. Doane is 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the GPAC. Northwestern is led in scoring by Deb Remmerde's 31.4 points per game. She also leads the NAIA in scoring. Amy Larson adds 13.8 points per game and Jaime Hoegh contributes 12.8 points a game. The Red Raiders have the highest scoring offense in the GPAC (87.2 points/game) and have outscored their opponents by an average of 25 points per game. Lindsay Anderson leads Doane in scoring with 14.2 points per game. Marti Blecha adds 12.3 points and Alissa Holland contributes 11.9 points per game. Doane's key is defense where they hold opponents to a GPAC low 59.8 points per game.

"Every game is an opportunity but tomorrow seems to be more of an attention-grabbing opportunity," said Tiger coach Tracee Fairbanks. "Northwestern is a very good team, they are undefeated, ranked No. 2 in the nation and we're playing them on their court."

"Keys for us will be to stay disciplined on defense, crash the offensive boards and get to the free throw line."

Second Half Effort Leads Doane to Victory (12/7/05) Leading by only three points at halftime, No. 13 Doane outscored Concordia 42-26 in the second half as they defeated the Bulldogs 70-51 on Wednesday evening in Crete. The Tigers overcame 22 turnovers and 25 fouls buy shooting 50.8% and holding Concordia to only 15 made field goals. Concordia was 19-30 from the charity stripe while Doane was 9-12 from the free throw line. Doane held the rebounding edge 37-31.

Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) was the Tigers leading scorer with 15 points. She also added three rebounds and three blocked shots. Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) collected 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocked shots. Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) added 10 points while Desirae Albus (Lexington, Neb.) 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Concordia was led by Krissy Turman's 15 points. Doane will be in action again on Saturday when they travel to Orange City, Iowa, to take on No. 2 Northwestern College.

Doane Defense Sparks Rally (11/29/05) Doane used an aggressive press defense to jump out to an early 17-5 lead against Midland Lutheran on Tuesday evening but saw their lead quickly vanish after MLC made some adjustments and the Warriors took a 38-34 lead into halftime.  Doane trailed until the 11 minute mark in the second half when they tied the game at 48 on an Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) three-point basket.  Holland ended the game with a double-double, notching 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Doane's defense held Midland scoreless for nearly nine minutes in the middle of the second half as Doane built a 10 point lead.  Midland shot 27 percent in the second half compared to 56 percent in the first half.  Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) chipped in 15 points while Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers.  Ashley Sullwold (Elm Creek, Neb.) had eight points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals for Doane as well.  Midland was led in scoring by Karmen Jericevic's 19 points and Liz Sneed's 11 points. 

Tigers Slip Past Cavaliers (11/26/05) Doane used an aggressive full court press that forced 31 St. Gregory's turnovers to help over come a four-point halftime deficit in order to defeat the Cavaliers 63-53 at the Hastings College Thanksgiving Classic.  Doane came away with two victories over the weekend.  St. Gregory's, a NAIA Division I team out of Oklahoma, used their height advantage to stay in the game.  Daiana Canaver, a 6'2 Brazilian, and Almeli da Silva, a 6'5 Brazilian, led the Cavaliers with 15 and 14 points respectively.  Doane was paced by Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) and Ashley Howard's (Falls City, Neb.) 15 point efforts.  Alissa Holland (Lincoln, Neb.) added 10 points and nine rebounds while Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) also added 10 points.  The Tigers also had 20 offensive rebounds to help key the comeback.  Doane (5-3 overall, 1-1 GPAC) will be in action again on Tuesday when they host Midland Lutheran College in the Tigers' GPAC home opener at 7:30 pm in Fuhrer Field House.

Doane Knocks off No. 1 Morningside (11/25/05) Doane College held off a second half surge from No. 1 Morningside College to pull out a 71-64 victory over the previously unbeaten Mustangs at the Hastings College Thanksgiving Classic. Doane was led in scoring by Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.) who totaled 18 points, 12 in the second half. Ashley Howard (Falls City, Neb.) came off the bench to score 14 points and Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) added 13 points and a team high six rebounds.

“This is a confidence builder for us,” commented Tiger senior Marti Blecha. “The past few games our play has been too individual, we realized how much better we are when we put forth a team effort.”

Doane improved to 4-3 overall while Morningside dropped to 5-1. The Tigers will play NAIA Division I St. Gregory's University tomorrow in Hastings at 12:00 p.m., while the Mustangs will play host school Hastings College.

“I felt Marti (Blecha) offense really carried us in the game,” said Doane head coach Tracee Fairbanks. “The way she penetrated Morningside's zone defense and found the open person was very important.”

“Our post players were strong taking it to the basket which is key against a zone. They attacked the zone which featured five guards, something we are not use to seeing. Our defense was lacking but Ashley (Howard) took three charges and they were huge momentum boosters for us throughout the game.”

Top 10 Teams Battle on Friday (11/23/05) No. 10 Doane College travels to Hastings, Neb., on Friday to play a game against No. 1 Morningside College in a non-GPAC match-up. Morningside is 5-0 overall while Doane enters the game at 3-3 overall. Morningside is the two-time defending NAIA Division II national champions. The two teams met one time last year with Doane handing Morningside their only conference loss 79-75. This will mark one of two meetings between the top two teams in the GPAC from a year ago. On January 7, the two teams will meet in Sioux City for their GPAC game.

Morningside has been led this year by freshman Dani Gass (Sioux City, Iowa). She is averaging 14.6 points per game while shooting 49% from the field. Gass is also the leading rebounder with 8.0 rebounds per game. Senior Jennifer Francescon (Moline, Ill.) is second in scoring for the Mustangs with 14.2 points per game while shooting 46% from behind the 3-point arc. Morningside has collected 94 steals in the first five games of the season and is shooting 79% from the free throw line.

Doane has also been led by a freshman this year in Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege, Neb.). Anderson is averaging 15.0 points per game and leads the team in steals with 14 on the season. Senior Marti Blecha (Superior, Neb.) is second in scoring averaging 13.7 points per game while also leading the team in assists with 23. One of Doane's keys for Friday's game will be rebounding. Doane has out-rebounded their opponents by an average of 13.9 rebounds per game. Doane will need to limit second opportunity shots for the Mustangs.

Doane Sneaks Past Dana (11/22/05) The Tigers got all they could handle Tuesday evening in their trip to Blair and came out victorious 61-55 over the Dana Vikings. Lindsay Anderson (Holdrege) paced the Doane attack with 22 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Alissa Holland (Lincoln) added 10 points on 5-7 shooting. Doane will be in action again on Friday when they travel to Hastings to play a non-conference game against undefeated and NAIA Division II No. 1 Morningside College. Morningside is 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the GPAC.

Tigers Fall at Mount Marty (11/19/05) The Tigers jumped out early but had to battle back late in the second half to force overtime, only to get outscored 12-6 in the extra frame and fall to Mount Marty College 80-74 in Yankton. The Tigers were plagued by fouls and turnovers once again as Mount Marty shot 41 free throws in the game. Marti Blecha led Doane in scoring with 24 and Lindsay Anderson added 20. Doane held the rebound edge 39-28 but gave up five offensive rebounds to the Lancers in the second half. Doane travels to Dana College on Tuesday before heading into Thanksgiving break.

Missouri Western Slips Past Tigers (11/15/05) NCAA Division II Missouri Western got all they could handle and then some from the Tigers but held off Doane for a 70-69 victory. The Tigers got 20 points off the bench from freshman Lindsay Anderson and 15 from sophomore Alissa Holland. Holland also added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Sophomore Desirae Albus chipped in nine bench points. Ashley Howard led all rebounders with 12 and Ashley Sullwold had a game-high five assists.

Tigers Drop First Game of Season (11/12/05) Doane dropped their first game of the season to NAIA Division I No. 7 Oklahoma City 65-57 on Saturday afternoon. Doane was led in scoring by Marti Blecha's 13 points. Alissa Holland added nine points and 11 rebounds as Doane fell to 2-1 on the season. The Tigers committed 26 turnovers in the game. They will be in action again on Tuesday when the travel to St. Joseph, Mo., to take on Missouri Western State University who is receiving votes in the NCAA Division II poll.

Second Half Propels Tigers to Victory (11/11/05) Doane out-scored Peru State 49-29 in the second half to pull away with an 84-61 victory Friday evening. Marti Blecha had 20 points and seven assist for the 2-0 Tigers. Lindsay Anderson added 16 while Elise Klosterman and Brittany Hardin chipped in 10 each. Ashley Howard and Ashley Sullwold had nine rebounds a piece. Doane will host NAIA Division I No. 7 Oklahoma City on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Three-Game Stretch to Prepare Tigers for GPAC (11/9/05) The Doane women's basketball team has a tough three-game stretch over the next week that will definitely prepare them for the start of Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) basketball play.

Doane will host Peru State College on Friday, Nov. 11 at 8:00 p.m. in Fuhrer Field House. PSC is coming off of a 73-49 win over GPAC foe Dana College. PSC is not a very tall team but shoots a lot of three-point shots and when they are on, they are a very dangerous team.

On Saturday, Doane will host Oklahoma City University, rated No. 7 in NAIA Division I. The Stars have been in the NAIA Division I championship game the past seven years, winning four of them.

Doane plays their last non-conference game before GPAC play opens when they travel to St. Joseph, Mo., on November 15 to take on NCAA Division II Missouri Western State University. Mo. Western is receiving votes in the NCAA Division II poll release on November 8. Mo. Western and Oklahoma City will provide similar challenges as they both possess a lot of height and athletic ability.

"The combination of the three upcoming teams provides us a challenge defensively," said Doane head coach Tracee Fairbanks. "Teams in the GPAC will pose similar challenges with three point shooting capabilities and height disadvantages that we may encounter -- especially at the guard position. Still, we stick to playing physical, relentless Doane Pride Defense. The competition we'll face over the next three games provides us the opportunity to get a glimpse of what it will be like week in, week out, game in, game out in our conference. . .tough!!"

The GPAC begins the conference slate on November 19 with five conference games. Doane will travel to Yankton, S.D., to take on Mt. Marty College.

Tiger Defense Dominates Second Half (11/1/05) It is a rare occasion when the Tigers open their season at home so when they had the opportunity this year the women took full advantage of it. Doane held College of St. Mary to 20 % shooting in the second half and pulled away with a 61-41 win after leading by only four at halftime. Balance keyed the Doane attack as four players were in double figures in scoring. Alissa Holland had 16 of her 19 points in the second half while Marti Blecha & Ashley Howard had 11 each and Shana Reese notched 10. Doane also dominated the rebounding as they held a 50-30 edge including 16 offensive rebounds. Ashley Sullwold collected 12 boards while Ashley Howard finished the double-double performance with 11 rebounds to add to her 11 points. Doane will be in action again on Nov. 11 when they host Peru State College.

Tigers Start Season Rated No. 10 (10/26/05) The NAIA Division II Women's Basketball preseason poll was released Wednesday afternoon with four Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) schools rated in the Top 25. Morningside, the 2004 and 2005 NAIA champions, will start the season rated No. 1 overall. They edged out NAIA runner-up Cedarville University by one first place vote and one total point to take the top spot. Hastings College, the 2002 and 2003 national champions, is rated No. 5 after finishing last year at No. 15 and losing in the first round of the NAIA tournament. The Tigers of Doane College will start the season at No. 10 after a No. 11 finish and NAIA Sweet 16 appearance a year ago. Northwestern College rounds out the GPAC Top 25 members with an appearance at No. 17. Northwestern ended last year with a fifth place finish in the GPAC and return the NAIA's leading scorer. Concordia University and College of St. Mary are receiving votes. In total, Doane will play nine games against teams rated or receiving votes in their respective affiliation preseason poll, with the potential to play two more in tournament action. The NCAA Division II poll has not been release which may present one more game. The Tigers open the season next week week when they host College of St. Mary. (Pictured: returning All-American Ashley Sullwold)

Lincoln Journal Star: Ken Hambleton (Doane '72)
Women Overcame Basketball Preceptions
(10/12/05) There is an old saying: “You don't know where you're going until you know how you got here.”

Doane College basketball coach Tracee Fairbanks and Doane player Alissa Holland, a sophomore from Lincoln High, were among those who listened in to a presentation by Pamela Grundy, the co-author of “Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women's Basketball (New York: The New Press, 2005).

Grundy starts from the beginning.

Physical education for women had to be tempered because we wanted women to be examples of gentility and refinement, not aggression and achievement.

The latter two items were for men only.

When Grundy dove into research for her book, written with Susan Shackleford, she found the perceptions, not individuals, held back the eruption of women's basketball in this country.

“Physical education was important, but it was assumed that women were prone to illness and someone had to keep an eye out for what was appropriate for women,” Grundy told a packed audience of more than 200 Tuesday at the Whitcomb Conservatory on the Doane College campus.

“I didn't know the history of women's basketball,” Holland said. “I had no idea that there was much before Title IX.”

Fairbanks, who played high school and college basketball, said she was surprised at the depth of background in women's basketball. “It's surprising to find out how we got to where we are.”

Grundy noted that women's basketball started about a year after James Naismith invented a game for his boys at the Springfield, Mass., YMCA.

Sendra Berenson at Smith College, who was often bed-ridden “because of a lack of vitality,” had found that physical education improved her health. She wrote to Naismith for the rules to basketball, added some twists to keep contact to a minimum, and the women's game was born.

Women couldn't vote. There were medical “studies” that showed women's brains were smaller than those of men, women who played sports would be in danger of losing the ability to bear children, women had a finite level of energy and they should spend it being women, not basketball players.

But more women took up the game and more people went to watch. The game was cheap and less violent and deadly than football.

Modesty still ruled and women basketball players were wrapped in bloomers, ballooning blouses and even hats so that only the face and hands were exposed. Still men were banned from watching women play basketball.

But the heavy wool bloomers were better for women than the constricting corset and narrow-bottomed skirts that many women wore because “it helped their frail bodies stand erect,” Grundy said.

Never mind that just a few years earlier, many women had battled through weather, attacks from Natives, rampant diseases and other hardships to cross the country.

By the 1920s, Grundy explained, basketball caught on with men and women. Pioneers of the women's game, including Ora Washington, Babe Didrikson and Hazel Walker, helped the game catch on throughout the country.

At the same time, even Nebraska's famous Mabel Lee backed the idea that women should only compete on the intramural level. Lee believed that women didn't need to compete the way men did to achieve the benefits of sports, Grundy said.

Still, the barnstorming teams, and the smaller town teams kept women's basketball alive. In the 1950s, some state legislatures banned interscholastic basketball for high school girls, and colleges simply did not offer basketball to women. Locally, the JFK women's team in Wahoo was a power in the AAU in the 1960s.

Finally, with Title IX in 1972, there was school-sponsored, school-supported women's basketball.

College teams popped up, high school teams were formed, and now more than 450,000 girls play high school basketball and more than 10,000 play college basketball.

Despite the achievements of Lynette Woodard, Sheryl Swoopes, Nancy Lieberman and the U.S. Olympic women's teams and the growth of pro basketball played by women, there are still hurdles to clear.

Twenty-three years after Title IX, there are still battles from those who do not want to share the revenues or expenditures equally between men and women.

“Women have not caught up in expenses, there is still a lot of uneasiness about athletic women and lesbianism, and there is a reluctance to embrace women's athletic achievements,” Grundy said. “Until that disconnect goes away and strength is celebrated, equality won't happen.”

Tigers Picked Third In GPAC Coaches' Poll (10/12/05) The Tigers, coming off a trip to the NAIA National Tournament, have been picked by the GPAC coaches to finish in third place this year. Doane returns seven players from last year's team that went 23-9 and 14-2 in the GPAC. Doane finished in second place last year and was the only team to defeat Morningside College in GPAC play. Below is the GPAC release.

Sioux City, Iowa - Morningside received eight (8) first place votes and totaled 135 points and is the preseason selection to win the 2005-2006 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) women's basketball title. The Mustangs are the two-time defending NAIA Division II National Champions and won last years GPAC regular season championship. Hastings is picked to finish second with 125 points and two first place votes. Doane and Northwestern are tied for third each totaling 118 points and one first place vote, while Concordia (last years GPAC Tournament Champion) is picked fifth with the final first place vote. The GPAC has won five straight NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championships.
Points were awarded on a 12-1 basis.

Here is the complete 2005-06 GPAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll: