With a very young roster that featured seven freshmen, the 2002-03 Mary Washington College women's basketball team overcame some early growing pains to become one of the most dangerous teams in the Capital Athletic Conference. With one senior, two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman in the starting lineup, the Eagles doubled their win total from 2001-02, and advanced to the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals, nearly upsetting eventual league champion Marymount on the road.
With such a young roster, the Eagles got off to a rocky start, but rebounded to finish with a .500 record in the second half of the season. Among the victories early in the season were a twenty-point win at Christopher Newport University and a 63-50 win at Chowan College. MWC would go on to post three straight home wins, over Gallaudet University, Goucher College, and Bridgewater College. After a pair of losses, the Eagles rebounded to win three of its next four contests, including an 82-39 win at Villa Julie College, a 78-62 win at Gallaudet, and a 65-49 win over Washington & Lee University. The win streak hit three with a 59-57 victory at Goucher College.
After MWC dropped a pair of games to close the regular season, the Eagles hit the road in the quarterfinals of the Capital Athletic Conference tournament, and upset third-seeded York College of PA, 64-56, to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal round, the Eagles raced out to an early lead and held that lead throughout much of the game, but fell at second-seeded Marymount, University, 71-65.
The marked improvement shown by the team last season bodes well for the 2003-04 season, and new head coach Deena Applebury. The Eagles lose just one player, All-CAC forward Caitlin Wilkinson, to graduation. Wilkinson closed her career as the Eagles' leading scorer, averaging 11.5 PPG while grabbing 5.6 rebounds per contest. Heading the list of returnees for the Eagles are rising seniors Adrienne Barnes and Katie Anderson.
Barnes, a two-year starter entering her senior season, netted 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2002-03. Her .556 shooting percentage from the floor ranked among the best in the Capital Athletic Conference. Anderson scored 4.6 PPG while appearing in all 27 games, and shot a team-best .783 from the free throw line.
Also returning for the Eagles will be rising juniors Laura Hanks and Dottie Propst. Hanks averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year, when she led the Eagles with 43 three-point baskets and was second on the team in scoring (264 points). Propst is a versatile team player who scored 5.1 PPG, and played excellent defense as well. Sophomore Diane Frantz proved to be one of the top newcomers in the CAC last year, when she started all 27 games at point guard. She averaged 7.4 PPG, and registered team-highs with 113 assists and 59 steals. Rising sophomores Lindsay Forbush (6.7 PPG) and Jenn Olinger (5.2 PPG) also provided MWC with an offensive spark, and will look to increase their minutes this season as well.