2007-08 WBB Media Guide.indd - Central Michigan University ...

Season Outlook

Quick Facts
General Information
Location .............................................................. Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Founded .............................................................................................. 1892
Enrollment ........................................................................................ 26,787
Nickname ................................................................................... Chippewas
Colors ................................................................................Maroon and Gold
Arena ..............................................................................Rose Arena (5,200)
Conference ............................................................................ Mid-American
President .................................................................................. Michael Rao
Director of Athletics ............................................ Dave Heeke (Albion, 1985)
Athletics Department Phone .................................................. 989-774-3041
Ticket Offi ce Phone ............................................................... 989-774-3045
Coaching Staff
The Official Source for
CMU Athletics
Head Coach .................................Sue Guevara (Saginaw Valley State, 1982)
Record at CMU.......................................................................... First Season
Career Record .................................................................... 123-82 (7 years)
Basketball Offi ce Phone ........................................................ 989-774-1140
Best Time to Reach Coach ..........................................................contact SID
Assistant Coaches ............................................... Bill Ferrara (Florida, 2003)
Kathy McGee (Central Michigan, 1973)
Ayesha Whitfi eld (Minnesota, 2002)
Director of Basketball Operations ............Ethan Gelfand (Wake Forest, 2006)
Team Information
Overall Home Away Neutral
2006-2007 Record .......................11-19 7-6 3-11 1-2
2006-2007 MAC Record .................3-13 3-5 0-8 0-0
MAC Finish ..................................................................................... 6th West
Postseason ......... Lost vs. Ohio (MAC Tournament at Cleveland, Ohio), 55-51
Letterwinners Returning/Lost .................................................................. 5/2
Starters Returning/Lost ........................................................................... 3/2
Sports Information
Sports Information Director .......................................................Don Helinski
Offi ce Phone ....................................................................... 989-774-1763
Assistant SID .................................................................................Scott Rex
Assistant SID .............................................................................Rob Wyman
Assistant SID/Basketball Contact ............................................. Mike Boseak
Offi ce Phone ....................................................................... 989-774-3277
Cell Phone .......................................................................... 989-621-9064
E-mail ................................................................. mike.boseak@cmich.edu
SID Assistant ................................................................................ Matt Park
SID Fax ................................................................................. 989-774-7324
Press Row Phone ......................................................... 989-774-3579/3594
Web Site ....................................................................... cmuchippewas.com
• All the latest scores and news on all 16 Chippewa teams
• Weekly releases, game notes, statistics, and feature stories
• Follow CMU games with GameWatcher
• Watch live video and listen to radio broadcasts of select sports
• Order tickets to CMU games
• Sports camp information and enrollment forms
cmuchippewas.com
Chippewa Basketball Directory
12
Name, Position Phone Number E-mail
Sue Guevara, head coach 989-774-1140 gueva1sm@cmich.edu
Bill Ferrara, assistant coach 989-774-1140 ferra1wj@cmich.edu
Kathy McGee, assistant coach 989-774-1140 mcgee1km@cmich.edu
Ayesha Whitfi eld, assistant coach 989-774-1140 whitf1ad@cmich.edu
Ethan Gelfand, director of basketball operations 989-774-1140 gelfa1er@cmich.edu
Brenda Pung, basketball offi ce secretary 989-774-1140 brenda.pung@cmich.edu
Robin Jones, athletic trainer 989-774-6687 robin.jones@cmich.edu
Rich Miller, strength and conditioning 989-774-3299 mille7ra@cmich.edu
Mike Boseak, sports information 989-774-3277 mike.boseak@cmich.edu

Numerical Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown (Last School)
3 Shonda Long G 5-9 Fr. Saginaw, Mich./Buena Vista HS
4 Dana Westover F 6-2 Sr. Maple City, Mich./Glen Lake HS
10 Stacey Verhoff G 5-9 Sr. Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa Glandorf HS
12 Britni Houghton F 5-11 So. Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS
14 Kendra Holman G 5-4 So. Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS
15 Candace Wilson G 5-8 Sr. Akron, Ohio/Central Hower HS
20 Latisha Luckett G 5-7 Jr. Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day HS
21 Brittany Szunko F 5-10 Jr. Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS
24 Angel Chan G 5-9 Jr. Wyoming, Mich./Wyoming Park HS
25 Sherryia Armstrong F 6-2 Fr. Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon Heights HS
30 Camille Ramsey G 5-5 Fr. Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS
34 Kaihla Szunko F 6-2 So. Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS
42 Beth Brown F 6-0 Fr. Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS
44 Brooke Heike F 6-2 So. Washington Twp., Mich./Romeo HS
Alphabetical Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown (Last School)
25 Sherryia Armstrong F 6-2 Fr. Muskegon, Mich./Muskegon Heights HS
42 Beth Brown F 6-0 Fr. Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS
24 Angel Chan G 5-9 Jr. Wyoming, Mich./Wyoming Park HS
44 Brooke Heike F 6-2 So. Washington Twp., Mich./Romeo HS
14 Kendra Holman G 5-4 So. Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS
12 Britni Houghton F 5-11 So. Lansing, Mich./Waverly HS
3 Shonda Long G 5-9 Fr. Saginaw, Mich./Buena Vista HS
20 Latisha Luckett G 5-7 Jr. Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day HS
30 Camille Ramsey G 5-5 Fr. Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS
21 Brittany Szunko F 5-10 Jr. Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS
34 Kaihla Szunko F 6-2 So. Saginaw, Mich./Heritage HS
10 Stacey Verhoff G 5-9 Sr. Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa Glandorf HS
4 Dana Westover F 6-2 Sr. Maple City, Mich./Glen Lake HS
15 Candace Wilson G 5-8 Sr. Akron, Ohio/Central Hower HS
Head Coach: Sue Guevara (Saginaw Valley State, 1982)
Assistant Coaches: Bill Ferrara (Florida, 2003)
Kathy McGee (Central Michigan, 1973)
Ayesha Whitfi eld (Minnesota, 2002)
Director of Basketball Operations: Ethan Gelfand (Wake Forest, 2006)
Pronunciation Guide
Brooke Heike: HI-key
Britni Houghton: HO-ton
Brittany Szunko: ZUN-ko
Stacey Verhoff: VEER-hoff
Kendra Holman: HOLE-man
Latisha Luckett: LUCK-it
Kaihla Szunko: KAY-la ZUN-ko
Roster Breakdown
By Height…
6-2
Sherryia Armstrong
Brooke Heike
Kaihla Szunko
Dana Westover
6-0
Beth Brown
5-11
Britni Houghton
5-10
Brittany Szunko
5-9
Angel Chan
Shonda Long
Stacey Verhoff
5-8
Candace Wilson
5-7
Latisha Luckett
5-5
Camille Ramsey
5-4
Kendra Holman
By Position…
Guards (7)
Angel Chan
Kendra Holman
Shonda Long
Latisha Luckett
Camille Ramsey
Stacey Verhoff
Candace Wilson
Forwards (7)
Sherryia Armstrong
Beth Brown
Brooke Heike
Britni Houghton
Brittany Szunko
Kaihla Szunko
Dana Westover
By Class…
Seniors (3)
Stacey Verhoff
Dana Westover
Candace Wilson
Juniors (3)
Angel Chan
Latisha Luckett
Brittany Szunko
Sophomores (4)
Brooke Heike
Kendra Holman
Britni Houghton
Kaihla Szunko
Freshmen (4)
Sherryia Armstrong
Beth Brown
Shonda Long
Camille Ramsey
Roster
13

Schedule
2007-08 Central Michigan University Women’s Basketball Schedule
Day Date Opponent Location Time
Wednesday November 1 Ferris State (Exhibition) Mount Pleasant 7 p.m.
Sunday November 4 Aquinas (Exhibition) Mount Pleasant 2 p.m.
Friday November 9 Illinois-Chicago Mount Pleasant 7 p.m.
Monday November 12 at Temple Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 7 p.m.
Saturday November 17 Chicago State Mount Pleasant 2 p.m.
Tuesday November 20 Notre Dame Chicago, Illinois 7 p.m.
Sunday November 25 at Oakland Rochester, Michigan 4 p.m.
Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational (Northwestern University)
Friday November 30 at Northwestern Evanston, Illinois 8 p.m. CST
Saturday December 1 vs. Boston College/Wagner Evanston, Illinois 2/4:30 p.m. CST
Wednesday December 5 at Youngstown State Youngstown, Ohio 5:15 p.m.
Saturday December 8 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Mount Pleasant 4 p.m.
Monday December 17 at Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 7 p.m.
Dynamic Pension Services Classic (University of Dayton)
Saturday December 29 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Dayton, Ohio 12:30 p.m.
Sunday December 30 vs. Dayton/Cornell Dayton, Ohio 1/3 p.m.
14
Thursday January 3 at Ole Miss Oxford, Mississippi 7 p.m. CST
Wednesday January 9 at Toledo* Toledo, Ohio 7 p.m.
Saturday January 12 Western Michigan* Mount Pleasant 2 p.m.
Tuesday January 15 at Northern Illinois* DeKalb, Illinois 7 p.m. CST
Saturday January 19 Eastern Michigan* Mount Pleasant 4 p.m.
Wednesday January 23 at Ball State* Muncie, Indiana 7 p.m.
Saturday January 26 Ohio* Mount Pleasant 4 p.m.
Tuesday January 29 at Akron* Akron, Ohio 7 p.m.
Saturday February 2 Miami* Mount Pleasant 4 p.m.
Saturday February 9 at Kent State* Kent, Ohio 7 p.m.
Wednesday February 13 Bowling Green* Mount Pleasant 7 p.m.
Saturday February 16 at Buffalo* Buffalo, New York 5 p.m.
Tuesday February 19 Northern Illinois* Mount Pleasant 7 p.m.
Saturday February 23 at Western Michigan* Kalamazoo, Michigan 2 p.m.
Wednesday February 27 Ball State* Mount Pleasant 7 p.m.
Saturday March 1 Toledo* Mount Pleasant 2 p.m.
Wednesday March 5 at Eastern Michigan* Ypsilanti, Michigan 7 p.m.
Sunday March 9 MAC Tournament First Round Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)
Tuesday March 11 MAC Tournament Quarterfi nals Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)
Friday March 14 MAC Tournament Semifi nals Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)
Saturday March 15 MAC Tournament Finals Cleveland, Ohio (Quicken Loans Arena)
*Mid-American Conference Game
All home games in bold and played in Rose Arena.

Preview Notes
Welcome Back: The Chippewas return three starters and 10 members
of last year’s squad, while welcoming four fresh faces from the high
school ranks.
Senior Stabilizers: Seniors Candace Wilson and Stacey Verhoff started
all 30 games last season, and senior Dana Westover started the fi rst 14
games of the season before an injury cut her year short.
Changing of the Guard: Senior guard Candace Wilson will move from
point guard to shooting guard this season in order to better utilize her
ability to score the basketball, specifi cally from behind the arc. Wilson
was 15th in the MAC last season in assists with 88.
5th/3rd: Sophomore Britni Houghton was fi fth in the MAC in scoring
(8.2) and third in rebounding (3.8) among freshmen last season, despite
not being named to the All-MAC freshman squad. She started 16 of 30
contests, including 15 of 16 MAC games, and averaged 9.6 points and
4.8 rebounds in conference play.
Fast-Forward: The Chippewas offensive and defensive strategies
are drastically different than in seasons past. First-year head coach
Sue Guevara runs an up-tempo offense and defense designed to put
pressure on the opponent, relying on her team’s basketball intellect
and talent, rather than slowing play down to run a half-court offense.
The team pushes the ball up the fl oor on offense and applies pressure
defensively early in possessions.
Quick Turnaround: In head coach Sue Guevara’s fi rst season at
Michigan she led the Wolverines to an eight-win improvement overall,
six coming in conference play. In her second season, she took Michigan
to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history and
its fi rst trip since 1990. She would advance to postseason play in fi ve
of her seven seasons at the helm of the Wolverines, three times to the
NCAA Tournament and twice to the Women’s NIT. She owns the all-time
record for wins and winning percentage at Michigan, and owns six of
the program’s 10 winning seasons. The Wolverines have not been above
.500 since her departure following the 2002-03 season.
Back and Forth: Once conference play begins on January 9, the
Chippewas will not play two consecutive home or road contests until the
fi nal week of the regular season. CMU will host Ball State on February 2
and Toledo on March 1.
Who Will Step Up: Despite losing just two players from a season
ago, the departure of CMU’s 2007 senior class means the loss of the
Chippewas’ top two scorers and rebounders from last season. Both Ann
Skufca and Sharonda Hurd started all 30 games a season ago, and the
duo represented 33.8 percent of the team’s scoring. In addition, the pair
grabbed 32.9 percent of the rebounds and swiped 32.3 percent of the
team’s steals. The loss of Skufca will also be felt in the paint, as she
swatted 62 of the team’s 124 blocked shots last season.
Keeping it Close: Ten of CMU’s losses from a year ago were by 10
points or fewer, fi ve of which came by two posessions (six points) or
less. The Chippewas were 1-5 overall in games decided by fewer than
six points.
Non-Conference Play: CMU went 8-6 outside the Mid-American
Conference last season, posting a winning non-conference record
for the second straight season. It marks the fi rst time the Chippewas
have posted back-to-back winning non-conference records since the
1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons under Donita Davenport.
Home Sweet Home: The Chippewas will open the regular season at
home against Illinois-Chicago. It is the sixth straight season CMU opens
at Rose Arena. The last time the Chippewas opened the year away from
home was the 2000-01 campaign, when CMU opened at the Minnesota
Sheraton Classic.
70+: CMU was 8-3 when hitting the 70-point mark last season, and
was 4-2 when it eclipsed the 80-point plateau. Seven of the 11 times
the Chippewas passed the 70-point mark came at home, with CMU
registering a 5-2 record in those contests.
REBOUND!: Rebounding has been a point of emphasis for the
Chippewas this offseason. The Chippewas ranked 12th in both
rebounding and rebounding margin during the 2006-07 season. Similar
to head coach Sue Guevara’s offensive and defensive strategy, CMU will
be aggressive in its approach to rebounding on both ends of the fl oor.
Shot Swatters: CMU led the MAC in blocked shots a season ago with
124, averaging 4.13 per contest. Half of those blocks, however, were
knocked aside by former Chippewa Ann Skufca who graduated following
last season.
Keep Away: The Chippewas averaged 14.7 turnovers last season, the
third-fewest in the MAC. They also forced 18.9 turnovers per contest,
the fourth-most in the conference.
15
‘Strong Post Presence: The coaching staff thinks highly of freshman
Sherryia Armstrong and feels she could become a go-to post presence
for CMU during her career as a Chippewa. Armstrong is a 6-2 forward
from Muskegon, Mich. and earned all-state honors from both the Detroit
News and the Associated Press as a senior at Muskegon Heights High
School.
Candace Wilson

Position Breakdown
16
Guards
The backcourt features two returning starters
in seniors Stacey Verhoff and Candace Wilson.
Verhoff and Wilson started all 30 games last
season as a backcourt tandem and bring a
wealth of experience and stability to the squad.
The point guards have a great deal of
responsibility in head coach Sue Guevara’s
offense. With her fast-paced style of play,
they hold the key to nearly every offensive
possession and are the fi rst to attack the ball on
defense.
Freshman Camille Ramsey and sophomore
Kendra Holman will see the bulk of the time at
the point, as the two battle for the starting job
early on.
Ramsey, a Bolingbrook, Illinois native, has a
quick fi rst step and pushes the ball up the fl oor.
She is sound defensively and could make a
signifi cant impact immediately.
Holman appeared in 20 games as a true
freshman last season, averaging 2.3 points
and 0.5 rebounds to go with 17 assists.
Wilson, who led CMU with 88 assists
and started all 30 games at point guard last
season, shifts to shooting guard this season.
She has exceptional range and can get to
the basket. She has the ability to create
shots for others and averaged 9.4 points per
contest last season, in addition to converting
83.0 percent of her free throws.
Verhoff is one of the team’s hardest
workers. She averaged 6.4 points and 2.7
rebounds from the shooting guard position
last season and has the most technically
sound shot of anyone on the team. She isn’t
afraid of contact and will likely see time at
both the shooting guard and small forward
positions.
Latisha Luckett and Angel Chan also
return this season after appearing in all 30
games last year as reserves. Luckett is an
extraordinary athlete with a quick fi rst step
who could develop into an elite defensive
presence. She could fl ourish in Guevara’s
offense and have a breakout campaign after
averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds last
season.
Chan is a left-hander with good range,
can create opportunities for others from
the wing, and can get to the basket off the
dribble.
Shonda Long, a freshman from Saginaw,
Michigan, also could see signifi cant playing
time at small forward. She is athletic and quick
with great range and has the ability to create
shots for both herself and others.
Forwards
Britni Houghton returns for her sophomore
season after fi nishing fi fth in the MAC among
freshmen in points per game and third in
rebounding. She appeared in all 30 games,
making 16 starts. She is very hard to defend,
exhibiting range beyond the arc and the
ability to create off the dribble. She has good
basketball sense and is not afraid of contact.
Sophomore Kaihla Szunko played in 26
games as a true freshman and could explode in
the new offense. She’s very athletic with good
range and has taken strides to improve her lowpost
game. She is a versatile player and can
make her teammates better.
Senior Dana Westover has dealt with injuries
throughout her career. She started the fi rst 14
games last season before a knee injury ended
her junior campaign, averaging 6.7 points and
4.4 rebounds. She has worked hard all summer
to regain her previous form and is the team’s
best player with her back to the basket.
Junior Brittany Szunko returns this season
after missing all of last year following offseason
surgery, and sophomore Brooke Heike returns
as well. Heike appeared in 11 games last
season and brings a tough inside presence
around the basket to the team.
Freshmen Sherryia Armstrong (Muskegon,
Michigan) and Beth Brown (Grand Ledge,
Michigan) also join the mix up front, with
Armstrong providing a strong low-post presence
and the ability to fi nish inside the lane. Brown
is a hard worker who lets her passion for the
game of basketball show on the court and will
provide great size inside.
2007-08 Central Michigan University Basketball
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Starters Returning (3)
Name Ht. Class Pos. GP/GS PPG RPG Other
Stacey Verhoff 5-9 Sr. G 30/30 6.4 2.7 51 assists
Britni Houghton 5-11 So. F 30/16 8.2 3.8 37 steals
Candace Wilson 5-8 Sr. G 30/30 9.4 2.8 88 assists
Starters Lost (2)
Name Ht. Class Pos. GP/GS PPG RPG Reason
Ann Skufca 6-2 Sr. F 30/30 11.8 5.0 Graduation
Sharonda Hurd 5-9 Sr. G 30/30 11.0 6.2 Graduation
Other Letterwinners Returning (5)
Name Ht. Class Pos. GP/GS PPG RPG Other
Angel Chan 5-9 Jr. G 30/0 6.7 1.5 50 assists
Kendra Holman 5-4 So. G 20/0 2.3 0.5 17 assists
Latisha Luckett 5-7 Jr. G 30/0 5.7 3.0 36 steals
Kaihla Szunko 6-2 So. F 26/0 3.5 2.7 6 blocks
Dana Westover 6-2 Sr. F 14/14 6.7 4.4 11 blocks
Others Returning (2)
Name Ht. Class Pos. GP/GS PPG RPG Other
Brooke Heike 6-2 So. F 11/0 1.5 1.0
Brittany Szunko 5-10 Jr. F - - - Redshirted
Newcomers (4)
Name Ht. Class Pos. Hometown/Last School
Sherryia Armstrong 6-2 Fr. F Muskegon, Michigan/Muskegon Heights HS
Beth Brown 6-0 Fr. F Grand Ledge, Michigan/Grand Ledge HS
Shonda Long 5-9 Fr. G Saginaw, Michigan/Buena Vista HS
Camille Ramsey 5-5 Fr. G Bolingbrook, Illinois/Bolingbrook HS