Monday, October 16, 2006

Ten Days of A-Sun Basketball tips off with a closer look at the Belmont Bruins. Second-year sensation Alysha Clark became the first player in Atlantic Sun history to win both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors last season. The Bruins have won at least a share of the regular season championship twice in the last three years and made their first national postseason appearance since moving to Division I in their WNIT first round loss at Tennessee Tech.

Coach Tony Cross on the Bruins

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SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy Belmont Media Relations)

On the heels of one of the best seasons the Belmont women's basketball program has seen under the leadership of Head Coach Tony Cross, the Bruins stand poised on the verge of the 2006-07 campaign. The Bruins are ready to take on a challenging non-conference schedule, an always tough Atlantic Sun slate, and bring their goal of reaching the NCAA Tournament more in reach than ever before.

Stepping up to lead the team in their final seasons as Bruins are seniors Destri Bockey and Angel Jones. The pair is a deadly combination on either end of the court. Bockey, one of the team's three-point specialists, was second on the squad in shooting behind the arc, hitting 34.7 percent of her attempts. The Van Wert, Ohio native, who played in all 30 games, averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

"One of the most pleasing things about Destri last year was that she was always willing to contribute," said Cross. "She made the difference in several games, whether it meant her playing a lot or sometimes very little. She came in at opportune times and helped our team to several wins. I think being a senior, she is showing a lot of maturity and leadership abilities. She's proven that over her time here."

Memphis, Tenn., native Jones, who started and played in every contest last year, turns up the heat whenever an opponent has the ball. She finished the year with 39 steals. The defensive force averaged 2.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. "In my mind, Angel is the best defensive player in the Atlantic Sun Conference. She's a tremendous athlete that can just lock another team's best offensive player down," said Cross. "It's good to know that the other team will have to depend on someone else to win the game besides their best player.

"With the work she put in this summer and early fall, we can expect her to contribute in scoring more."

The Bruins' junior class -- Laura Cowley, Brittany Myers, and Brooke Sunday -- is eager to step into the forefront and help to build another successful season with their experiences. Myers, hailing from Madison, Ind., came off the bench in all but two games last year. She averaged 1.0 points and 0.9 boards per outing.

"Physically, Brittany seems to be so much further along [after her injury] at this time," Cross said. "I think she is not only 100 percent over her injury she had before her freshman year; now, she's gained the strength and mobility that she can now put her fundamentals to work for our team. I expect her to give us a good threat from the three-point line."

Becoming comfortable in the post with two years under her belt is Sunday, who made appearances in all 30 games with nine starts. The Sparta, Tenn., native averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and was second on the team in blocks (15) and field-goal percentage (.455).

Read the full season preview

10 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 16 - Belmont
Oct. 17 - Campbell
Oct. 18 - ETSU
Oct. 19 - Gardner-Webb
Oct. 20 - Jacksonville
Oct. 23 - Kennesaw State
Oct. 24 - Lipscomb
Oct. 25 - Mercer
Oct. 26 - UNF
Oct. 27 - Stetson