Game Notes
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Two of last year's NAIA Fab Four teams open the 2014-15 women's basketball season as No. 4 Davenport hosts No. 12 Cardinal Stritch at the Student Center at 6 p.m. Fans can follow the contest on the Davenport Athletics Network with Ken Clemens and Ed Keating on the call.
 
Vs. Cardinal Stritch
Date: Thursday, Oct. 30
Tipoff: 6 p.m.
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich. (DU Student Center)
Internet Coverage: Live Video/Audio/Stats
Announcers: Ken Clemens (Play-by-Play)/Ed Keating (Analyst)
Pregame Show: 5:40 p.m.
 
A Quick Look at Cardinal Stritch – 27-7 in 2013-14 – Head Coach John Phaffl
Like Davenport, the Wolves are coming off a season reaching the semifinals in the NAIA Tournament last year, having fallen to eventual champion Saint Francis (Ind.). Leaving the past behind, Cardinal Stritch looks into the future and it seems very bright. Although they lost the school's all-time leading scorer Julie Raeder to graduation, the Wolves do return an experience group consisting of four starters: Becky Gilbreath, Emily Neitzel, Michelle Piepenburg and Emily Rudkin. Piepenburg averaged 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds last season while Gilbreath compiled a 51 shooting percentage with 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
 
Panthers vs. Wolves
While this will be the fourth meeting between Mike Williams' Panthers and John Pfaffl's Wolves in three years, this contest has added a special ingredient as both teams are coming off a Fab Four appearance in last year's NAIA Division II Tournament. Davenport leads the all-time series 4-1 with two of those meetings being held in the national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
The Last Time They Met
Davenport had dig out of a hole the last time it faced Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee a year ago. The Wolves took an 18-2 lead 14 minutes into the contest but the Panthers started a huge run to jump up front and hold on to a 64-60 win. Four Panthers had reached double figures in that contest, while Tiesha Stokes and recent graduate Alison Bouman posted double-doubles. Stokes collected 10 points and 11 rebounds. Linnea Brandholm connected on four 3-pointers and added a pair of free throws for 14 points and Brittany Johnson gathered 10 points. Piepenburg had 16 points to lead the Wolves and was two boards short from a double-double.
 
Women's Basketball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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