Oct. 24, 2002

While the 2002-03 Butler women's basketball team returns ten letterwinners to the court, including four starters, there will be one noticeable difference on the sidelines this season - first year head coach Beth Couture.

"My staff and I are looking forward to being a part of renewing the winning tradition in Butler women's basketball," said Couture. "We plan on doing that by developing solid fundamentals and basing our success on tough defense and out-rebounding our opponents."

While Couture acknowledges that several steps need to be taken to restore the program, which posted a 3-26 mark last season, to its winning ways, she feels that with hard work, effort and dedication, anything is achievable. And is confident that she has the personnel in place both within her staff and players to help get the Bulldogs headed in the right direction.

"We are excited as a team because we see that we have a lot of potential to be successful. I feel like we are working hard to learn the style of play, intensity and effort that I want to see our program develop."

Couture is no stranger to success, as she posted 11 winning seasons as the head coach at Presbyterian College, a Division II program in Clinton, S.C. She helped lead the team to three straight conference regular season and tournament titles and earned the conference's Coach of the Year honors on four occasions. Her demand for excellence filters down through her coaching staff, which consists of Seph Hatley (Pfeiffer '94), formerly her assistant at Presbyterian College, Gene Hill (Coker College '97) and Monica Claridge (St. Joseph's '00).

Guards

The Bulldogs will depend upon their backcourt for the bulk of their offensive production this season. Juniors Nancy Bowden (Springdale, Ohio/Cincinnati Hill Christian) and Tiffany Smith (Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven) possess the desire and natural ability to take the team to new heights.

Bowden, a 5-3 guard, will get the starting nod at the point guard position for the third straight season, and returns off a sophomore campaign where she led the team in points (10.8 pg), assists (4.8 pg) and steals (2.7 pg). Her active, in-your-face defense earned her a place on the Horizon League All-Defensive Team, and her quiet leadership on the court presents her as one of the team's top go-to players.

Smith, who earned a position in the starting lineup for 17 games last season, "is showing a lot of potential on both ends of the court," said Couture. The 5-8 guard's versatility on offense makes her both an outside shooting threat, while maintaining the ability to attack the basket.

"Tiffany could see time as a backup point guard," added Couture. "She works her tail off on the defensive end of the court which will undoubtedly cause problems for our opponents. And she has great rebounding abilities for a guard."

Junior Lisa Pryor (Columbus, Ohio/Beechcroft) will be back in the lineup again this season, after suffering an ACL tear midway through last season. Pryor, a 5-8 guard, averaged 9.8 points and 2.6 rebounds before going down with the injury in the first league outing of the season. Her solid shooting provides depth to Butler's offensive corps.

Sophomore Maria Marchesano (Fort Wayne, Ind./Elmhurst) returns as the team's best three-point shooting threat. The 5-10 guard set school records for three-point field goals made in a single game (7) and in a season (176) and averaged 8.1 points per game as a rookie. Her efforts on the court last season earned her a place on the league's All-Newcomer team.

Rounding out Couture's backcourt options is freshman Stephanie Boeke (Minster, Ohio/Minster).

"Stephanie is very athletic, and shows a lot of potential to be a solid all-around player," explained Couture. "She is one of the best hustlers on the team and will definitely push our upperclassmen for playing time."

Boeke, a 5-10 guard, was a two-time all-conference selection at Minster High School, where she helped guide her team to impressive 18-3 mark as a senior.

Forwards

Redshirt sophomore Angel Mason (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Twp.) will be making the transition from the backcourt to the small forward position this season. Couture touts the 5-8 Mason as "one of the best athletes on the team. She is a tough competitor and is extremely quick in attacking the basket."

Mason, who started in 21 games last season, averaged 7.7 points per game as a freshman.

Colleen-Munro Leighton (Louisville, Ky./Brown) returns for her final season with the Bulldogs. The 5-10 forward is the lone senior on the team.

"Colleen is the strongest player physically on our team," said Couture. "She is a smart player with a nice jump shot who will add depth to our small forward position."

Freshman Jessica Monaco, a 5-10 forward, will also challenge the returners for playing time. Monaco, described as a "hard-nosed player" by Couture, averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds at Saratoga Springs High School in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Centers

Sophomore Cortney Urquhart (Somerset Center, Mich./Hanover-Horton) will be Butler's primary force on the inside this season. Urquhart, who started in 26 games and averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds as a rookie, possesses the physical strength to be solid in the post on both offense and defense.

"Cortney has a great attitude and possesses the will to win," said Couture. "She is such a key player inside and a lot of our success will depend upon her."

Freshman Nikki Budgake (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) will also see a lot of playing time at the power forward and center positions. Budgake, who was a McDonald's Kodak All-American nominee, was named to the Ohio High School All-Star team as a senior.

The 6-3 center's long-range shooting ability and good passing skills makes her a potent threat offensively, while her solid frame and work ethic will be a much-needed addition to Butler's defense.

Junior Dionne Goodwin (Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield) will make her return to the court this season after being sidelined for half of last year's campaign due to an ACL tear. Goodwin, who was averaging 3.2 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds before the injury, adds depth to the power forward and center positions. The 6-0 player proved herself to be a match even against the toughest of competition as she posted career highs of 12 points and 16 rebounds against No. 24 Utah.

With another year's worth of experience under their belts, junior Haley Dunkman (Bismark, Ill./Bismark-Henning) and sophomore Christine Cox (Flora, Ind./Carroll) will also provide depth to the Bulldogs' frontcourt positions.

"Haley and Christine both possess good jump shots and will continue to challenge for playing time." said Couture.

Dunkman, who transferred to Butler after playing a season at Parkland Junior College in Illinois, appeared in 25 games last season, and shot a team-best 50 percent from the field while in action. Cox, who battled with an illness and several injuries throughout her rookie season, played in 20 games averaging 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.

2002-03 Schedule

Included in Butler's 27-game slate for the upcoming season is first-time meetings against four non-conference opponents. The Bulldogs will open up the season on Nov. 22 against Bradley, the first of four Missouri Valley Conference opponents for Butler during the campaign. After traveling to Illinois State the following week, Butler will participate in the Fresno State Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, where the tournament field also includes Murray State and San Diego State.

Upon returning from California, the Bulldogs will host the third annual Hoosier State Classic on Dec. 7. Ball State will take on Valparaiso in the Classic's first game, while Butler will face Indiana State in the nightcap.

Other non-conference home games for Butler include Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan. The Bulldogs will take to the road to battle it out against Illinois State, Bowling Green, Evansville and Western Kentucky in rounding out the remainder of their non-conference schedule.

Butler will launch into the Horizon League portion of its schedule on Jan. 4 when the Bulldogs welcome UIC to Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler concludes its regular season playing three of its final four games on the road, including games at 2002 league-champion UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee. The Bulldogs will then return to the Phoenix's home court on Mar. 5-9 for the Horizon League Tournament.