Women's Basketball 11/9/2015 9:00:00 AM By Brian Bohl

WBB: 2015-16 Season Outlook

2015-16 Hofstra Women's Basketball Team

Hempstead, N.Y. -- Last season's Hofstra Women' Basketball team didn't have the luxury of looking to many upperclassmen to provide leadership. Without a single senior on the roster, the Pride instead turned inward for accountability, and the result was a 20-win campaign that culminated in a WNIT appearance, a win over a nationally ranked opponent and the team's first-ever appearance in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship title game.

Hofstra is now primed to parlay that experience into another potential playoff run as the Pride aims for the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Five seniors comprise a veteran roster that returns 12 of 13 members. Five of the six players who averaged at least six points are back, as are the five of the six players who notched at least three rebounds per game.

Eight players are now either juniors or seniors, giving Head Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey a talented group who knows what she expects and will look to execute her vision of the team on the court.

"We obviously have our sights set high," Kilburn-Steveskey said. "We know the task ahead of us, but everyone is geared up. We know we can do it. It's just a matter of consistency and doing the little things day-in and day-out and that's where the maturity comes in. We have the tools and pieces and I think our potential is extremely high."

Hofstra went 20-13 and 11-7 in CAA play last season. The Pride also posted a road win over then-No. 23 James Madison and led the Dukes in the second half in the rematch in the CAA title game before falling just short. In all, Hofstra made the school's fifth-ever WNIT appearance before falling in the first round at Penn. The Pride also recorded the fourth 20-win campaign in the program's Division I era that started in 1982-83; three of which have come under Kilburn-Steveskey.

Here is a position-by-position look of the 2015-16 Hofstra Women's Basketball team:

GUARDS
The entire backcourt should look familiar to Hofstra fans. Senior Darius Faulk took over the primary ball-handling responsibilities in her first season since transferring from West Virginia and averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, which was the league's second-highest mark. Faulk shined the most in conference games, shooting 50 percent from the floor during CAA games for the CAA's fourth-highest marks while ending the season ranked 28th nationally in Division I for total assists. Faulk's workhorse mentality – featuring a team-leading 32 minutes per game, allowed junior Krystal Luciano to increase her scoring, rebounding and assist totals from her first season. Faulk and Luciano also split the point guard responsibilities at times, giving Hofstra multiple looks in breaking press defenses and in the half-court offense.

Kilburn-Steveskey said Faulk worked on her shot in the offseason and is driven to end her collegiate career with a championship. Luciano has embraced different roles, including the job of on-court mentor and motivator who has helped lift teammates' spirits. Luciano has also done more than just offer encouragement, as the San Juan native started 54 games in her first two seasons and has averaged at least three assists in both campaigns.

While the offense runs through the point guards, junior Kelly Loftus will look to build on a breakout season in which she emerged as one of the CAA's best shooters. At 5'10", Loftus can play anywhere from shooting guard to the four-spot in smaller lineups. But her best position has been one where she can use her long-range shooting ability to open up her teammates. Hofstra's leading scorer averaged 12.5 points in starting all 32 games, resulting in her first career CAA award as a member of the league's all-third team. Five times Loftus posted 20-point games and her 79 three-pointers marked the third-highest single-season total in program history. Loftus' length and athleticism can provide Hofstra versatility to the lineups and Kilburn-Steveskey said she has worked hard on her leadership and will be looking for her to use a high basketball IQ to help the team stay on course.

Senior Asia Jackson will be looked to be the first option off the bench. Entering her fourth season, the Peekskill, New York product native has played multiple positions in preseason camp and Kilburn-Steveskey cited her as a breakout candidate who will be looking to become more consistent after averaging 4.4 points in 30 games last season, with 29 of those games coming off the bench. Sophomore Aleana Leon averaged 8.4 minutes as a reserve in 21 games and will look to increase her role after being brought along slowly to begin her collegiate career.

Senior Jakelle King-Gilchrist has provided great depth for Hofstra since transferring from Florida State before 2013-14. She has appeared in 55 games for the Pride over the last two seasons, including 31 last season. As someone who can drive and shoot three-pointers, King-Gilchrist is a steady presence who can give Loftus and the other backcourt members a rest or come in if the backcourt gets into foul trouble. Sophomore Olivia Askin is looking to be a complementary shooting threat by working tirelessly on her shot in practice. The coaching staff is working with her on refining her shot and having her protect the basketball, which could provide the team with another quality three-point threat off the bench.

FORWARDS
Hofstra's two biggest frontcourt threats proved they could handle heavy workloads. Ashunae Durant enjoyed one of the best freshman seasons in program history, averaging 11 points and seven rebounds per game to earn the CAA's Rookie of the Year award while also capturing All-Met Division I Rookie of the Year honors and an All-Second Team selection by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. Durant shot a team-best 48.7 percent from the field to earn an All-CAA Second Team selection. Her rebounding total, which was the conference's sixth-highest, along with her 74.3 percent free-throw shooting average, helped her earn Full Court's National Mid-Major Freshman of the Year award.

At 5'10", Durant was helped in the post by Anjie White's emergency. The George Washington transfer is entering her junior season following a stellar debut for the Pride. White made an immediate impact with her 6'2" frame, starting 12 of the 23 games in which she played and still averaging 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while recording four double-doubles. She was named the CAA Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after back-to-back double-figure scoring games versus Towson and at James Madison.

White and Durant are expected to play the bulk of the minutes in the frontcourt. But senior Sydni Epps, who has spent time at guard, can fill valuable minutes as a forward. Described by Kilburn-Steveskey as a "glue player," Epps enters her final season with 81 games of collegiate experience. Junior Sandra Dongmo appeared in four games as she recovered from injuries while learning to adjust to the speed of the collegiate level. The 6'4" post player is the roster's tallest player and has the potential to provide a major boost if she continues her development. Kayla Minott, the team's lone new addition and freshman, is a 6'3" post player who is looking to impress in camp and earn playing time. Senior Dee Thomas-Palmer is also on the roster and trying to work through injuries after playing in 86 games for Hofstra through her first three seasons.

SCHEDULE
Matchups against six teams with winning records, five postseason participants and two NCAA Tournament qualifiers will highlight Hofstra's non-conference portion of the schedule. The Pride's 11 non-league opponents had a 182-161 record in 2014-15. Hofstra will oppose three 20-win teams in the run up to the start of Colonial Athletic Association play that will commence in January.

The non-league slate will prepare Hofstra for a challenging 18-game CAA regular season docket that starts Jan. 3 with a contest against Delaware at the Mack Sports Complex. Hofstra will open the season with three straight games against winning programs and two playoff qualifiers. The Pride will host Navy on Opening Day Nov. 13.

On Nov. 17, Hofstra will host local-rival Stony Brook. The Seawolves went 17-14 and made the WBI last season. Hofstra's first road game of the season will feature a strong non-league test as the Pride takes on the defending Patriot League-champion American University on Nov. 19. American went 24-9 a season ago.

For the first time since 2011, Hofstra will venture outside the contiguous United States by participating in the San Juan Shootout from Nov. 27-28. Hofstra will face a talented Oregon State team in the opener from the Mario Quijote Morales Coliseum. The Beavers went 27-5 last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round and garnered a year-end No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Hofstra will then face Coastal Carolina the next day.

Buffalo will enter the Mack Sports Complex to start December for Hofstra. Like Hofstra, Buffalo made the 2015 WNIT. Saint Joseph's will then come to Hempstead for a Sunday matinee on Dec. 6. Hofstra will then close the calendar year and the non-league schedule on a three-game road trip starting at UMass on Dec. 9. A break for finals means Hofstra won't resume action until Dec. 20 against a Marist squad that also made the WNIT and finished 21-12. Hofstra will close the month at Delaware State on Dec. 30.

Following the CAA opener versus Delaware, Hofstra will embark on the first two separate three-game conference road trips with a road game at Elon on Jan. 8 followed by a contest at Charleston on Jan. 10.

The Pride will head back on the road with a road game at UNCW on Jan. 15 followed by a home game versus William & Mary two days later. That will kick-off a three-game homestand that will continue Jan. 22 versus Northeastern and Jan. 24 versus Towson.

January will end with a road game at Drexel on the 29th and a home game versus Elon on the 31st. Defending CAA-champion James Madison will visit the Mack Sports Complex on Feb. 5 in a rematch of the 2015 conference championship title game.

Hofstra will conclude the season series against the Tigers on Feb. 7 in a road game. That will start the second three-game road swing that will continue on Feb. 12 at William & Mary and Feb. 14 at James Madison, where Hofstra posted a win over the nationally ranked Dukes at the Convocation Center last year.

Hofstra will start a stretch of three home games in four contests versus UNCW on Feb. 19. A road game at Delaware two days later will mark the only interlude in the home swing as the Pride will host Drexel on Feb. 26 and take on Charleston on Senior Day Feb. 28. The regular season will conclude at Northeastern on March 2. The CAA Championship will take place March 9-12 at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

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Players Mentioned

#22 Olivia Askin: G; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#34 Sandra Dongmo: C; 6' 4"; Junior

#2 Ashunae Durant: F; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#3 Sydni Epps: G/F; 5' 11"; Senior

#12 Darius Faulk: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#1 Asia Jackson: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#21 Jakelle King-Gilchrist: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#13 Aleana Leon: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#0 Kelly Loftus: G; 5' 10"; Junior

#11 Krystal Luciano: G; 5' 5"; Junior

#24 Dee Thomas-Palmer: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#20 Anjie White: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#22 Olivia Askin
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: G

#34 Sandra Dongmo
: 6' 4"; Junior
: C

#2 Ashunae Durant
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: F

#3 Sydni Epps
: 5' 11"; Senior
: G/F

#12 Darius Faulk
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#1 Asia Jackson
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#21 Jakelle King-Gilchrist
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#13 Aleana Leon
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#0 Kelly Loftus
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

#11 Krystal Luciano
: 5' 5"; Junior
: G

#24 Dee Thomas-Palmer
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#20 Anjie White
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: F

Hofstra University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned