Team Preview The University of South Carolina Aiken women’s basketball team, under the guidance of head coach Mike Brandt, looks to build off a solid 2014-15 campaign with a wealth of returning experience and an influx of talented newcomers this season. The team, which is coming off a spot in last season’s Peach Belt Conference semifinals, not only envisions taking the next step in league play, but making a triumphant return to the NCAA Tournament this season. This year, the Pacers have five seniors on the roster. The team has five juniors on the team, including one transfer. USC Aiken returns one freshman and added a pair of rookies to the already-talented roster.
GUARD Brandt returns a slew of guards this season – and all have tremendous experience that should help the squad run the offense efficiently. Tiffany Addison returns after a pair of solid campaigns at the point guard spot for her senior campaign. A year ago, she played in 20 games, starting a pair of contests and looks to be used even more this year. “I hope she’ll be a sparkplug for us,” Brandt said. “She has great energy and great love for the game.” Senior Stephanie Ball returns to the line-up after running the point guard spot for much of the 2014-15 campaign. She started 19 games while playing 28. During her first year with the squad, Ball averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 assists a game. “Stephanie has got to be our leader at the point guard position,” Brandt stated. “She has been healthy all preseason and is proven to be one of our best answers at the point guard spot. I look for her to have a very solid year while increasing her scoring opportunities.” Senior Katelyn Grisillo is returning from an injury that forced her to miss much of the second half of the season. Prior to her injury, Grisillo dished out 2.1 assists per night and canned 79.2 percent of her free throws. “Katelyn has worked hard coming off an injury form last season,” Brandt said. “She is close to 100 percent. Katelyn has improved her shot and has great leadership qualities. She should get a lot of quality minutes.” Junior Kate Duff played in all 30 games during her sophomore campaign. She started one game and averaged 6.6 points a contest while dishing out 1.7 assists. Defensively, Duff recorded 42 steals.
“Kate has improved so much from her freshman season,” Brandt stated. “I’m excited to see her play at a new level. Kate’s mental aspect and attitude have turned around and I think she’ll really shine on defense. Kate is a fighter on the boards and if her shooting becomes consistent, she could be a very good guard in the PBC.” Junior Carly Gilreath came into her own near the end of last season. She played in all 30 games, earning three starts. Gilreath averaged 4.2 points and was second on the team with 32 made three-point field goals. “Carly is much improved from last season,” Brandt said. “She finished last year on a high note after some injuries to her teammates. Carly will continue improving and working hard and if she does that, she will get quality minutes for us.” Redshirt-freshman Sade Johnson redshirted last season. The Orangeburg Wilkinson H.S., product accounted for 9.2 points and three steals a night as a senior. “I think her defense and rebounding are both good strengths of Sade’s,” Brandt stated. “She can penetrate and kick the ball out very well, which will help her get some more time on the court as she learns more about our system.” Freshman Aubrey Lukacsko was a four-year letterwinner at Pickerington H.S. North. She was a two-time first-team all-conference honoree and a two-time first-team District 11 honoree. “Aubrey has shown a lot of improvement in the fall,” Brandt said. “She is really a fighter and is very coachable. Aubrey tries to do what is asked of her and will definitely compete for playing time.” Junior Jasmine Coach is a versatile guard/forward that has improved immensely since her sophomore campaign. A year ago, she appeared in 29 games while accounting for 1.2 points and 1.3 rebounds a night. “Jasmine is much improved,” Brandt stated. “She worked on her shot a lot in the offseason. If she is consistent with it, she could be a very big factor for us in all facets of the game because her defense and rebounding are excellent.” Junior Alexis Ware saw action in 25 games during her sophomore campaign. The guard/forward netted 1.2 points a game a year ago but canned 80 percent of her free throws. “We are waiting for her to come into her own,” Brandt said. “She has unlimited potential but she has to continue to focus on being a little tougher both mentally and physically.”
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