BLOG 1: Women have challenging early schedule on the road

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State basketball player Caitlin Hutchison drives the baseline toward the basket during a game last season. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – It will be quite some time before home fans get a chance to see head coach Tracey Dorow’s Ferris women’s basketball team in Jim Wink Arena according to the squad’s tentative schedule.

The women host their first home game Dec. 13 when Hillsdale comes to Big Rapids for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest. Before that date, Ferris will have had plenty of time to grow together on the road thanks to a challenging schedule that begins with six games away from Big Rapids to start. Like the men, the women play a double round-robin league schedule – which means more games against tough league opponents.

Ferris (17-12 overall and 11-7 in the GLIAC) opens in Owensboro, Ky. to take part in the Kentucky Wesleyan Tournament. The Bulldogs compete in games against Indianapolis and Kentucky Wesleyan Nov. 15 and Nov. 16, respectively. Next, Ferris travels to Lewis, on Nov. 25; Grand Valley State, on Dec. 1; Ashland, on Dec. 4; and Tiffin, on Dec. 6.

The Hillsdale home opener starts a three-game homestand that includes another league contest against Findlay (Dec. 14) and a non-league game against Marygrove (Dec. 29). Other key dates for Ferris include the rematch with Grand Valley, on Jan. 12 in Big Rapids; and the annual grueling two-game road trip to the Upper Peninsula to face Northern Michigan on Jan. 29 and Michigan Tech on Jan. 31.

The Bulldogs return a team with four seniors led by standout guard Teghan Thelen, the team’s leading returning scorer having averaged 10.4 points last season. Center Jenna Guay averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds and fellow center Ashley Fleming averaged 4.6 points and 3.1 rebounds both return to the lineup. At small forward, Caitlin Hutchison is back off a season during which she averaged 8.7 points and four rebounds.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com