by Duncan Forbes
The AUS, has always been known as a tough and gritty league where every win is a battle, where nothing is taken for granted.
Head coach Anna Stammberger and the Tigers women’s basketball team know all about it. They’ve finished 10-10 in each of the last two seasons, and last year their season ended at the hands of the eventual AUS champion Saint Mary’s Huskies in the semifinals of the AUS championship. While it was a tough loss, the team played well against a Huskies team that went 20-0 in the regular season and ended up losing in the CIS final.
With Saint Mary’s reign looking to be over, the timing could not be more perfect for the Tigers, whose veteran core look poised to make a serious run at the championship this year. They turned things on in the second half last season, going 7-3-1 after starting the season 3-6.
They will again be led by Courtney Thompson and Tessa Stammberger. Last year they ranked third and fifth in the AUS in scoring with 17.0 and 16.2 ppg, respectively. The inside-outside versatility of both players caused fits for opposing defences all year long, and Stammberger was an absolute force on the glass, racking up 8.2 boards per game. Thompson was a floor general in all senses of the word for the Tigers, as her cool and calm demeanor on the court kept the Tigers focused through times. Her 3.6 assists per game were good for third in the AUS.
As good as the Tigers star duo have been, the rest of the Tigers playing unit is solid as well. Fifth-year guard Robbi Daley returns for her final year and will look to bounce back after a tough shooting year which saw her improve her overall offensive output. Third-year forward Ainsley MacIntyre is a tough inside defensive presence for the Tigers and nearly doubled her career-high in rebounds and points after becoming a consistent starter last year. If she continues to progress and improve, she could form a formidable duo inside the paint with Stammberger, on both ends of the court.
Fifth-year forward Rebecca Nuttall was a workhorse for the Tigers last year, logging 32.6 minutes per game, and her 2.5 offensive rebounds per game were good for third in the AUS.
Shalyn Field was one of the most pleasant surprises for the Tigers last season, as the first-year guard put up 6.6 points per game in just 16.2 minutes per game. How good was she? Per 40 minutes, she scored 16.2 points per game, just a shade lower than Stammberger and Thompson’s per 40 scoring numbers of 19.2 and 17.0. Compared to Stammberger and Thompson’s rookie seasons, where they scored 7.7 and 12.8 points per 40 minutes, Field’s stats look even more impressive. She’ll definitely be a player to watch as she could look to earn a spot in the starting lineup before season’s end.
The Tigers travelled to Germany at the beginning of September and played very solid against their European competition, finishing 2-2 after dropping their first game. They hit the court in their 30th annual Subway Centennial Tournament at the Dalplex this past weekend. The Tigers went 2-1 in the tournament defeating UBC-Okanagan (63-43) and York (65-32) and losing by a close margin to Laval (56-54). They head to Maine this weekend to play two final pre-season games before kicking off the regular season with a two-game home stand against the UPEI Panthers on November 7 and 8, and will only play six games before Christmas.
Be sure to join the Tigers November 8 for their annual Shoot for the Cure is support of breast cancer research. Breast cancer-survivor and Dalhousie professor Dr. Katherine Harman will speak about her battle and second-year guard Carissa Poulin will cut her hair to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.