UF women’s basketball has high hopes for upcoming season

By Martyce Kimbrough 
@TheRealBuddha20 

The lady Oilers basketball team will open up their season on Nov. 11 as they face the University of Indianapolis at 7 p.m. in Indianapolis. The Oilers will stay in Indy and play Lewis University on Nov. 13 before they head to West Virginia to play Wheeling Jesuit on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. 

The Oilers are picked to finish third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) South Division for the 2016-17 season. 

The squad finished the 2015-16 season with a record of 15-13 after a 10-1 record to start the season that included a seven-game win streak. However, the ladies hope to bounce back from their late season struggles and improve from last year. 

“We have a lot of veterans coming back and everyone has improved,” said Junior point guard Emily Molnar. “We’ve been working really hard and we’re looking good at practice so there’s a lot of excitement going into the season.” 

The Oilers return one senior, Karli Bonar. The sharp-shooter is just 26 three-pointers shy of setting the school record for three-pointers in a career. She averaged 9.9 points per game last season. 

Also returning is fellow team captain, Haley Horstman. The junior was tabbed a preseason all-conference pick and averaged 11.9 points per game. To add to returning juniors, Lynsey Englbrecht is looking to continue her high play as she led the GLIAC in three-point percentage (52.4 percent). 

“We have shooters, we have drivers, and we have people who can defend,” said Molnar. “We have transfers who I think can help us as well so the talent is there we just have to stick together and keep getting better.” 

Check out the Oilers in Croy gymnasium as they have their first home game on Nov. 27.