Head Women's Basketball Coach Peter Cinella slides up and down the sideline of preseason practice, with whistle in hand, and motivation bellowing from his vocal cords. His head on constant swivel, the second-year coach hollers instruction to a quartet of student-athletes in a matter of 15 seconds. In 2008-09, the new rendition of the Knights will mirror their mentor with three trends: high intensity, hard work, and desire.
A year ago, Cinella made the jump from the Division II level to D-I, amidst a season full of ups and downs, including his 300th career victory. The Knights earned their highest postseason seeding in a decade (matching the fifth seeded 2003-04 team), yet Fairleigh Dickinson's winning percentage proved the lowest in the heralded coach's 15-year collegiate career.
Throughout his career, Cinella has learned that winning is an attitude ? an attained swagger ? ultimately proving a byproduct of effort and ability. In his second season at the helm, he is saddled with the responsibility of making his young squad believe; trust their individual abilities, their teammates' commitment, and FDU's potential as a unit. In all, this year proves a pivotal stepping-stone in a turnaround venture, as Cinella gameplans to bring the women's basketball program to the Northeast Conference elite.
“We're looking to be competitive throughout the season, and need to prove ourselves every night,” Cinella said. “The team will feature high energy and hustle for all 40 minutes. While we're a bit unknown, the staff expects a winning season and another berth in the NEC Tournament.”
A season ago, the Knights showcased the largest turnaround in the conference in both team defense and rebounding. This campaign will focus on all phases of shooting percentage, as well as cutting down on turnovers.
Both improvement areas will be featured from the opening tip, as Cinella stated his team will be more aggressive at the start of games.
“Late last year, we started to understand the importance of getting a lead early to allow us to control the tempo,” Cinella said. “Offensively, our personnel increases our ability to fast break. We'll also be adding emphasis on our press and trap defenses.”
Leading the Knights will be junior forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne). The team captain shifts to her natural position of power forward, after spending her sophomore season primarily at the three. Altamirano, a former NEC All-Rookie Team member, paced the squad in scoring in six of its final seven games (a 14.5 ppg average in that span).
“This year, we're looking for Christy to replicate her production from the end of last year, as she can post-up any defender, or step out and hit the three,” Cinella said. “Once she got the system down and we learned where to get her the ball, she busted out. She's a Top 10 Player in the league, especially when factoring in that her rebounding total should go up.”
Altamirano will guide a youthful group, who enter the year without significant collegiate inexperience. However, Cinella believes that each student-athlete will be forced to play their way though the highs and lows of youth.
“With youth, we expect mistakes ? but we require them to battle through them,” Cinella said. “With that, we know more about our roster and opponents heading into this season. Plus, we have a full, healthy roster, which allows us to practice harder and make bigger strides to get better on a daily basis.”
For the first time since the 1985-86 campaign, Fairleigh Dickinson will open the year with three-consecutive games at the Rothman Center's Stratis Arena, where the Knights have posted three-straight winning seasons. However, six road tilts take FDU into January, with 21 games slated after an extensive holiday break that features a 16-day interval between non-conference contests.
“We're looking to get off to a solid start, with the importance of surviving a tough early season schedule,” Cinella said. “Beyond our projected top seven players, there's a wealth of parity. By January, everyone will be more polished and confident, with the freshmen class' success dependent on their response to a 29-game, six-month grind.”
With Altamirano representing an established force in the post, the staff will complement the junior with an array of talent inside. The added youth allows for increased options and strategy. With that luxury, Cinella stated his depth at guard may prove the team's hallmark during the 2008-09 season.
Mariyah Laury (Orange, NJ/Orange) will fill the two guard role, while junior Jordan Sykes (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) returns this year. After leading FDU in assists as a rookie ? coupled with her 11.0 ppg average ? Sykes will handle the rock after sitting out 2007-08. Sophomores Jenna Strich, and swing guard Alyssa Mayrose (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) will filter into the line-up and log significant floor time.
Sykes was an All-Rookie Team standout in the 2006-07 campaign. That season, she finished sixth in the nation with a program-record 89.9 percentage from the charity stripe.
“Jordan's leadership will be an invaluable factor for us,” Cinella said. “She's a good passer, but we'll look for her to score quite a bit and bring her big game potential. As a tall guard, her impact on defense and the boards will also be a necessity.”
Laury was a four-year starter at nearby Orange (NJ) High, averaging 29.0 ppg as a senior. A slasher, she scored over 1,900 points in her career.
“Mariyah's a quick guard who can get to the hoop by driving right or left,” Cinella said. “She's even more dangerous because of her potential to create, or even strike for a pull-up jumper.”
Mayrose was the lone student-athlete to see action in all 30 games a season ago and figures to land a starting spot. Strich, a starter on seven occasions, ranked 14th in the NEC last season with a 32.2 percentage from three-point land.
“Alyssa is one of the most improved players over the off-season,” Cinella said. “Jenna's a pure shooter that forces defense to pull away from the basket and keep the perimeter in check.”
Guard Nasim Ahmadzadeh (Uppsala, Sweden/Lofstromsgymnasium) will be a key contributor off the bench. The senior started eight games a season ago, with her 40.5 shooting percentage ranking fourth on the team.
Freshman Erica McKeithan (Newport News, VA/Heritage) has been penciled into the starting center slot, with classmate Esther Wallace (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central) pushing for playing time. The long and athletic tandem arrives at the Metropolitan Campus from championship programs.
McKeithan played on four 20-win teams, including the 2007 Virginia Group ?AAA' state semifinal squad. She guided her team to the 2008 state championship, while recording 7.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 3.0 bpg. The 6'2” Wallace averaged 7.0 points per game, 12.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks at Springfield Central High (MA). She's the tallest member of the freshman class. Her 119 blocks (over 6.0 per game) in junior campaign contributed to the school's first-ever state championship, with a second coming in 2008.
Senior Shenika Chang (New York, NY/Park West) returns for Fairleigh Dickinson, a season after flashing signs of dominance versus Howard University (team-best 15 rebounds). In a limited role ? which is expected to expand this year ? the center's 42.5 field goal percentage ranked second on the squad, with her 0.4 blocks per game finishing fourth, and 1.1 offensive rebounds a game standing fifth.
Freshmen forwards Amy Longo (Pittsburgh, PA/North Catholic) and Alexa Johnson (Enosburg Falls, VT/Enosburg Falls) will vie for minutes, and will be featured when the Knights ?go big.' Longo, who was Second Team All-State, registered 15.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg as a senior, after leading North Catholic High to a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class ?A' Championship as a junior. Johnson won Vermont state titles as a sophomore and senior. She is the only female in Enosburg Falls High history to score over 1,000 points (1,451), averaging 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
Sophomores Tara Kelly (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central), a center, and Kayla Killian (Cliffwood Beach, NJ/St. John Vianney), a forward, round out the roster. They combined to see time in 10 games, with Cinella hoping both players will be used on a nightly basis this year.
Media Note: 2008-09 Game notes available in PDF format by utilizing the link to the left.
