UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 10, Page 6
November 5, 1992
Women's basketball team looks to strong season

     The Delaware women's basketball team spent the first half of last
season getting acclimated to the ways of its new home, the North
Atlantic Conference (NAC). Back-to-back weekend games, air travel and
the cold New England winters took some getting used to.
     But, this season should be different. The Blue Hens, who finished
7-7 in the NAC and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals before
losing for the third time to the then-undefeated Vermont machine, will
know what to expect, and last year's conference powers Vermont and
Maine don't have the personnel to repeat their 29- and 20-win seasons,
respectively.
     "The NAC will be very competitive this year," said Head Coach
Joyce Perry, entering her 20th season in coaching and 15th at
Delaware.
     "Maine lost four starters and Vermont lost two. There will be a
lot of teams that have a chance to challenge."
     Delaware hopes to be among those teams. Even though the Hens
count two-time conference Player of the Year Jan Riley and former NCAA
free throw shooting champion Linda Cyborski among its three senior
losses, the good news is that two freshmen who started every game
return, including the NAC Rookie of the Year, along with two other
senior starters. And the recruiting class, which was delivered by the
early signing date in November, might be the strongest in a while.
     "I was very happy with our recruits," Perry said. "They all come
from strong high school programs where they've experienced success.
With the key loses (Riley and Cyborski), we will look to the freshmen
to step in."