UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 14, Page 5
December 10, 1992
Women's basketball team looking forward to season

     The University of Delaware Women's Basketball team has two things to
look forward to this season.
     First, is its second season in the fiercely competitive NAC division
and, most importantly, is the team's new home-the Bob Carpenter Center.
     This new facility offers both the women's and men's teams, new locker
rooms, expanded weight rooms, multipurpose classrooms, a strength training
center and improved courts with larger crowd capacity, better lighting and
a more modern scoreboard with a video message center.
     Joyce Perry, head coach of the women's basketball team, said she is
very enthusiastic about playing in the new building. "The move will help
their game and also the way that the players feel about themselves this
year," she said, "especially the players who have been on the team before
and have played in the Delaware Field House."
     Perry, who is entering her 15th season of coaching at Delaware, said
she feels the new courts offer a much better practice facility-an important
consideration since the team practices six days a week. "The acoustics are
better than in the field house," Perry said.
     "There, you had to scream to be heard over the blowers. Also, a lot of
times at our practices, there would be baseball or track practicing in the
back, so we would be competing with two different teams in the same area.
Now, it is a lot quieter."
     The new facility also will be a major advantage when it becomes time
to start recruiting. Last year, Perry could only mention the new facility
and show a brochure. Now, she will be able to give students a firsthand
look at the center.
     Perry said she is very confident about the upcoming season, especially
since the 12-member team is picked by college coaches to finish fourth in
the league.
     "I like the way the new players, the freshmen, are performing in
practice," Perry said.
     "But I think that it's going to take us a while to gel as a team. By
playoff time, we should be competitive with everyone in the league."
     The University of Vermont poses the biggest competition to Delaware.
"Having three returning players who averaged in double figures," Perry
said, "Vermont has returned with a very strong group." Besides Vermont,
Perry said she believes that the competition is quite even among the other
teams in the league.
     The women's season started with an inaugural home win in the Bob
Carpenter Center Dec. 5 over Temple University (74-53) and a 51-42 victory
over Lafayette on Dec. 8.
     Ticket information is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at
the Bob Carpenter Center box office, or by calling 831-2257.
                                        -Lisa Wiseman