Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Names Team Captains
October 17, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 17, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Seniors Jill Lause and Casey McDowell and junior Ali Mann have been named tri-captains of the 2005-06 Bowling Green State University women's basketball team, head coach Curt Miller has announced. The three were selected in a vote of team members as well as coaching staff.
"I am proud to announce the selection of Ali, Casey and Jill as tri-captains," said Miller. "All three players bring different strengths to our team and all three are very good leaders.
"Ali becomes the first underclassman to be a unanimous selection for captain during my tenure. She has blossomed into a go-to player on the floor and has earned tremendous respect from her teammates.
"Casey has the highest basketball IQ on the team and serves as an extension of the coaching staff on the floor. Jill has the unique ability to keep the team together and loose. We talk constantly about championships starting in the locker room, and this is where Jill shines as a leader for our young team."
Mann averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last year, and led the team in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg) in MAC games. She scored in double digits in 24 games, including 11 of the final 12 contests of the year. An All-MAC Second-Team selection in 2004-05, Mann has been named to this year's Preseason All-MAC Team, earning that honor for the second year in a row.
 Junior Ali Mann (AP photo/Ron Schwane)  |
|
Lause averaged a point and a rebound in 25 games off the bench last winter. The lone player with three years of playing experience in Miller's program, Lause has been a key veteran presence for the Falcons over the last few years. She has played in 69 career games during her tenure with the Brown and Orange.
In those last three years (since Lause began her career and McDowell transferred to BGSU), the Falcons have averaged almost 19 wins per year. Over the last two seasons, since the start of Mann's freshman year, BG has gone 44-18 and twice advanced to the championship game of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, winning the title in 2005.
"My belief is that captains must be able to communicate with the head coach," said Miller. "They need to serve as the go-between among the players and the staff. Ali, Casey and Jill are great choices, and their leadership will be invaluable as we begin the journey of defending our championship."
The Falcons, the 2005 MAC regular-season and tournament champions, officially began practices on Saturday (Oct. 15). BGSU does not have any exhibition games this season, but the Falcons will play a pair of closed scrimmages prior to the season opener on Nov. 18. The 2005-06 schedule begins with a pair of home games -- the aforementioned Nov. 18 date vs. IPFW and a Nov. 21 matchup with fellow 2005 NCAA Tournament participant Saint Francis (Pa.) -- at venerable Anderson Arena.
