OBU Teams Open Friday

Article Date

November 3, 2005

Basketball season begins Friday night for Oklahoma Baptist University when Sterling College visits from Kansas in a doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m.

The women tip off the season with four new starters, including two newcomers to the program. Tabetha Eaton, the lone returning starter, will be joined by returners Lena Brenning and Keely Tolin and newcomers Dilenny Castillo and Tamara Whitley.

Eaton, a 5-9 senior guard, is the leader among returners in scoring (10.3 ppg), rebounds (4.1 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg).

Brenning, a 6-3 junior, averaged 3.2 point and 3.1 rebounds and Tolin, a 5-8 sophomore, averaged 1.5 points and 1.7 rebounds. Castillo is a 5-10 junior guard and Whitley is a 5-6 junior guard.

The Lady Bison, ranked 25th in the NAIA Division I women's poll, were 24-8 last season.

Sterling was 28-6 last season and return leading scorer Taylor White, a 5-9 junior who averaged 15.8 points last season. Also back is 5-7 junior guard K.C. Bassett, who led the team in assists with 4.2 per game.

Sterling is ranked 11th in the NAIA Division II women's poll.

The teams last met in the 2003-04 season, with OBU eking out a 74-73 win on a neutral court in Arizona.

The Bison come off a 25-11 season and will have some new faces in the starting lineup as well. The starting five is not yet set and may change a few times as one or two players recover from minor injuries.

OBU, ranked 22nd in the NAIA, will likely go 10-players deep in most games, if needed.

Frank Benson, a 6-5 senior forward, is the leading returning scorer and rebounder, averaging 14.9 points 4.5 rebounds last season.

Sterling was 18-12 last season and the Warriors return two starters. Mandrae Collins, a 6-5 senior, averaged 10 points and Kyle Mendenhall, a 6-4 senior, averaged 9.8 points in a season shortened by an ACL injury.