As seniors Whitney Cline and Nicole Siffrinn go, so shall the
Lady Owls in 2006-2007.

Cline, a 5-10 forward, and Siffrinn, a 5-7 point guard, are both
four-year starters and letterwinners for Bradford High.

Cline averaged a double-double of 12.5 points and 12.4 rebounds
per game as a junior, and needs just 241 points to reach 1,000 for
her career. She was recently named to the D9Sports.com District 9
Preseason Girls’ All-District team.

“We’re going to look to Whitney for scoring, rebounding, defense
and leadership – really everything,” said Doug Lloyd, Bradford
coach.ð

“She can go inside and out, so that’s an advantage for her.
She’s a defensive leader for us as she’s always on the point on our
press.

“She has great hands and she’s a great rebounder. She should be
able to handle anything we see this year. When the big shot needs
to be taken, she needs to be looking to take it.”

Siffrinn has exceptional ball-handling skills and is dangerous
off the dribble. She plays basketball all year round and has a
great understanding of the game.

“Nikki’s probably the best ball handler in the league and she
has to show it, bringing the ball up against the press and starting
our offense,” Lloyd noted. “She also has to look for her shot more
this year.

“Nikki and Whitney have to be the two leaders on the team,
defensively and offensively. This team will go as far as those two
take us.”

Senior Megan Perschke (5-9 center) and juniors Trisha Copeland
(5-3 guard/forward), Shelly Fuhrman (5-4 guard/forward) and Katie
White (5-4 guard) are the team’s other returning letterwinners.

“Megan has to rebound and play defense for us,” Lloyd pointed
out. “We have some people who can penetrate and dish the ball, so
she’ll need to be ready to score off the pass. She works hard
getting position inside.

“She has to get six to eight rebounds a game and she’ll have to
guard the other team’s center.

“Trish and Katie are where our defensive pressure comes from.
There are no quicker players in the district and they bring a lot
of excitement and intensity to our team.

“We’re looking at Katie as a starter for us this year,” Lloyd
declared. “Her speed and quickness make it very hard for anybody to
bring the ball up against us. Her work ethic is great – she works
as hard as anybody out there.

“Trish is one of the best athletes on the team and she brings a
lot to the game. We need her to apply defensive pressure and pick
up some steals again this year.

“Shelly is a great shooter and when she’s on, she can light it
up in a hurry,” the Lady Owls’ coach emphasized. “She probably
works harder than anybody at the game in the offseason and she
gives you 100 percent on the floor all the time.

“Even though she plays outside, she’ll go inside and battle
anybody. She works hard defensively.”

Also returning to the team are seniors Kayla Murphey (5-5
guard/forward) and Britani VanScoter (5-7 forward).

“Kayla has to step up as a senior,” Lloyd said. “She’s a great
shooter, she hustles and has a great attitude, she works hard.
She’ll have to go inside and rebound and also handle the ball a
little bit. We expect her to come in and pick up the team and she
has to be ready.

“Britani looked good in our first scrimmage, but will be out for
a while due to illness. She brings a lot to the team. She’s quick,
has long arms and has a nice shot. She can guard just about
anybody, guards or posts, and that’s great versatility that we need
to have.”

The ninth varsity player will be Carissa Higley, a 5-8 sophomore
forward/center.

“Carissa played a little varsity last year,” Lloyd recalled.
“She’s an inside player who has great feeling around the basket.
She knows how to play inside and has a pretty good outside shot as
well.”

Rounding out the roster are sophomores Jennie Mongillo (5-4
guard/forward), Crissy Carrow (5-3 guard/forward), Theresa Skillman
(5-11 center), Kylie Hannon (5-9 center) and Courtney Bassani (5-5
forward) and freshmen Michele Keane (5-6 guard/forward), Erica
Siffrinn (5-4 guard) and Brittni Wiseman (5-5 guard).

As a team, the Lady Owls plan to stick with their fast-paced
style of play to capitalize on their tremendous speed and
athleticism.

“Our defense is very quick and very fast, so we expect to score
a lot of points off our defense,” Lloyd reasoned. “Offensively, we
do very well in the transition game. We are very good off the
break.

“Our team is also very experienced,” Lloyd added. “The kids have
played together a lot and they know what to expect from each other
on the floor. They work well together.”

Leadership will be expected from the five seniors (Cline,
Siffrinn, Murphey, VanScoter and Perschke) and three juniors
(White, Fuhrman and Copeland) on the team. Team captaincy will
rotate among these players on a game-to-game basis.

Joining Lloyd on the coaching staff is assistant coach Natalie
Marasco.

Bradford opens the season at 7 p.m. Friday, taking on host
Franklin at the Franklin Elks Tip-Off Tournament. In the other
opening round game, Seneca Valley plays Greensburg Central at 4
p.m. ð

“The team came in to the season ready to work hard and they did
everything we asked of them in the preseason,” Lloyd observed.
“This is a senior-heavy team and everything should fall into
place.

“The five seniors coming back have played in the program for
four years and they know what’s expected. They know what they have
to do, it’s time to put up or shut up. There can be no next year
for them.”