End of the Season

It has been 3 weeks since the season has ended so I have had some time to reflect on this year's team and season. First, I want to congratulate our 3 seniors, Emily Culbertson, Tricia Fuller, and Alisha Rinehart. From a win - loss standpoint this season did not go the way they wanted but, they have been a big part in our program's turnaround and success over the past 3 years. Alisha broke the all time scoring record that has stood for 25 years, quite an accomplishment. She is also the all time leader for free throw %, free throws made and free throws attempted. Emily broke the all time records for career assists, steals and started every game of her career. All three have been an integral part of our program the past 4 years and we will certainly miss them!



As I think about this past season believe it or not I usually smile. It may seem crazy because we did not have the kind of season, from a record standpoint, we would have hoped for. I smile because I really enjoyed the players on the team. The newcomers really blended well with our returning players, attitudes were great for the most part and everyone tried to do what was asked of them. Don't get me wrong, things were difficult at times. We had 2 devastating injuries to Britt Bogart and Heather Armbruster. Two players who returned with some experience. We lost a lot of close games that could have gone our way and that was frustrating. The non-conference part of our schedule was really spent getting to know one another. We had a lot of close games that I really believe we would win if we played them later in the season. Our conference was extremely tough as usual. We started very strong winning our first 3 OAC games which included national power Baldwin Wallace. The girls really came together in this game and played good for 40 minutes. I think we opened a few eyes winning this game. In the middle of the conference season, just after Christmas we were lucky enough to participate in the Land of Magic Classic in Florida. This was an absolutely great tournament. We started out staying and playing in Daytona Beach. Our hotel was right on the beach and was beautiful. The temperature was 80 degrees everyday. Needless to say I wondered if I would be able to get the girls to think about playing basketball. To their credit we came out on day 1 of the tournament and beat a good Albion team out of the MIAA. It was a hard fought contest and I thought our team really matched their physical play and did a nice job of playing within our system. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky on day 2. Our shooting % vs. Clark (out of Mass.) was absolutely dismal. We were actually down 23 at half. I have to give our team credit however because we came all the way back to get the game within 2 in the second half with a chance to tie. Unfortunately we did not win but it took a lot of guts to come back the way we did.

The second part of the conference season was difficult. I thought the grind of the season was starting to wear on our freshmen. Again, we were in every game but could not seem to put 40 minutes together. I'm proud to say we were able to beat the top four teams in the OAC at least once. We had heartbreaking losses to Wilmington. The first time we played them we lost in overtime by 1 point and the second time we played them we lost in double overtime by 2.

Overall, I think the season was a great learning experience for our players and our coaching staff. Hopefully, we can take the experiences our young players received and turn our win loss record around next season. With hard work, new additions, and players who are healthy the future looks very bright! I'm excited to see how much we can improve.

Why choose ONU?

As you finalize your academic and athletic plans for the future, we want to help you answer the question, “Why ONU?” We get that question a lot when potential athletes look at Ohio Northern University and our women’s basketball program in comparison to other schools. If you find yourself asking that same question, please read why our current players made the decision to come to Ohio Northern.

Ohio Northern University is an environment where we are proud of our university and proud to be a part of the academic and athletic tradition that has started long before you or I have been around. Hopefully this gives you a little more insight in answering the question, “Why ONU?” I hope it pushes you to give me a call and say, “Coach, I’ll see you in September; I WANT TO BE A POLAR BEAR!” - Coach Durand


#32 Sophomore Heather Armbruster, Akron, OH - Pharmacy (WBB Captain)
“I decided to attend Ohio Northern University because I could not pass up everything it had to offer. Here at ONU I am able to pursue my career of choice, pharmacy, at an excellent institution as well as be a member of a basketball team that competes in one of, if not the toughest, conferences in Division III. In addition to the opportunities, its close, faculty-student relationships, friendly environment, and beautiful campus fulfilled everything I was looking for in a college or university.”




#21 Freshman Kara Dysert, Ada, OH - Exercise Physiology; 2009 OAC Freshman of the Year


“I chose Ohio Northern University for its outstanding reputation involving academics, its small class sizes and for the opportunity to compete in one of the toughest conferences in the nation...the OAC!”

#30 Junior Brittany Bogart, Toledo, OH - Nursing (WBB Captain; left)

" I came to Ohio Northern because I loved the small campus atmosphere and it just feels like home here at Northern. ONU offers great academics along with strong athletic programs. Ohio Northern was the perfect fit for me!

#24 Sophomore Brittany Schroeder, Leipsic, OH - Middle Childhood Education
“I chose ONU because it is a small University which is what I am used to. The professors know you by name and the classes are small. It is also close to home so my family can come and watch me play.”

#12 Freshman Lauren Cassell Dayton, OH - Mathematics Education
“ONU is the perfect school for me because it is academically recognized, allows me to maintain a personal relationship with my professors, and has a highly competitive women’s basketball team. While the campus may appear sheltered and boring there is always something to do on top of the multitude of organizations you can be apart of. I chose ONU because I wanted a personalized education and to feel as though I was important (something that is hard to get at a bigger school). As far as basketball is concerned I immediately felt as though I would be joining a second family. I was meant to be a Polar Bear.”

#54 Freshman Stephanie Hicks, Wadsworth, OH - Chemistry
“I chose ONU for many reasons. The beautiful campus, excellent academic and athletic reputation, and the surrounding community of Ada were all big factors in making my decision. What really won me over though was the idea of a more personal class setting. All of these things and more made me feel that Northern was a perfect fit.”

#25 Freshman Jessica Armintrout, Shelby, OH - Exercise Physiology
“I loved the campus because everyone is so friendly and welcoming. The team made me feel like this was a second home.”

#40 Freshman Sara Scheerer, Norwalk, OH - Pharmacy
“I chose ONU because of the premier Pharmacy program, small campus atmosphere, and the immediate sense of feeling at home as soon as I visited."

#14 Freshman Megan Porter, Dayton, OH - Middle Childhood Education
“I chose Ohio Northern based on the distance from home, academics, and athletics. I felt the distance from Dayton to Ada was the perfect distance to keep me away from home, but easy enough to go back if necessary. The academics at ONU are highly respected, and the small class setting allows me to get individual help if I am struggling in a certain course. The ONU women's basketball team is a family in its own. The girls are accepting and truly a wonderful bunch of girls. It feels like home at Ohio Northern.”

#33 Freshman Ericka Holcomb, Bloomington, IN - Marketing / Psychology
“I wanted a team that was close on and off the field, and that’s what ONU had. The atmosphere at ONU is great; people are friendly, dedicated, interested, and committed to academics.”

ONU Senior Day

We lost a hard, tough game v. Mt. Union on our Senior Day Saturday. This was a tough game in many ways; certainly because it was not the outcome we wanted, but also because this was the last home game for our 3 seniors (Tripod) Emily Culbertson, Alisha Rinehart and Tricia Fuller.

These 3 have done good things for our program. Although this season is not what we envisioned from a record standpoint, these 3 have been a vital cog for all 4 years, none more important than this one in providing structure and leadership for our young team. In spite of the reality of their time here being almost over, we like to take our senior day as an opportunity to celebrate our student-athletes like our tripod that make it for four years - that is a tough task, and after our game, we make our celebration about them, and rightfully so. Above, our captains Brittany Bogart and Heather Armbruster begin the highlights by introducing the infamous mock awards.....

Above left, our Tripod address the crowd with awards in hand. To recap the infamous mock awards, above and to the right, Emily gets the "roadrunner award" because she is lightening fast; Tricia (below), well, has always been called "man hands" and so her award was rightfully named (say yes to Seinfeld episodes). And of course, Alisha ( I don't have a shot of this one), could probably have several awards, but Kara Dysert gave her the "biggest flopper" award...self explanatory.

So, in spite of the tough loss, I think it's important to still have a little perspective about what this is all about. As our seniors addressed the crowd yesterday, what helped me gain perspective was when Alisha mentioned that this was her favorite year of all 4 years because this team is as close a team as we have ever had. In spite of the obstacles, they have all grown, individually, and most importantly, as a team.....

With Alisha, she set the single season scoring record on Saturday surpassing a record that stood here at ONU since 1984. Not to mention, Alisha never started a game until her senior year, always playing behind All-OAC guard Jenny Markle. She embraced this role, and for 3 years served as our spark-plug off the bench. What I have been most impressed with Lish this year, is the fact that she has worked on her outside shooting. Every night before a game her and Kara Dysert stay after practice and shoot (there's a lot of smack talking) but this extra shooting has made Alisha more versatile and I believe 1 of the toughest #2 guards in the league. This is the type of growth that I am proud of....she has tried to make her self more than 1 dimensional in order to help this team....

Tricia has served as a role player for her time here. She has never received the notoriety that Lish and Em have received, and that is tough because she will do things that don't show up on a stat sheet. But as coaches we always need these players on our rosters - the ones who are willing to hustle, get a loose ball, get a key rebound or maybe step into a role on a scout team. Tricia has done this, and handled herself accordingly this year and I believe recognizes more this year what team really means....sometimes, it's difficult to be the one that doesn't always get recognized, but we all have choices in how we choose to handle our situations, and I give Tricia credit for growing personally and recognizing how her team needs her and also needs her to embrace her role.

Lastly, of the tripod, is Emily Culbertson. Em's had a tough year on a lot of levels, but none tougher than the last 8 days. Nonetheless, in spite of her personal tragedy, Em has demonstrated heart and character and flat out, been an inspiration. She has done things in the last 2 games that made me step back and say, wow, "Em is back, and watch out!" She set the all-time ONU assist record on Saturday along with tying the all-time steals record. She is the best on the ball defender in the OAC and is getting her confidence back at the right time going into tournament. Emily has grown more personally in this last week when faced with adversity than I think she even realizes; I am very proud of her.

As we go into the tourney as a clear underdog, both Coach Durand and I beleive we are the scariest #8 seed in the tourney....we have beaten the top 3 teams in the league, gone nose-to-nose with everyone else, and over the last 2 games really feel like we have been finally playing the type of ball we are capable of playing...just at the right time. Capital is such a formidable opponent - even more so at their place - but we have been saying this phrase all year: THINGS COME FULL CIRCLE.....In spite of the adversity, the heartbreaking losses, we beleive that we can do good things in this tourney come Tuesday....and on Tuesday, with the start of a new season, we believe now more than ever, it's a great time to be the Polar Bears.....All the best, Coach Terrell

Conference Season Update

The first half of the conference season has ended as of last night. The Polar Bears posted a 5 and 4 record for the first half. I believe, for a young basketball team in an extremely difficult conference, this is quite an accomplishment. While I was disappointed last night with a loss to a very good Muskingum team on the road, I think our team has made great progress since the beginning of the season. We have improved our defense and rebounding significantly and I believe our team has embraced the idea of what "team" really means. We have stuck together and been tough in each of our conference games. The OAC is as strong as ever with many teams still having a chance to be the regular season champion. For us to be successful in the second round we must continue to stick together, rebound the ball and play stingy defense. On the offensive side of the ball we have to take better care of the ball and do a better job of executing our offense. I am confident this group will continue to work hard and improve. I believe if we follow our "Do Work" motto we can finish in the upper half of the OAC and have at least one home game for the conference tournament. When tournament time comes around anything can happen. :) Go Bears!

Coach Durand

Florida Trip

We are capable of wearing more than sweats! Here the team is getting ready for a team dinner night in Daytona (left) and New Year's celebration in Orlando (below)

The view from the Daytona Beach Hilton was hard to beat...we had beach side to enjoy the sunrise and sunset from our balconies....Megan Porter, Ericka Holcomb and Britt Bogart take in the view!

All good things come to an end as you see a group here in the airport....we went 1-1 on the tourney....we wanted the 2-0, but hopefully we can learn and continue to get stronger and better as we get ready for the OAC match-ups that await us when we get back....this trip is definitely something we will consider again as the warm weather in December and the great memories were pretty special! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lima South Middle School Community Service Project

Over break we conducted a basketball practice for the middle school team at Lima South Middle school. This is the 2nd year we have done this project to help reach out and provide service to our local community. Our women's basketball team was responsible for creating the practice plan, dividing up responsibilities, and teaching these young ladies some important fundamentals for the game...not to mention, fielding questions from these girls after our practice about basketball - the commitment, the frustrations, and lessons that can be learned from playing the game.....not only was I impressed with our team's answers to their questions, but also with their genuine concern in trying to offer help and advice for these ladies that need positive female role models....It was truly a "win-win" situation for everyone and an experience I hope we continue! ~ Coach Terrell

"Tis the Season for Giving....

Every year we adopt a family from Ada for Christmas... Our girls split into teams, pool their resources, and take a night to go shopping for their family member. This is a great opportunity to step back and think about our blessings as well as take time to think of someone else in need....Last year, our senior, Erin Brand was wearing a women's basketball sweatshirt while working at the local drive through in town....the customer in the car saw her sweatshirt and disclosed that it was his family that we had helped. He literally had tears in his eyes when he described how much it meant that we had adopted his family for the Holidays....that moment really resonated with Erin and I know when she shared that with her team last year, and this year's team, it really hit home about what we can each do for others to make their day just a little bit brighter....

This Sunday, we made our team dinner night a chance to wrap and organize the gifts before we send them out this week, which you can see the gift wrapping going on in some of the shots....not everyone has gift wrapping skills, though! We also had Coach Durand's chicken and biscuits and other fine foods (Lauren Cassell makes a mean brocoli salad and Lish Rinehart added her cheesy potatoes to the table, but I think the award may go to Kara Dysert's mom Bridgette with her dessert....I am not sure the name of it, but it was hit!). After the dinner and wrapping gifts we were also lucky enough to have a guest speaker come in and talk to several of our ONU athletic teams about the mental side of sport....he did a great job of motivating our girls to stay positive and really believe that you can achieve anything....a very fitting message for us and the goals we have for this year! GO BEARS! ~ Coach Terrell