[Women's Basketball] KWU to honor 2008-09 KCAC Women's Basketball team on Saturday vs Friends

Ryan Showman remembers the "spirited conversation" that occurred in late October, 2008.

 

The Kansas Wesleyan women's basketball had returned to Salina after a road trip to Nebraska that resulted in losses to Doane (81-71) and Hastings (82-58), leaving the Coyotes with a 2-3 record.

 

"It was me, coach (Gordon) Reimer, Emily Luckeroth and Kaylaen Dittmer," Showman said. "We had a very spirited conversation about the direction we were headed.

 

"We left all on the same page and that's when you saw that run happen."

 

"That run" was 25 victories in their next 28 games and included tying Sterling for the Kansas Conference regular season title, winning the KCAC postseason tournament and a 61-52 victory over Aquinas (Mich.) in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa.

 

A 59-56 second-round loss to Black Hills State (S.D.) left KWU with a program-best 27-6 record and final No. 9 ranking. The Coyotes shared the conference title with Sterling at 16-2 and defeated the Warriors 70-61 in the tournament championship in Sterling.

 

They also defeated Fort Hays State 74-68 and toppled rival Bethany three times.

 

The 2008-09 team will be recognized during a 10-year reunion Saturday at Mabee Arena. Nine players, Reimer and student assistant coach Alexa Rogers are scheduled to be in attendance for Wesleyan's game against Friends that starts at 5 p.m.

 

Showman was in his second season as Reimer's assistant coach that season and replaced him at the helm three years later. Showman, now in his seventh season, organized the reunion and has plenty of fond memories.

 

"You have to start with the leadership of the senior class," he said. "They were bought in and they were focused on doing something and achieving something that's hadn't been done since 1988. They wanted to win a (KCAC) championship."

 

Dittmer and Luckeroth, both seniors, started along with classmates Khristy Santee and Jennie Vopat, and sophomore point guard LaCole Wilkinson. All five are slated to return.

 

Luckeroth led the team in scoring at 16.2 points per game, followed by Dittmer (15.0) and Wilkinson (12.7). Dittmer also averaged 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals, and Wilkinson 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals. Vopat was the team's top rebounder at 9.6 while Santee averaged 7.4.

 

"They made coaching so much fun," Showman said of the Luckeroth, Dittmer and Wilkinson. "Not that they were good, because they were, but it's because they demanded every single person on that team walk into practice and be as good as they were and to work as hard as they were going to work.

 

"That was the great separator for us in that we had great practices because those individuals demanded that you be on their level."

 

Asked what he learned that season that he too with him as a head coach, Showman laughed.

 

"I learned if you have really good players you're going to be a really great coach," he said. "It was my second year as an assistant coach and I was still trying to figure out women's basketball, the college game, recruiting, coach Reimer … and we had this great team that made that transition for me so easy."

 

Showman said he and Reimer were able focus on Xs and Os, game plans and adjustments.

 

"They did the rest," he said. "We didn't have to police them, we didn't have to hold them to our team policies and expectations because they made those and they held each other accountable.

 

"I got to see at an early age coaching-wise that when you have strong leadership you can have success at a high level."

 

Showman remembers one game in particular, a home game against Sterling in Mabee Arena's inaugural season.

 

"It was almost sold out," he said. "They were ranked ninth and we were 11. We were a game down from them, we beat them (89-78) and were tied for No. 1. That next (NAIA) poll were in the top 10 for the first time in school history.

 

"That game let us know we can go win this thing and we did and were co-champs with Sterling."

 

Other former players expected to return are Megan Cavenee, Brandi Jensen, Brittany Stalnaker and Shelby (Babcock) Davis. The team will be recognized between the men's and women's games.

 

"It was such a magical season," Showman said. "It was a wonderful group of young women that forever transformed this program and really put us on the map and allowed me 10 years later to have a blueprint to compete for a conference title."