Mike Llanas had a good feeling about his 2020 recruiting class. Unexpectedly faced with a depleted roster for the season opener Thursday, the Wheeling University coach got to witness firsthand if those good feelings translated to good play on the court.
The Cardinals dressed only seven players. Freshmen Shanley Woods and Macyn Siegenthaler both started, while fellow newbie Ciadorah Angervil came off the bench. The final member of the class, Haley Cox, was injured but sat courtside dressed in civies.
Combined, the three saw 70 minutes of court time with Woods playing all but five (35) minutes. The Cardinals won 76-63 with junior Lily Ritz leading the way with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Numbers like that are almost a given out of the All-American.
But what Llanas likely didn’t plan for was Woods supplying 17 points in her debut, along with 11 from Seigenthaler.
“We had another freshman hurt, or she was going to play too,” Llanas said. “They are going to play, and I feel fantastic (about it).
“We had a 10-point lead early, and Lily only had two points. When your freshmen are feeling it, and, during one of the most obscure times in our lifetime, it’s a really good thing.
“We’re starting to get the pieces we need, and it’s nice to see them (excel) early).”
She Can Do More
Of the three rookies, Woods’ star shone brightest Thursday night. Ironically enough, it wasn’t her perimeter shooting that did the job.
Wheeling has lacked a legit perimeter threat the last few seasons, and Llanas knew bringing in one of the state’s premier 3-point shooters would be a boon.
The thing is, she’s not just a shooter. Woods struggled from behind the arc, going 1 of 8 and not hitting her first till the second half. But what she did do is work the screens and a solid crossover to attack the basket. Points came both from driving layups and at the free-throw line after getting fouled.
She finished 6 of 8 at the free-throw line.
Points at the line were huge early. Wheeling jumped out to an 11-4 lead early, thanks in large part to an early 7-point outburst from Siegenthaler. But from there, the shooting got cold. Three-pointers were missed, as were shots from 5-feet and in. The only thing hit with much consistency was at the line.
“We did a good job getting to the line and, 18 out of 26 (total), that’s fantastic,” admitted Llanas, whose team shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half, but nearly 70 percent at the line for the entire game.
Alderson Broaddus defenders quickly realized Woods’ drives required extra attention. The help-side defense coming over allowed the freshman to dump off the ball. She secured three assists, all in the first half.
Macyn Siegenthaler looks to drive toward the basket against A-B. 
Fellow freshman Ciadorah Angervil provided a nice lift off the bench with two points, three rebounds, and a bevy of beautifully set screens.
Another Option(s)
It wasn’t just the freshmen who impressed offensively. Senior point-guard Tori Harrison and sophomore Emily Holzopfel both worked dribble penetration. Harrison also notched 11 points while Holzopfel added seven.
Ritz obviously got her points, but the offense didn’t run through her every single play. It didn’t have to. Wheeling’s guards had the green light to make something happen, and they took advantage.
It helped build the lead, and it helped build confidence—confidence those players will need as the schedule toughens and teams focus their attention on Ritz and dare others to beat them.
“My first year here it was Chenelle, Chenelle, Chenelle,” said Llanas, referencing the scoring ability of Chenelle Moore. “Then last year, it was kind of Lily, Lily, Lily.
“The length of time we went without playing gave us some time to really develop (other options). Now we have people confident in shooting the basketball, and we missed that. We need that.”
Angervil had only two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes of work. But she’s a strong body in the post that must be respected. She also set screens above the free-throw line that led directly to buckets off dribble penetration.
Siegenthaler displayed both range and an ability to get to the basket. She too added three rebounds and showed an ability to bang inside against larger players and to fight for loose balls. Those numbers will surely increase.
What’s more, you have to look at what the freshman didn’t do—make major mistakes. Wheeling as a team committed only 12 turnovers for the game to the Battlers 24. Of that total, only three were directly attributable to the freshman.
Safe to say Ritz was impressed by her new teammates.
“We’ve been able to gain more knowledge and get to know each other more with having an abnormal preseason,” Ritz said. “Everyone stepped up and played their role and the freshmen stepped up and made some key buckets to keep us in the game.”
