The Muhlenberg women’s basketball team has been forced to adjust to life without one of the greatest classes in program history.
The 2014-2015 season commenced an unprecedented four year run in which the women won three straight Centennial Conference titles, a feat that had never been accomplished by any team in the Centennial’s history. In 2016-17, after securing their historic third title in a row, they finished the year ranked 14th in all of Division III.
The class of 2018 included four dominant basketball players who have accumulated piles of individual and team records, accolades and most importantly wins.
They won at least 20 games in each of their four years, amassing an incredible 88-23 record wins in total. This team is regarded as not just the greatest basketball team in Muhlenberg College’s history, but one of the best athletic programs in the college’s history.
Three guards Christina Manning ‘18, Rachel Plotke ‘18, Brandi Vallely ‘18, and Christina Gary ‘18 made up the feared foursomes who rarely got beaten by foes in the Centennial Conference.
Manning was known on the court as an underrated cornerstone who took advantage of teams that didn’t prepare a game plan to defend her. In her senior campaign she made the Centennial Conference’s second team.
Gary was a force in the paint. Her six-foot-one-inch frame made driving to the basket a nightmare for opponents. She holds the Muhlenberg record for blocked shots in a game, and is third all-time in career rejections. Gary also appears on the all-time list for points scored in a career.
Two-time first team All-Conference player Plotke was the team’s knock-down shooter. She ended her career in Allentown with the second most three-pointers in a career, and was the NCAA Division III statistical champion in three-point percentage in 2016 shooting at a .486 clip.
Vallely rounded out the celebrated class, running the point in her four seasons. In her Muhlenberg tenure she too was a NCAA statistical champion in 2016 with 9.4 assists per game. She ranks first in assists in a career, as well as seventh in points in a career. She achieved all Mid-Atlantic regional honors twice and was named to the DIII All-American honorable mention team in 2016.
The women have begun the season undefeated, showing that they can potentially maintain the level of success they have had in the last four years. Sara Dilly ‘19, played for three years on the team with the class of 2018 and became a starter in her sophomore year. After the team’s victory over Washington College on Thursday, Dilly expressed that she believes they are as good as any team in previous years, but play with a different style.
“This team is really athletic, so it enables us to run this really high-intensity press. We come back and we just try to trap nonstop, so we’re really forcing a lot of turnovers,” said Dilly.
That was proven in their 61-37 win over Washington College, as the Mules forced 24 turnovers and held their opponents to a mere 20 percent from the field. The full court press was suffocating on Thursday night, as Washington College struggled to get the ball past half court each time they inbounded the ball. The stellar defensive performance lowered their opponents scoring average to 39.7 per game which ranks third in all of Division III.
“This team is really athletic, so it enables us to run this really high intensity press. We come back and we just try to trap nonstop, so we’re really forcing a lot of turnovers.” – Sara Dilly ’19
One of the common beliefs is while this year’s team is not as offensively potent as in the past, the addition of seven freshman has cultivated the ability to run much more athletic scheme.
Carley Hamilton ‘19, who played two years with the class of 2018, led all scorers for the Mules with 16 points in just 18 minutes on Thursday.
“We have a really young team, kind of inexperienced when it comes to playing in college games, but really everyone is proving we can play at a high level and that we’re a solid team,” said Hamilton. Head Coach Ron Rohn echoed a similar tone when contrasting this team to the class of 2018 teams.
“There is no comparison. It is a totally different group, a totally different way they play,” said Rohn. “This team might not be quite as smooth and as skilled and as used to playing together, but they’re much more athletic. There is much more energy, there is much more depth off the bench.”
One way Rohn maintains his high energy defensive scheme is by making platoon style line changes every few minutes of the game. In the team’s contest against Washington, all swaps, except for an injury sub and free throw shooters having to stay on the court by rule, resulted in all five players on the court being switched for fresh legs on the bench.
“When people watch this team, it looks different, but it is still effective.” – Ron Rohn
Rohn is in his 18th season as head coach of the Women’s Basketball team and is currently the winningest coach in school history with an outstanding 354-115 record. His teams have made the Centennial Conference playoffs in every year but one, and have advanced to the NCAA tournament nine times.
“What we have lost in offense, we have gained in defense and rebounding, so I think the team is just as good as we have been for awhile,” Coach Rohn said.
If this year’s team is feeling the pressure of living up to the success of the class of 2018 they certainly are not showing it. They are 6-0 thus far and are crushing their opponents, winning by an average of 29 points. Defensive prowess has defined this squad early in the season and it could take them a long way. Their full court press has resulted in a +11.2 turnover margin. “When people watch this team, it looks different, but it is still effective,” said Rohn.
