The Heidelberg University women's basketball team enters the 2022-23 season with a roster of 21 athletes. The youthful Student Princes are led by Rachel Ferri, now in her third year as head coach of the program. Of the returning players, eight of them had saw at least one start and averaged more than 10 minutes per game last winter. 

FROM THE HEAD COACH:
"I am extremely excited to see the program progress this season. We have a lot of athleticism in the gym and have taken our aggressive style of play to the next level," said Ferri. "With the leadership of our two seniors, the experience that our now sophomore class gained and the addition of scrappy and competitive freshmen – I think we have a chance of surprising some teams this year."

LAST SEASON:
Last season, with 11 freshmen and five juniors, the inexperienced squad managed to improve off of the shortened 2020-21 season. Though young, the squad came ready to compete bringing athleticism and an up-tempo aggressive brand of basketball. This drove their 240 steals, which was the second most in the OAC – and a program high since the 2004-05 season (286). 

With only two players having seen varsity minutes before, it made executing against other OAC teams more challenging. However, nine of the losses last season were within ten points. With the younger players' growing confidence, they hope to capitalize on their experiences from last season. Ferri is looking to see improvement in both offensive efficiency and overall consistency.

In the postseason, the student-athletes turned heads finishing with a 3.56 team GPA – with eight players receiving a 4.0. In return, this placed them on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 – the team's first recognition since the 2007-08 squad finished with a 3.57 GPA.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN:
Key returners for the Student Princes are a pair of seniors Bailey Walter and Alyssa Martin. They are accompanied by a slew of sophomores -- Hallie Rogers, Morgan Altenburger, Ashley Ballard, Marrissa Thomas, Taylor Ratliff, Elisha Carter and Emma Keto, who is on the court for the first time after injury. 

A new challenge will be restructuring the offense around the absence of the junior Lily Sweeney. Last winter the transfer averaged over 26 minutes, shooting 35 percent from the field and led the team with 10.6 points per game – garnering her all-conference honors. 

After graduating a year early, Walter has returned to finish out her four years as a graduate student. The forward had 24 starts last season contributing aggressive play under the basket. Leading the team in rebounds with 166, the team captain was second in the OAC for offensive rebounds. Shooting 42 percent from the field, she also sank 72 free throws. 

Martin, a 6-3 center, was tasked with stepping up last fall as one of only two above the 6-foot mark. Improving immensely, she led the team with 21 blocks – good for 10th in the OAC. She also averaged 14.2 minutes a game while tallying 84 points and 41 rebounds. 

Rogers, an Indiana native and a team captain this season, was a bothersome freshman to opponents. Finishing second in the OAC with 55 steals, she played a team-high 25.6 minutes per game. She got to the line frequently, sinking 40 free throws, and snagged 73 rebounds. Generously, Rogers also dished out 27 assists. 

Last fall Altenburger was a threat not only under the basket but also from the field. Playing in 21 games, she tallied 93 points while averaging 4.2 rebounds. She dished out 18 assists and swiped 21 steals. 

As a 5'10 forward, Ballard earned herself 24 starts. Instrumental on the glass, she contributed a second team-high 109 rebounds as well as a third team-high 24 assists. Pairing well with teammate Martin, she added 14 blocks of her own. 

Thomas is a quick guard with fancy moves. The Perrysburg native garnered 11 starts as she drove to the basket. Leading the team in free throw percentage, she was 62-74 (.838) and tallied 182 points. She also led the team in assists with 40 – a program best since the 2019-20 season. Quick on the defense, she helped the record steals adding 21 of her own. 

Battling injuries last season, Ratliff managed 10 starts and averaged 21.4 minutes a game. The point guard from New Washington, Ohio had a second-team high of 27 steals while adding 17 assists and 65 rebounds. From the line, she figured 73 percent. This year she will be stepping into a captain role. 

Small but shifty, the 5-4 Carter played an important role last season as a utility player. This year she hopes to build off of her three starts. The Calvary Christian valedictorian put up 59 points and 21 assists. On the defense, she added 11 steals and 43 rebounds. 

One of the three team valedictorians, Keto was unable to play last year due to an injury. In high school, the guard earned all-conference a total of five times across basketball and soccer. The Southeast guard from Ravenna hopes to make a splash this season. 

The team will welcome 12 new freshmen who bring along a hefty trophy case from high school. The two centers, two forwards and eight guards racked up nearly ten first-team awards and accolades ranging from conference champions and state runner-ups to the 1000 point-club.

Ferri is accompanied again this year by Brady Grogan in his second season. They hired graduate assistant Johne Stewart to help them out. The Memphis, Tennessee native is no stranger to the game. She played three seasons at Jacksonville University and one at Southeast Missouri State as she tallied nine starts, 124 points, 31 steals and 65 assists. 

THE SCHEDULE: 
The Student Princes' season tips off on November 8 as they travel to Denison University. They will then compete at Mount St. Joseph in a tournament with Westminster (Mo.) and Case Western Reserve. The Tricolor will host their home opener against Wittenberg on November 16. The conference run will begin at Baldwin Wallace on November 30. In all, Heidelberg will host 12 games in Seiberling Gymnasium this season.  

FAN INFORMATION:
This season, fans will no longer be required to wear a mask but still need a ticket to attend games in Seiberling Gymnasium. Cash will no longer be accepted at the door, but can be purchased ahead of time through Hometown Ticketing on bergathletics.com/tickets. All OAC students will get in for free.