The women’s basketball team will have some familiar faces coming back to their starting lineup for the 2016-17 season as The Rock looks to out-perform their 13-15 record from last year.
Those returning are senior guard Lexi Carpenter, junior guard/ forward Mallory Heinle, sophomore forward Morgan Henderson and junior guard Krista Pietropola, who will be the first player off the bench.
The new additions to The Rock starting lineup are freshman guard Brooke Hinderliter and junior forward C.C. Dixon.
Carpenter ranked second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) last year in points, averaging 17.5 points per game. The Woodbridge, Va. native averaged 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last year, while also ranking fourth in the PSAC last year for free throws. The Rock’s top scorer last year started 24 of 27 games and attended Forrest Park HS.
Heinle, who switches from guard to forward, is from Natrona Heights, Pa. and attended St. Joseph high school. The junior started 10 of 27 games last season and averaged six points per game, while averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Heinle’s shooting is her strong suit with a 77.1 percent from the free throw line, and a 43 shooting percentage overall.
The sophomore Henderson is from Pittsburgh, Pa. and went to Seton La Salle high school. She started six out of 27 games last season and as a rookie she averaged 3.7 points per game, with an average of 3.3 rebounds. Henderson ranked second on the team in blocks last year and shot 71 percent from the foul line.
Pietropola, The Rock’s top reserve off the bench, is also a Pittsburgh native and went to Plum high school. The guard played in 28 of 28 games last season, with an average of 3.6 points per game and 3.2 on rebounds. Pietropola also played Division I ball at Youngstown State University her freshman year and started 22 games.
New to The Rock is freshman guard Hinderliter, who is from Semonole, Pa. and played high school ball at Redbank Valley. Hinderliter lettered four times in both basketball and track, and finished her prep career with 1,997 points. Her last year in high school she averaged 22 points per game with 8.3 in rebounds and 2.1 in assists.
Dixon, who is also new to the Green and White, attended Steel Valley high school and is from Munhill, Pa. The junior forward played her first two years at California University o(Pa.) and averaged 2.4 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per game.
