The Anderson University women’s basketball team will open the 2009-10 season with a road date at St. Mary’s College on Tuesday night in South Bend at 7 p.m.

The Ravens return two starters and eight lettermen from last year’s 15-11 team that finished in second place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 12-4 mark.

Senior Tiffany Bowsher is the leading returnee, averaging 9.4 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game last season. The forward has been All-Conference the last two years and was on the All-Freshman team her first season. Junior Lauren Leisure is the other returning starter, averaging 7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 2008-09.

Other returning lettermen include seniors Laura Baden (3.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Shawna Wuethrich, junior Ellen Thompson (5.1 ppg, 3 rpg) and sophomores Hannah Wickard, Kate Barwick, Danielle Eng and Brittany Stafford.

Newcomers to the team this season are Courtney Prater (Lapel), Amanda Didier (Fort Wayne), Brooke Edwards (Rushville), Stephanie Geeting (Winchester), Melissa Stachovic (Tucson, Ariz.) and Amy and Ashley Wuestefeld (Batesville).

After the opener, The Ravens host their own Tip-Off Tournament on Friday and Saturday at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium. They open HCAC play at Defiance (Dec. 2) and play thre conference and three non-conference games before traveling to Orange, Calif., over the Christmas break for a pair of games (Dec. 29-30). They finish the regular season with a home date against Hanover (Feb. 20) with the HCAC post-season tournament starting the following week.

The Anderson University women’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference pre-season coaches poll on Tuesday.

Hanover edged defending champion Transylvania and Franklin by one point (72-71), with the Panthers receiving three first-place votes, the Pioneers four and the Grizzlies two.

Bluffton was selected fourth (52 points) followed by Manchester (37), Anderson (35), Defiance (30), Rose-Hulman (21) and Mt. St. Joseph (16).

AU finished 15-12 overall and 12-4 in the HCAC last season. They open the season at St. Mary’s on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

Anderson University seniors Kayla Martin, Mandy Seward and Mel Hawthorne were named to the All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Team on Thursday.

Hawthorne led the Ravens in scoring at 17.1 points per game and blocks (51) and was second in rebounding (7.3 rpg). She was the first player in school history to record 400 points, 150 rebounds, 50 assists, 50 blocks and 50 steals in the same season. She also reached the career 1,000-point  scoring mark during the season.

Martin was second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and also reached the 1,000-point mark for her career this season.

Seward set the single season record for assists with 165 and had the second most steals in a season with 93. She is the only Raven to accumulate 600 points, 300 rebounds, 400 assists and 250 steals in a career.

Junior Tiffany Bowsher was named to the Honorable Mention team. She averaged 9.4 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds this season.

AU finished the season 15-12 overall and 12-4 in the HCAC.

Anderson University’s Mel Hawthorne has been named February’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Player of the Month.

The senior basketball forward led the Ravens to a second place finish in the women’s basketball standings and a spot in the HCAC semifinals.

Hawthorne led Anderson in scoring and rebounding five times during the month and posted three double-doubles in seven games.

In February, Hawthorne averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, three assists, 2.2 blocks, and 2.8 steals per game for the Ravens. She earned the conference’s Player of the Week award for the week ending February 15 after
averaging 22.5 points, eight rebounds, 4.5 steals, and three assists in wins over Bluffton and Kalamazoo.

The Indianapolis native reached the 1,000 point mark for her career in AU’s win over Kalamazoo, scoring 25 points in the victory. In her last game as a Raven, she netted 26 points in a semifinal loss to Hanover, earning a spot on
the HCAC All-Tournament Team.

Mel is the fifth Anderson female athlete to be named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Month, and is the eleventh women’s basketball player to earn the award.

The HCAC Player of the Month award is in its fourth year of existence. The award is voted on by the sports information directors of each member institution.

The Anderson University women’s basketball team lost to Hanover College 72-68 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament semifinals on Friday at the Beck Center in Lexington, Ky.

Mel Hawthorne led the Ravens with 26 points, eight rebounds and three steals, hitting 10-of-24 shots from the field, including six 3-pointers.

Kayla Martin finished with nine points, eight rebounds and Mandy Seward added eight points, three rebounds, eight assists and three steals in their final game as a Raven. Seward finished with a school record 165 assists and 93 steals, two short of the single season record.

Tiffany Bowsher had eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds and Lauren Leisure added nine points, four assists and two steals. Julie Bynum chipped in with six 3-pointers and Ellen Thompson five rebounds off the bench.

The Ravens made a school-record 14 3-pointers in the game in 28 attempts. The old record was 12 against Rose-Hulman on Nov. 26, 2002. AU finished at 40 percent shooting for the game, including 50 percent in the first half when it led 36-31.

Hanover finished at 48 pecent shooting, including 50 percent in the second half when it outscored the Ravens 41-32. The Panthers had advantage in rebounds (39-38), points in the paint (40-18), turnovers (17-18), points off turnovers (21-14) and bench scoring (25-8).

AU finishes the season 15-11 overall and 12-4 in the HCAC.

The Anderson University women’s basketball team lost to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regualar season champion Transylvania University 51-33 on Saturday at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium on Senior Day.

Senior Mel Hawthorne led the Ravens with 13 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals, hitting 4-of-18 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Kayla Martin had seven points and nine rebounds in her final home game and Tiffany Bowsher added seven points and seven rebounds. Senior Mandy Seward chipped in with a team-high four assists.

The Ravens shot just 22 percent from the field, including only 2-of-17 from 3-point range. The Pioneers finished at 36 percent shooting.

Transy held a 46-37 advantage on the boards, including 16-13 on the offensive glass. The Pioneers also had the edge in assists (10-9), turnovers (14-17), points in the paint (30-14) and steals (8-5).

Both teams struggled in the first half, with the Pioneers holding a 22-16 lead at the intermission. AU took its first lead of the game at 28-26 on a layup by Ellen Thompson and led 30-29 with 13 minutes left in the game. However, the Ravens made just one more shot - a 3-pointer by Hawthorne with eight minutes left - in the game and were outscored 22-3 over the final 13 minutes.

AU (15-10, 12-4 HCAC) finishes second in the conference and will get a bye in the first round of the post-season tournament. They will play the No. 3/6 seed winner on Friday afternoon at top-seeded Transylvania at 4 p.m.

The Anderson University women’s basketball team lost to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Manchester College 61-55 on Wednesday night at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena in North Manchester.

The win snaps the Ravens eight-game winning streak, which was the second longest in school history. AU won nine straight games during the 2001-02 season.

Mel Hawthorne led the Ravens with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks, hitting 8-of-15 field goals. Kayla Martin was also in double figures with 14 points and six rebounds, making 6-of-12 shots.

Tiffany Bowsher added nine points, four rebounds and Ellen Thompson had five points off the bench.

AU shot 45 percent from the field, including 52 percent in the second half. Manchester finished at 38 percent shooting, including 50 percent in the second half. However, the Spartans had an 18-6 advantage in made free throws taking 25 to just eight for the Ravens.

Manchester won the battle of the boards 35-32, including 13-4 on the offensive glass. The Spartans also had the advantage in turnovers (9-15), points off turnovers (13-9), points in the paint (34-22) and steals (7-3). The Ravens had the edge in assists (10-7) and blocks (6-1).

AU (15-9, 12-3 HCAC) will host Transylvania (19-5, 13-2 HCAC) on Saturday for the conference championship. The game will be carried live on the internet broadcast from O.C. Lewis Gymnasium at 2 p.m.

Anderson University’s Mel Hawthorne has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time on Monday.

The senior eclipsed the 1,000 point mark for her career at AU with her two performances last week. She scored 20 points and added six rebounds in AU’s 51-39 win over Bluffton and posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 66-51 non-conference win vs. Kalamazoo.

For the week, Hawthorne averaged 22.5 points, eight rebounds, 4.5 steals, and three assists during the two Ravens wins.

Anderson (15-8, 12-2 HCAC) stands atop the league standings with Transylvania and will travel to Manchester Wednesday night before facing off with the Pioneers Saturday.

Mel Hawthorne became the seventh Anderson University women’s basketball player to reach 1,000 career points on Saturday as the Ravens defeated Kalamazoo College 66-51 at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.

The victory was the eighth in a row for the Ravens, which is the second longest streak in school history. The record is nine straight wins by the 2001-02 team, which finished with a 21-7 record and won the HCAC.

The senior finished with a game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and six steals, hitting 10-of-16 field goals and all four of her free throws. Her final basket with 1:30 left in the game gave her membership in the 1,000-point club - which includes teammate Kayla Martin, who reached that plateau earlier this season.

Martin finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and three blocks, hitting 5-of-12 field goals. Tiffany Bowsher was also in double figures with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Mandy Seward added four points, four rebounds, a team-high seven assists, two blocks and five steals.

AU shot 42 percent from the field, including 60 percent in the second half when it outscored Kalamazoo 47-26. The Hornets finished at 35 percent shooting.

The Ravens won the battle of the boards 40-38, including 17-12 on the offensive glass. AU also had the edge in assists (18-9), turnovers (17-26), points off turnovers (26-12), points in the paint (40-24), blocks (6-1) and steals (13-11).

AU trailed 25-19 at the half and 30-23 with 16 minutes left in the game, but used a 16-2 run to take control of the game and led by as many as 17 points in the second half. All 16 Ravens played in the non-conference game.

The victory was the eighth in a row for the Ravens.

AU (15-8, 12-2 HCAC) travels to Manchester on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Ravens are tied with Transylvania with two games remaining in the regular season. The Pioneers visit the Ravens in the season finale on Jan. 21, at 2 p.m.