MILWAUKEE – The NCAA basketball season is over, and it is time to take a look at the 2016-17 season for the Mount Mary University women's basketball team. At 8-12, MMU tied the program's record for wins in a single season and saw multiple Blue Angels shine with individual performances throughout the season.
MMU started off the season with a win over Marian University (4-21) in a 75-61 affair at the Bloechl Center. A combination of the Blue Angels defense taking away a season high 16 steals and the offense scoring 75 points at an effective 53.3 percent clip from the field gave the Blue Angels their first of two wins against NCAA opponents in 2016-17 and was the first time in the program's history that a team began the season with a win.
After fending off injuries with a seven-player roster, the Blue Angels got their second win of the season in January against Robert Morris University Springfield (0-19) of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Senior Jess Runge (Freedom, Wis.) went off for an extraordinary 10-of-10 from the field while pestering the opposition with 5 steals in the Blue Angels 81-43 win over the Eagles.
That win sparked two subsequent victories against Silver Lake College (18-13) and Robert Morris University Peoria (4-12). Runge continued to steer the ship against RMU Peoria when she tied her career high in single game scoring with 24 points after shooting 10-of-11 from the field. Fellow Blue Angel Becky Onan (Jr./Grafton, Wis.) contributed 23 points of her own to account for 47 of the team's 62 points.
MMU found their fifth win against RMU Springfield in the late season rematch. After the Eagles were nearly doubled-up in scoring in game one, they came back to make things extremely tight. A day when the Blue Angels honored Tajah Williams, a former student-athlete that passed away in December of 2016, the team rallied late to come-from-behind and win 56-54.
The triumph came with a combination of experience and youth as Runge nailed a late free to bring the MMU deficit to one, then Rae Grubbs (Fr./Covington, Ind.) picked up a loose ball and nailed a shot with a few seconds left on the clock to give MMU the lead and eventually the win.
After that victory, the Blue Angels went on to win three of their final four games to tie the program's single season wins record and giving MMU the final record of 8-12.
"Coming into this season, I had a team goal of improving and having more wins than last season," remarked Jess Runge on the team's accomplishments in 2016-17. "We did that this year by tying the school record for wins in a season. We also beat teams like Marion and Silver Lake which we hadn't done before. Meeting this goal, along with some personal goals, this season was the best way I could have ended my basketball career and I can't wait to see what the team can accomplish next year."
That excitement is deep-rooted in the Blue Angels roster as Runge's teammate concurs.
"I think we accomplished a lot more than some of us expected to," said junior Becky Onan. "Tying the record of most wins in a season for both soccer and basketball has been a really cool experience as a junior and with my senior year coming up fast it makes me think about the opportunities we will have next year."
Mount Mary Head Basketball Coach Marc Heidorf offered his thoughts on the team's accomplishments for this season, "'Pleased,
but unsatisfied' I believe was the term I used at the banquet to describe the demeanor of the players after the season. We accomplished a great deal, but no one feels like we 'topped out' in terms of what we are capable of. Now that we have gotten a taste of it, I see the potential returners eager to take the mantle and continue our rise."
Carrying the weight of it all, each Blue Angel contributed to the reaching the program's milestone.
Jess Runge led the Blue Angels via example and with an incredibly strong second half of the season. Runge's accuracy was a giant boost to the MMU offense as she led the team in both field goal percentage (48.5) and 3-point percentage (41.4). Not only did Runge lead in points per game with 15.0, but the senior led on the defensive end also with 3.1 steals per game.
Ariel Oviedo (Shawano, Wis.) was one of only three Blue Angels to start in all 20 games this season. Oviedo consistently got the Blue Angels offense going with 2.7 assists per game and 7.0 points per game. The senior was always a pest on defense as well swiping 2.3 steals per contest.
Becky Onan was again a dominant force for the Blue Angels in her junior year. Onan scored 278 of the Blue Angels 1118 points scored this year. That is 24.8 percent of the team's entire output in 2016-17. A presence all over the court, Onan led the team with 7.0 rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per contest to go along with her scoring.
Taylor Yordt (So./Omaha, Neb.) returned from her season ending injury in 2015 to play in every single game in 2016-17. Yordt's numbers did not entirely reflect her effectiveness on the court. As many positions in sports go unnoticed or unheralded, Yordt's work freeing up teammates with screens, executing offensive sets, efficient and accurate passing evident by the fewest turnovers on the team, and resilient positive attitude had a major impact on the team's success.
Rae Grubbs led the rookie class in scoring with 9.4 points per game. That scoring was the second most effective on the team as Grubbs shot 30.2 beyond the arc. Grubbs also led the freshman class in rebounds tearing down 4.2 per game this year.
Lucy Pavelko (Fr./Muskego, Wis.) battled injuries in her first year, but was able to play in 17 of the Blue Angels 20 games while starting in five. Pavelko's high-energy effort on the court led to her scoring 3.6 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. Pavelko's consistent effort was evident from her 24.2 minutes per game.
Like fellow rookie Rae Grubbs, Brooke Uebersetzig (Fr./Greenwood, Ind.) played and started in all 20 games this season for the Blue Angels. Uebersetzig excelled in most major categories in her first year of play. Averaging 8.3 points per game, the young guard routinely took advantage of her opportunities at the free throw line as she hit 76.9 percent for the stripe. Uebersetzig was third on the team in assists with 2.5 per game and on the other side of the court swiped 1.0 steals per game in 2016-17.
Now the Blue Angels set their sights on the offseason as they prepare for 2017-18. Although MMU will lose two cornerstone
players as they graduate, the Blue Angels returners have tasted the success of tying the school's record and have that experience under their belts. Stay tuned to mtmaryathletics.com as the offseason unfolds and news for the 2017-18 season becomes available.
