The Lady Digger basketball team starts the 2012-13 season a year older and a year wiser. Last season saw many young players gaining valuable experience positioning them to do well this year. The team lost key contributors, but there is a solid nucleus moving forward for the next couple of years.

Last year ended with a first round loss to perennial power Lewis-Clark State in the Frontier Conference Tournament. The team finished the year 10-17 overall and 5-9 in conference play.

The graduations of Tabitha Tomlinson and Brianne McClafferty will be missed. Tomlinson had the most playing time of any Lady Digger last year, averaging 32 minutes a game, and was the symbol of stability and control at the point guard position. She averaged 6 points, 3.3 rebound, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals each night. McClafferty had the best three-point percentage on the team while contributing 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds a game.

The team will be without second team All-Conference selection Bryn Hasquet this year as well. Hasquet averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game. She is taking a year off to focus on academics.

The youthful group that was gaining experience last season will now be the youthful leadership of the future. The team has only two seniors on the roster and Digger fans will see many juniors and sophomores on the court.

“We have great depth this season, not just with bench players stepping on to the court to give short breathers to the starters, but players off the bench that will come in and contribute immensely to what we have going on,” said head coach Kerie DePell.

“Our starters possess tremendous talent at every position, and I think the potential is very high, if we can keep up mentally with our physical talents.”

Leading the way will be junior Kelsey DeWit. The 6'2” center from Columbia Falls was First Team All-Conference last season and was selected to the Frontier Preseason All-Conference Team. DeWit has been the dominant force under the basket for Tech the last two years. Last season, she averaged 10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. She is a force to be reckoned with on defense, averaging 1.75 blocks a game; she had a career high nine blocks against Great Falls last year.

Tech's freshman phenom last year was Mandy Machinal. The 5'7” guard from Richland, Washington led the team in scoring and received a Second Team All-Conference nod from the Frontier. She averaged 13 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2 assists a game as a true freshman. She was ranked sixth in the conference in scoring. Against Western, she dropped 37 points which was the most by any women's basketball player in the conference last year and earned her a Player of the Week award. Machinal will have more in store for Digger fans her second year with the team.

Australian Dannii Devenny starts her third year with the Orediggers. She returned last season after going back to Perth, Australia for a year. The 6' forward/guard started all 27 games last season averaging 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals. Her all-around skills lend to both offense and defense giving Devenny potential for big numbers. She had a career high 20 points against Dickinson State, who entered the Frontier Conference during the off season, and 13 rebounds against conference rival Carroll College.

Returning to the Lady Diggers after a year absence is Brooke Pokorny. The Butte Central product played two years at guard averaging 11 points, 3 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals. She earned a Frontier Conference Honorable Mention the 2010-11 season as a sophomore. She will go to work right away with the Oredigger losses at the guard position.
Another Butte Central product joins the team in Brynne Kambich. The 5'11” forward was selected First Team All-State and to the State All-Tournament Team last year. She averaged 10 points and seven rebounds for the Maroons.

Tech received an addition in size as well this off season. Arriving in Butte from San Antonio, Rachel Farris was a major signing for the Lady Diggers. At Marion High School, Farris averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks a game. She has a number of awards from Texas including Regional Most Valuable Player at the 2A level and All-District and All-Region honors. Her height, 6'2”, and ability will make her effective right away in the Frontier.

“Our leadership this year comes in the form of three captains.  Devenny, Pokorny, and Jenkins have been selected as team captains, and have done an excellent job so far in their leadership.” 

Seniors Erika Jenkins and Shaye Murphy will contribute at the post position. Jenkins averaged nine minutes a game last season and Murphy's season was cut short with injury.    

“The group of them together have a great balance of enthusiasm, passion, competitiveness, positive attitudes, and genuine care for their teammates and coaches.”

Juniors Jessica Sturm, Lisa Laslovich,Ivana Lacmanovic and Laini Kalumbi will all see playing time at guard as well as sophomore Taylor Sewell.

“The Frontier Conference 2012 is as strong as ever.  Each program got respectable recruiting classes, and there will no easy games in the conference season.  From top to bottom there will be battles, and that's what makes our conference one of the best in the NAIA,” said DePell.

The Lady Diggers are in a unique spot of experience and youth. Combined with leadership and more growth during the season, they will be a dangerous group in the Frontier Conference this year.