Women's basketball opens 2014-15 season in Dubuque

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The UW-Platteville women's basketball team is looking to build off its success from the last season, as the Pioneers open the 2014-15 campaign on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Dubuque Tournament. 

UW-Platteville tips off the new year against Loras at 7 p.m. on Saturday and then will square off with host Dubuque on Sunday at 3 p.m. 

The Pioneers return four starters, including all-conference selections Alyssa Krajco, Stacy Clark and Rachel Cropp  from last year's squad that tied for fourth in the WIAC standings - marking the best finish since the 1989-90 campaign.  UW-Platteville will be looking for their first back-to-back top-four conference finish in 25 years. . The Pioneers also return four letter winners and welcomes six newcomers. 

FRONTCOURT

UW-Platteville has one of the best frontcourts in the nation with Krajco and Clark. 

Krajco was named preseason All-American by D3hoops.com earlier this week and is coming off a career best season where she garnered all-region and first team all-WIAC honors. The senior from Richland Center, Wis., led the Pioneers last year with 17 points per game; ranking second in the WIAC and averaged 7.4 boards a game, good for third best in the league. Krajco will look to being an even more well-rounded offensive threat by being able to step back and knock down a three-pointer on a regular basis. 

In Clark's first season with the Pioneers, she made an immediate impact. She was named first team all-conference and led the league with a 53.8 field goal percentage. She finished third in the WIAC in scoring (16.5 ppg.) and fifth in rebounding (7.3 rpg.). The senior's six-foot-one-inch frame gives the Pioneers a much need size in the paint. 

Senior Taylor Buckmaster is the only other returning forward. She will be looked upon to add good minutes off the bench, as well as for sophomore transfer Elisa Bilderback and freshman Marley Campbell. 

BACKCOURT

The Pioneers has the most depth at the guard position, returning five letter winners and bringing in four freshmen. 

UW-Platteville has a trio of sharpshooters,  senior Keeley Schulz, sophomore Morgan Hartman, and Cropp. Cropp led the group last year with the WIAC's second best three-point percentage of 46.3 percent (50-108), while Schulz and Hartman each shot over 34 percent from beyond the arc. 

Junior Taylor Lorbiecki will once again orchestrate the Pioneer offense, and is quick and strong with the ball. She led the team with 71 assists and posted nearly a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Sophomore Mykaela Brandt was a reserve point guard and registered the most minutes off the bench (13.5 mpg.) last season. With a year under her belt, she will look to improve her assist-to-turnover ration and continue to give valuable minutes off the bench. 

Four freshmen; Courtney Feller, Jalen Knowlton, Paityn Morris, and Sydnei Smith join the backcourt for the Pioneers.