The Free Press, Mankato, MN

College Sports

Related Photos

  • Wright Braudt

    GAC women's hoops

November 18, 2009

Gustavus women returns a bevy of experience

Four starters coming back from 16-10 squad

Denny Weller

ST PETER — Brianna Radtke doesn’t mind being the centerpiece of a Gustavus Adolphus women’s basketball team primed for a run at a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

The 5-foot-7, senior from Lester Prairie has developed into one of the premier point guards in the conference by putting in countless hours honing her skills. Radtke averaged 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists during last year’s 16-10 campaign.

“Bri came here at a time when we needed a point guard,” Gustavus coach Mickey Haller said. “It was great timing for both of us.

“She has that incredible competitive aspect that we like to see out there. She sees the court very well, she’s mature and she handles pressure very well. Her teammates know they can look to her to get things done.”

Radtke’s numbers have steadily increased over the past three seasons and there’s no reason why that won’t continue when the Golden Gusties open their season Saturday at Augustana College.

“I played golf and basketball my freshman year but then I started to focus only on basketball,” Radtke said. “It was tough at first adjusting to the physicality of the conference. I’ve gotten a lot stronger by working hard in the weight room while also shooting and dribbling year around.”

Radtke isn’t the lone reason the Gusties are hopeful of making it back to the Division III national tournament after missing out for the first time in three seasons a year ago. Three other starters — senior post Katie Layman, senior forward Julia Schultz and sophomore guard Molly Geske —- return, as do top reserves Molly Mathiowetz and Brittany Holm.

“We’re finally mature,” Haller said. “We feel we have an experienced squad and we’re looking for big things out of this team. We really focus on defense and play a pretty high-octane defense where we like to get up in people’s faces.”

Layman, who like Radtke has started each game the past three years, averaged 7.7 and 3.9 rebounds per contest last season.

Mathiowetz, a 6-foot junior from Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, provided instant offense off the bench last year, averaging 8.1 ppg while grabbing 4.4 boards an outing.

Gustavus’ top newcomer is 6-2 freshman wing Abby Rothenbuehler, a former standout at Mankato West. With all that talent, there’s plenty of optimism in Radtke’s voice.

“We have the potential to do great things and I think we all know that, it’s just going to take hard work and focus while still having fun out there,” Radtke said. “I think we’re fundamentally sound, we just have to focus on doing the little things right.... We’ve definitely got a special team this year.”

Text Only | Photo Reprints
College Sports
  • MSU bball 3/15 2 Top-seeded Mavericks get knocked off by Huskies

    St. Cloud State advanced to the region championship game with an 83-71 victory Sunday, ending the season for the top-seeded Mavericks.

    March 15, 2010 2 Photos

  • xsmall_Schiller, Joe_PE6X7791.JPG Mavericks healthier but still hurting

    Michael Dorr and Eriah Hayes will be back in the lineup, but with six players still out with injury, center Joe Schiller will move to defense.

    November 3, 2011 1 Photo 1 Story

  • xsmall_Lee, Austin_PE6X7812.JPG College hockey gameday

    Minnesota State at Michigan Tech

    6:07 p.m. today and Saturday, MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, Mich.

    Radio: KTOE 1420 AM TV: None

    November 3, 2011 2 Photos 1 Story

  • Northern Sun to vote on expansion

    Today, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference board of directors will vote on whether to expand from 14 to 16 programs.

    January 19, 2011

  • Gusties ranked 8th in DIII

    The Gustavus Adolphus men’s hockey team is ranked eighth in the country, according to the first U.S. College Hockey Online poll released earlier this week.

    October 28, 2010

  • MSU w hock-9.jpg Sister support: Ariel the latest Mackley to shine for MSU

    Anyone familiar with women’s college hockey in southern Minnesota must know the Mackleys. Since the fall of 2004, at least one of the three Mackley sisters has been skating for Minnesota State or Gustavus Adolphus.

    October 7, 2010 1 Photo

  • msu hockey 10-4-1.jpg Zuck's goal lifts MSU past British Columbia

    MSU's Eli Zuck’s short-handed breakaway goal 100 seconds into the third period stood as the lone goal in the Mavericks’ 1-0 victory over British Columbia before an announced crowd of 2,236 at the Verizon Wireless Center.

    October 5, 2010 1 Photo

  • Young Mavericks look to prove rankings wrong

    The Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s preseason polls were released on Wednesday, and Minnesota State isn’t getting a lot of love from the league’s coaches nor from the media who cover the conference. Both polls put the Mavericks in 10th place in what is now a 12-team conference.

    October 2, 2010

  • gustfb 092510.jpg Clark, St. Olaf run past Gustavus

    St. Olaf halfback Leon Clark cut loose for 134 second-half yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds left to lift his team to a 19-14 victory over Gustavus Saturday.

    September 26, 2010 1 Photo

  • MSUfb 092510.jpg Mavericks get shocked at home

    Concordia upset No. 11 MSU 28-26 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game before 4,264 fans. It was the second time in the series history that MSU lost to Concordia.

    September 26, 2010 2 Photos