Osakis' Roggenbuck anchors UMM women

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The University of Minnesota-Morris men’s basketball team is not the only team on campus that will be led by a former local product.

Osakis’ Steph Roggenbuck is the leading returning scorer for the Cougar women’s basketball team this season, as well. Big things are expected out of Roggenbuck after she posted a team leading 6.5 rebounds to go along with 14 points per game last season.

Those numbers earned her All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) honors. Roggenbuck was a big reason that the Cougars were able to post an 11-3 conference record after they lost senior leader Tynell Kocer a third of the way through the season.

The University of Minnesota-Morris was picked as the third best team in the UMAC preseason coaches’ poll. Northland College was predicted to take its second straight league title. Northwestern was second in the preseason polls.

The Cougars shared second place with Northwestern in the final 2008-2009 standings at 11-3. With Roggenbuck and guard Nikki Washek leading the way as returning all-conference players, head coach Tim Grove expects good things from his team again this season. Those two will be looked upon to make up for the losses of three strong athletes in Kocer, Coresa Leighty and Jaime Rainey.

“We’ll miss Rainey, Leighty and Kocer, but I think we’re more talented top to bottom this season,” Grove said. “I expect we’ll be able to compete for the conference championship.”

The Cougars will start on that mission tonight, Tuesday, when they take to the road to battle Mayville State. Their home opener comes against the University of Mary on November 21 at 3 p.m.

Tags: osakis sports, sports, roggenbuck, basketball, cougars