By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - With Indiana Wesleyan women's basketball star Liz Howerth continuing to win awards and break records, it can be hard for outsiders to see the importance of the team's other 14 players.

Wildcats coach Steve Brooks said Howerth, the school's all-time leading scorer in men's or women's history, is the best player that will ever suit up at IWU. But this year's team as a whole, he said, has more talent that any group he's coached in his eight seasons at the school.

"We're more athletic than we've ever been," Brooks said. "We're stronger physically than we've been. In my time at Indiana Wesleyan, this group is probably as strong as I've had."

Indiana Wesleyan uses a nine-person rotation, and 13 of the Wildcat's 15 players have seen regular playing time this year. Brooks said the core of the team's talent, however, begins with the five seniors.

Besides Howerth, who also ranks second in team history in rebounds and fourth in assists, there are four seniors that don't put up gaudy numbers, but play integral parts in IWU's success. The peripheral players, along with Howerth, have guided the undefeated Wildcats to a NAIA Division II record 34 straight wins and the school's fifth straight trip to the national tournament.

Indiana Wesleyan, the No. 1 team in the nation and the top seed in the tournament, won its first-round game Wednesday, beating St. Joseph (Vt.) 69-25. The Wildcats face No. 4 seed Tabor (Kan.) at 1 p.m. today.

"Liz is Liz," senior point guard Katrina Spitler said. "She's going to get her points, rebounds, steals and everything. She's a great all-around player. When everyone else can step up and do little things to help make her better and take the pressure of her, it makes us better as a team."
Spitler has started at point guard for four years, ranking fifth in team history in assists just three behind Howerth. When Brooks was asked to name the Wildcats' unsung heroes, Spitler was the first player that came to mind.

"People don't understand how much she means to this team," Brooks said. "She has the ability to lead on the floor. She thinks for the whole team. She's the head of the monster in a lot of ways."

While Spitler, as the point guard, is the on-court leader, the remaining three seniors each have their own specialized role.
Stephanie Culp is the defensive stopper. Sarah McGill is IWU's second scoring option when defenses focus on Howerth. Katy Hinkle provides a spark as the first player off the bench.

"Steph is probably the unsung hero," Spitler said. "She's definitely one of best defenders on the team. She does lot little things that help us win games."
Brooks said Culp guards the opponents' toughest perimeter player each game.

The coach also relies on the 5-foot-8 guard to cut to the basket on offense and knock down an occasional 3-pointer.
Culp, though, said McGill plays one of the more vital roles for the Wildcats.

After coming off the bench last season, McGill moved into the starting lineup this year. The 6-foot forward became a low-post presence for IWU averaging 10.7 points per game, second on the team behind Howerth (20.2). She also leads the Wildcats in blocks.
"She's completely changed levels this season," Culp said of McGill. "She's played with confidence. She's the scorer we go to when (Howerth) is getting triple-teamed."

When McGill became a starter, she pushed Hinkle, who started in last season, onto the bench. The move might have demoralized any other senior. The switch put McGill and Hinkle in a potentially awkward situation because they were roommates for three years.
But Brooks said he has been impressed with how Hinkle has adapted to her role coming off the bench. She's performed so well that Brooks calls the forward "generator" because she keeps the team going when she enters the game.

"There has to be days and nights where it has to be hard to have gone from playing 30 minutes a game to 15," Brooks said. "But (Hinkle) has accepted that very graciously and is all about this team. That kind of thing helps you have a season like we've had."

The deeper the Wildcats go into the national tournament, which runs through Tuesday, the more they will rely on their role players, Brooks said. As the competition gets tougher and opponents focus more and more on stopping Howerth, the rest of the IWU team becomes more important.
But the Wildcats are prepared and relish their individual roles. The five seniors, who have played together for four years, are ready to do anything they can to bring home a championship in their fourth and final trip to the national tournament.

"We've played so much together, we all can read each other really well," Culp said. "We've all grown into the roles that have been put forth for us. Everyone has something unique and equally important to give. That's what's exciting about our team."