Lady Eagles lose Armstrong & Medlock

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Women's Basketball: Lady Eagles lose Armstrong, Medlock

UNT to replace top three scorers from last season

08:16 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 17, 2004

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Jill Medlock and Jamie Armstrong, two of the North Texas women’s basketball team’s top players, have left the program, coach Tina Slinker said.

Medlock notified Slinker in the past few days that she would not return to school for personal reasons. Armstrong was not invited back to play with the Lady Eagles next season.

"You can’t say that this is not a tough loss but it is much better to have a core of people who want to work together," Slinker said. "We wish both Jill and Jamie the best."

Medlock ranked second on the team in scoring last season with an average of 10.9 points a game and was one of the top outside shooters in the Sun Belt Conference. Armstrong ranked third on the team with an average of 10.2 points a game and second in rebounds with an average of 5.4.

"I made the decision not to bring Jamie back," Slinker said. "We have things with the team concept that are important and we don’t know if she was willing follow them."

Both players were expected to soften the blow UNT endured after forward Kim Blanton completed her career last year when she averaged a team-high 11.6 points a game and was named honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference.

"Replacing our top three scorers will be tough, but we will have the same problem we had last year," Slinker said. "We were inconsistent offensively and had trouble scoring at times."

The timing of Medlock’s decision was especially tough for UNT, which did not have time to recruit another player to take her place. Medlock made 61 three-point shots last season, breaking the school record of 60 set by Ashley Norris in the 1995-96 season.

Kelsie Edwards, a sophomore forward who averaged 7.6 points a game last season while coming off the bench, will now be UNT’s leading returning scorer.

"As a coach, you have to take it as an injury," Slinker said. "When you lose someone, you have to replace them and go forward. It also forces us to focus on team concepts because you don’t have that one person to go to."

Slinker said she is considering a number of changes in her lineup to compensate for the loss of Medlock and Armstong. Junior point guard Erika Bobo could move to the shooting guard spot, a move that would allow Natalie Mireles to start at point guard.

Kennethia Wilson could also move into a more prominent role as a scorer. The junior forward averaged 7.2 points in 10 games before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a game against SMU. Wilson missed the rest of the season.

UNT’s incoming freshmen could also have a chance to contribute immediately. Slinker signed three players in her last recruiting class. Erica Howard, a 6-3 post player, Amber Jackson, a 6-2 forward, and guard Amanda Quattrocchi all earned all-state honors during their high school careers.

UNT’s freshmen will join a squad that finished with an 11-17 record after losing to Middle Tennessee in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

"The freshmen will have to contribute right away and that can be a positive," Slinker said. "It’s important to be a part of the system. Everyone here is buying into the system now and thinks that we can win."