MUAC women’s team leaning on returning starters

DONALDSON — The Marian University Ancilla Women’s Basketball program is coming off a record-setting 2024-2025 campaign in which they posted a 27-5 overall record and came within 20 minutes of being one of the final 20 programs in the country invited to the NJCAA Division II National Championships.
The 27 wins were the most in a single season in program history, and the Chargers finished second in the MCCAA Western Conference with an 11-3 conference record. The program will also be looking to replicate the production of several graduates. Most notable of those missing are All-MCCAA performers De’Mour Watson (12.7p, 7.4r, 2.1a, 1.5s) and Nasiya Gause (10.4p, 3.9r, 2.3a, 1.1s). Watson was selected to the Region 12 All-Region Team, the MCCAA All-Conference Team, and the MCCAA Western Conference 1st Team. She has moved on to play at Indiana University-Northwest.
Gause earned 3rd Team honors for the MCCAA Western Conference, and she is now a member of the Goshen College Maple Leafs. The Chargers must also play without Bella Mahan (4.1p, 1.7r), Jadyn Harris (4.0p, 5.6r), Maykayla Washington-Cobb (3.2p, 2.6r), Brooklynn Cooper (2.5p, 1.1r), Karleisha Echols (1.5p, 1.8r), and Beauti Santiago (1.4p, 1.5r). Charger Head Coach Ryan Gould talks about the challenges of losing so many important pieces.
“Obviously, De’Mour and SiSi will be big losses because of their production on the court, but playing without all of these ladies, especially the ones who gave us two years of service and really helped set the foundation for a sustainable program, their efforts will not be forgotten, and their impact on this campus has already been missed. We will have to utilize a ‘next person up’ mentality this season, take the experience our Sophomores got last year, and coach up our Freshmen, who will have to play some big minutes from the jump.”
The good news is, the cupboard isn’t exactly bare, as three starters do return for Marian Ancilla. 5-8 Sophomore forward Santana Eubanks (12.5p, 7.5r, 1.4a, 3.1s) was named to the Region 12 All-Region Team, the MCCAA All-MCCAA Team, the MCCAA Western Conference 1st Team, and she was the Western Conference’s Freshman of the Year. She brings a great deal of energy, athleticism, and she’s an outstanding rebounder and defender.
Sophomore guard Annika Davis (13.2p, 4.8r, 1.6a, 1.5s) was the team’s leading scorer last year, plus she was also a part of the Region 12 All-Region Team, the MCCAA All-MCCAA team, and the MCCAA Western Conference 1st Team. Her ability to make tough shots and her court sense are key for the Chargers.
Sophomore guard Aaliyah Keil (7.5p, 4.0r, 1.9a, 2.6s) proved to be one of the best defenders in the entire conference, and she played through injuries for much of the conference season. Now healthy, she could be a third double-digit scorer this time around.
Sophomore guard Ciara Bonner (2.3p, 2.1r) saw some key minutes last year but this time looks to be a crucial part of the rotation. She brings shooting touch outside and all-around athleticism to the court.
Gould was quick to point out what those four mean to this season.
“Santana and Aaliyah are two of the best defenders in our conference, and they are able to change a game at that end of the floor. Annika and Ciara are excellent shooters, and if we can get them open this year, they should be able to provide some perimeter offense for us.”
Sophomore forward Ga’Naysia White, 5-6 Sophomore guard Kaelyn Ortiz-Vaudt, and 6-0 Sophomore post Torie Davis all participated on the Developmental Team as Freshmen, and each looks to carve out some sort of role this season.
Seven Freshmen and a transfer Sophomore make up the eight key newcomers for the Chargers in 2025-2026.
Sophomore guard Audri Prater joins the Chargers following a stint on the Junior Varsity team at Indiana Tech. Prater should add consistent perimeter shooting and toughness to the lineup. She is a 2024 graduate of Eastbrook High School.
As for the Freshmen, 5-8 guard Tianna Guy and 6-0 forward Emma Nelson fight for starting spots. Guy is a strong athlete, a defensive-minded competitor, and a graduate of Indianapolis’ Cathedral High School. Nelson is a skillful forward who can shoot it outside or play around the paint. She graduated from Morristown High School in the Spring.
Fellow Freshmen Emma McVey, a 5-7 guard, and Sydney King, a 5-10 forward, should also get rotational minutes early this season. McVey is a tough-nosed, hard-working, versatile guard from Franklin Central High School, while King graduated from nearby Triton High and adds toughness and physicality to the frontcourt, while also showing good skill in the mid-post.
Freshman guard Geneva Nelson of Chesterton and 5-4 Freshman guard Mari Mason of Elkhart fight to get in the mix as well, while 6-0 Freshman post Maliya Freeman-Gates will redshirt this Winter, following an injury this Fall.
“As it seems to be each year, a big part of our success will come down to how quickly our Freshmen can adjust to the speed and size of the college game,” said Gould. “We have several newcomers who have played at big high schools, or in competitive grassroots programs, or both, and we feel like they have started the season on the right foot with productive practices.”
As far as the outlook on the season goes, it could come down to a bit of a “change of scenery” throughout the non-conference portion of the season. The Chargers will be playing several Chicago-area colleges that weren’t on the schedule a year ago, as opposed to a few trips they took to the Detroit region early last season. All in all, Coach Gould seems pleased about what could come this season, despite so many roster changes.
“While we might not be nearly as deep or as big and imposing as we were last year, we have several skilled and talented perimeter players who are all hungry to play,” he said. “They practice hard, they play harder, and they love to defend. As long as we can keep that mindset and force our opponents into tough shots late in the shot-clock, I think we will be in great shape early this season. Our offense could take a few weeks to come along, but the defensive effort should be there immediately.”