The Lady Blue Devils are coming off their third consecutive season with more than 20 wins each season under Head Coach Mark Cook. The 2003-04-season schedule is a challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare the team for the GCAC conference.

This year’s team will rely on speed and quickness. Perimeter play will be its strength. The Lady Blue Devils will have to be solid on both ends of the floor and the post game will  develop as the season progresses. 

Theresa Samuels, 5'8" - Senior Guard (#12)
East Jefferson High School - Metairie, LA

Theresa returns for her senior campaign as a First Team NAIA All-American and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament MVP for 2002-03, placing herself auspiciously in the history books as the first female, First Team All-American for Dillard University.  Theresa also became the first 3 Time GCAC Women’s Player of the Week, along with NAIA Player of the Week recognition.  The leading returning scorer, averaging 18 points per game, she played a pivotal role in last season’s 26-3 overall record.   Samuels has started for the Lady Blue Devils since her freshman year. As a junior, Theresa shot 46% from the field and 77% from the free throw line. She became a consistent threat from behind the three-point arch, already scoring more than a 1,000 career points for The Lady Blue Devils.  Theresa led the team and conference in steals per game, always defending the opponent's best perimeter player. 

Deondra Hagans, 6'0" - Senior Forward (#45)
Slidell High School - Slidell, LA

Deondra has been a steady, consistent role player for the Lady Blue Devils, playing in 25 games last season.  Coming off the bench, DeDe’s 53% field goal shooting average was the highest among Dillard University players with non-starting positions.  She has made tremendous strides in her post play the past two years as a walk-on at Dillard University. A hard worker, she always gives 110% effort and continues to improve her individual game.  Deondra is expected to challenge for one of the starting post positions this season.

Andrea Michelle Houston, 5'11" - Senior Small Guard (#42)
John Marshall High School - Oklahoma City, OK

Michelle returns for her final season as a Lady Blue Devil at Dillard University.  Leading the team the past three years in free throw shooting percentage, Michelle shot 78% from the free throw line, averaging 5.3 points per game last season.  She will be expected to step up her game and become a big contributor on both ends of the court this season, shouldering a huge load.  

Ebony Owens, 5'9" - Junior Guard (#23)
St. Mary's Academy - New Orleans, LA

Returning from a monumental sophomore year, Ebony received NAIA All-American Team Member honors and was voted to the GCAC All-Tournament Team, playing at the point guard position for the 2002-03 Lady Blue Devils.  As the team’s leading assists giver and second leading scorer at 12.5 points per game, Ebony has steadily improved her perimeter shooting game….shooting a team best 49% from the field and aggressively hitting the offensive boards….making herself an all-round threat on the offensive end of the floor.  This season Ebony will make the transition from point guard to the off-guard position, where the team can capitalize best on her strength and ball handling ability.  Her leadership will be vital to the team’s success in reaching our ultimate goal this year.

Lariana Landry, 5'9" - Junior Guard (#41)
John Ehret High School - Harvey, LA

In her sophomore year as a Lady Blue Devil, Lariana had a break-out season in 2002-03.  Steadily improving her all-around game, Lari, the team’s most productive reserve off the bench, became a reliable sixth man for Dillard University, providing that much needed spark at times by filling the lanes and knocking down the outside jumper on the break.  Averaging 4.6 points per game, she put up a career high and team best 18pts, shooting 7 of 9 from the field against Huston-Tillotson on (11/16).  And against Jarvis Christian on (11/19), Lari hit the winning free-throws with 4 seconds to go in the game, to help continue the Lady Blue Devil win streak.  When the time came for Lariana to step it up just a little bit more, she was called upon to start, and contributed big, in one of the biggest games of her career when Shelby Hamp was unable to go in the GCAC Tournament Championship game. 

Alexzandria Cruse, 6'2" - Sophomore Center (#33)
Poughkeepsie High School - Poughkeepsie, NY

In her first year, “Alli” came on strong and continually improved as the season progressed.  A strong and physical low post presence, Alexzandria shot 49% from the field and was a monster on the boards.  The tallest returning player, she will be expected to hold down the center position for this year’s Lady Blue Devils.  Alli finished last season as the 4^th leading rebounder coming in off the bench.  A very good shot blocker, Alexzandria will have to improve on her post defense and play smart to keep herself in the ball games towards the end.

Gernay Montgomery, 5'5" - Sophomore Guard (#3)
John F. Kennedy High School - Richmond, CA

Gernay is returning to the team after suffering a season ending knee injury (ACL) in 2002-03.  Gernay played in nine games before her injury ….her speed and quickness was best used when Dillard wanted to press its opponents.  She had reconstructive surgery not too long after her injury to repair her knee and has been working towards getting back into playing condition.

Annabelle Manalo, 5’7” - Sophomore Guard (#11)
Ryerson University - Toronto, Canada

Annabelle comes to the Lady Blue Devils as a transfer from Ryerson University.  A very good ball-handler and assist giver, she will no doubt challenge for the starting point guard position for this season.  At Waterloo University, Annabelle averaged 9 points and dished out 4 assists per game.  She was ranked as the #1 guard in Saskatchewan Province as a high school senior.

Tamica Gray, 6'0" - Sophomore Forward (#31)
Jacksonville Junior College - Longview, TX

After playing one season at Jacksonville Junior College, Tamica has chosen to continue her academic and athletic career at Dillard University.   An athletic forward, she is expected to give the Lady Blue Devils an experienced and aggressive front court squad.  At Jacksonville Junior College, Tamica averaged 5 points per game and shot 70% from the foul line.

Roshawnda Bolton, 5'8" - Freshperson Guard (#24)
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy - Kansas City, MO

Roshawnda made this year’s team as a walk-on and continues to demonstrate that hard working attitude that got her noticed by the coaching staff during tryouts.  In high school, as an All-District and All-Metro selection in Kansas City, she led the Lady Tigers in scoring at the point guard position with 15 points and 6 assists per game.  Roshawnda, a nursing major, is attending Dillard University on an academic scholarship.

Kelli Johnson, 5'7" - Freshperson Guard (#22)
Atlantic City High School - Atlantic City, NJ

Averaging 14 points per game her senior year in high school, Kelli was chosen as her team’s MVP and was an All-County pick for Atlantic City High.  A four year Varsity starter, she was an All-State 3^rd Team member.

Mark Cook - Women’s Head Basketball Coach

The Lady Blue Devils’ program has been elevated to national prominence under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Cook. At 26-3 in 2002-03, Mark Cook had his best won-loss record of his career as a head coach. The team set a record, ending last season fourth in the country. Cook has 109 wins in the last five seasons and two conference championships in the last three years. Four out of the last five years, the program has ranked in the top five in the country in defense. The program has made three consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances. In January 1998, Cook was named interim head coach of the women’s program. He was appointed to the head coach position at the end of the season after going 9-11. In the last three seasons, the Lady Blue Devils have lost only two home games. Cook enters his sixth season as head coach at Dillard University.

Cook came to Dillard University in 1994 as the assistant men’s basketball coach. During his time with the men’s program, they went three straight seasons of 20-plus wins, two GCAC conference championships and a NAIA national tournament appearance. In five years as the women’s head basketball coach, all of Cook’s seniors received their degrees, an impressive rate of 100%.

Cook brings a wealth of experience to the head coach position at Dillard University. While he was an administrative assistant at Wichita State University, the Shockers made the NIT and NCAA-Elite Eight Tournament. As an assistant coach at University of Missouri-Kansas City, his team played for the NAIA District 16 finals. When he was an assistant at Marist College, they won the Northeast Conference Championship.

His first head coaching position was at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas and his next coaching position was at Louisiana Tech University.

Cook also has a wealth of international coaching experience. In 1996 he coached the island nation of Dominica’s men's team to a second place finish in the Eastern Caribbean Championships in Grenada. This last summer he traveled to Strausburg France to lecture at a basketball camp. He has also put on coaching clinics in Jamaica and St. Martin.

He has a B.S. in Health Care Administration from Wichita State University.

2002-03
Victories over top 25 opponents
UN of Mobile #15
Xavier UN. #12
Auburn University-Montgomery #19

Desma Thomas - Women's Assistant Basketball Coach

In her first year as Assistant Coach at Dillard University, Desma Thomas had the opportunity to be a part of one of the best winning seasons for the Women’s Basketball Program in Dillard University history, finishing with a 26-3 overall season record for 2002-2003.  Coming to the program mainly to develop each player’s individual skills, this year will be no different for Coach Thomas and the current Lady Blue Devil squad.  Filled with excitement and high expectations for 2003-04, her goal is to continue to help build a dominant powerhouse for Dillard University in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and in the NAIA.

Before entering into coaching, Desma Thomas enjoyed a fulfilling collegiate and professional career.  She was a member of the WNBA Phoenix Mercury in 1997, the NWBL Birmingham Power in 2001 and has gotten the opportunity to travel abroad, playing for teams in Holland, Italy, Sweden, and Turkey. 

She is a 1997 Bachelor of Business Administration, Sports Management graduate at NCAA Division I, University of Miami (FL).