After a season marked by successes and setbacks, the women's basketball program is looking toward a bright future.
The 2024-25 season ended for the Cardinals after a 55-42 loss at Ohio Northern in the OAC semifinals on Feb. 27. The Cardinals finished the season 13-14 overall and 8-10 in the conference, which earned them the sixth seed in the conference tournament.
The team was full of young talent with 14 underclassmen. With only five upperclassmen, the team struggled with experience, getting the younger players to learn, and expectations.
“There’s a lot to learn,” said head coach Diana Noles. “That’s on us coaches. There are things that are very important to us in the game. We try to get them to understand those things early in the season, and then by later in the season, they knew what we expected, and [I] thought that they handled situations better.”
A lot of younger players had to step up this season, including sophomore guard Kyla Irby, who led the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game and was named second team all-OAC. Irby scored a career-high 26 points in a win over Muskingum. Last season, Irby averaged 9.3 points per game, which was one point behind the team's leading scorer.
“Kyla is so fun to coach,” Noles said. “She is super talented and has had some phenomenal moments for us. Now that she isn’t a freshman anymore, she is starting to see more of those challenges. There’s been a handful of games where she has had to adjust and find a different way to score or impact the game and just adjust or attack a little differently. Those moments are so fun and awesome to watch.”
Another underclassman who made a big impact for the Cardinals this season was first-year guard Kiara Hudgins. She led the team in assists with 3.0 per game, 2.2 steals per game and was named OAC Freshman of the Year.
“I think she is a great asset to our team. She is super competitive, always trying to find ways to make her teammates better. I think she has potential to be defensive player of the year down the road," Noles said. "There were times when she changed the outcome of our games just by her intensity. Super excited for her to earn that award and am looking forward to her having a huge impact on the team’s success in the next few years.”
While the team has a very bright future with a lot of young talent, they will be missing a big piece next season: Kathleen DeCarlo. Decarlo led the team in rebounding with 6.1 per game and was named honorable mention all-OAC.
DeCarlo’s coaches and teammates all agreed her leadership, size and presence will be hard to replicate next season.
“She was a very good leader," Irby said. "Her voice was very needed especially in times we were down and times we were up. Her energy was always there, and she was very important in our success this year.”
Throughout the season the team had some memorable moments that showed their growth and resilience.
After losing back-to-back games, including a tough game against No. 19 Baldwin Wallace, the Cardinals regained their momentum and went on a five-game winning streak. Two of those games were at the Smokey Ballenger Classic. Irby averaged 21 points per game during the two wins, which earned her the tournament MVP award.
Despite coming up short in the conference tournament, the Cardinals proved they could compete with top teams in the conference. That included a tough 10-point loss to Baldwin Wallace and a thrilling double-overtime loss by three points against Ohio Northern.
The Cardinals made a statement in their OAC tournament first-round game against third-seed John Carroll. A huge performance from first-years Mattie Walburn and Madilyn Stechschulte, who each had 14 points, helped lead the Cardinals to a 71-54 upset over the Blue Streaks.
With three returning starters next season, the Cardinals aim to build on this season's progress and carry over the win against John Carroll as momentum for next season.
“Being able to go up to John Carroll and win and win with a lot of young kids on the floor was super important for our program,” Noles said. “And it gives us kind of an insight to the future and what expectations are from those younger kids.”
