08/06/06 — Terry, Hilbrich join basketball staffs at MOC

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Terry, Hilbrich join basketball staffs at MOC

Published in Sports on August 6, 2006 2:11 AM

MOUNT OLIVE -- Mount Olive College has named assistant basketball coaches to its men's and women's staff.

Dante Terry, a graduate of The Citadel, will join the men's team. Cindy Hilbrich, who spent the 2005-06 season at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, has joined the women's program.

Each begins their respective duties this month.

Terry emerged The Citadel's leading scorer this past season with an average of 12.4 points per game and was the only player on the squad to start in all 30 games. The 6-foot-2 guard also led the Bulldogs in assists and steals in 2005-06.

Terry helped lead The Citadel to an upset win over Furman in the first round of the 2006 Southern Conference Tournament and scored 19 points to spark a near upset over eventual conference champion and NCAA Division I Tournament participant Davidson in the second round.

A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Terry earned a degree in sports management and administration. He finished his basketball career at The Citadel ranked fifth in school history in career three-pointers.

"We our delighted to have Coach Terry join our staff," said Clingan. "Dante grew up in a basketball family and after completing a successful playing career at The Citadel, he is eager to begin his coaching career. We look forward to Dante helping us prepare for what we feel will be another exciting season."

Mount Olive returns three starters from a squad that finished with a 25-7 record last season and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA II East Regional. The Trojans have posted three consecutive 20-win seasons and have earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship in each of the last three years, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2005.

Wisconsin-Parkside, a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, upset 20th-ranked and NCAA Division II tournament participant Northern Kentucky 70-62 late in the season. The victory ended the eventual GLVC champion's 16-game win streak.

Hilbrich is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she lettered in basketball and softball. She played the point guard position in basketball and finished her career ranked 10th in steals at UW-W. She also ranked among the school softball leaders in career at-bats and runs scored.

Hilbrich completed work this summer on her master's degree from UW-Whitewater in curriculum and instruction (coaching). Her undergraduate degree is in human resource management

"We're excited about having Cindy at Mount Olive,"said Lee. "She's a very energetic and enthusiastic person and she will bring a spark to the women's basketball program. In addition, she has a lot of contacts in the Great Lakes region, so we hope that will help us expand our recruiting base."

Mount Olive posted a record of 16-13 in 2005-06 for the Trojans' highest single-season win total in the Division II era. The Trojans return 10 letterwinners, including three starters.