James P. McCoy, Buffalo News McKees Rocks native Shaunna Ambrose is the leading scorer for 6-2 Niagara. Click photo for larger image.

After going 4-25 last year, the Niagara University women's basketball team matched that win total and then some less than three weeks into the season.

The Purple Eagles have started this season with a 6-2 record as they prepare for their first conference game of the season, facing Fairfield at home tomorrow night.

A change of attitude and some new leadership from veteran players has been the main reason for the Purple Eagles' fast start.

"Last year I was trying to find our next great player instead of saying, 'We don't need a great player; we just need a bunch of really good players," said Niagara coach Bill Agronin.

"This year we came in with a different attitude. We said we're just going to play and see what unfolds, and so far it's been really good with a lot of good people touching the ball each night."

Agronin has associated the team's early success to the leadership of the upperclassmen, including Shaunna Ambrose.

Ambrose, a senior from McKees Rocks who played at Vincentian Academy, saw her collegiate career get off to a slow start because of major knee surgery just after high school. That forced her to redshirt her freshman year at Niagara.

"It was very difficult for me, coming off of major knee surgery and having to sit out and watch," said Ambrose.

Even after rehabbing her knee, Ambrose had to work to familiarize herself with the college game.

"Her second year was a transition for her, but after understanding the system and getting herself in decent shape, she's been outstanding," said Agronin.

After averaging 1.8 points in her freshman season, Ambrose, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, saw her scoring average jump to 15.8 points as a sophomore. Although an injury in her junior year forced her to miss eight games, Ambrose was still able to average 13.2 points.

Now a fifth-year senior, Ambrose has developed her game, leading the team in scoring (17.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (44).

"I've gotten a lot stronger and learned to work with everybody," Ambrose said.

She's also getting some help from her teammates, in particular, two other former WPIAL standouts, Michelle Manfredi, a junior guard from Jefferson Hills and Serra Catholic, and Sarah Prybyl, a Mars resident who played at North Catholic.

Manfredi is averaging 8.3 points and 9 rebounds per game. Prybyl, a defensive specialist, averages just 1.7 points per game but is second on the team in steals with 11 behind Ambrose, who has 16.

The Purples Eagles recently announced that another WPIAL athlete will join the team next year: 5-11 Moon Area forward Julie Gebhard, who signed a national letter of intent.

Both Ambrose and Agronin know Ambrose's experience and maturity will be needed if the team is to continue to have success.

"Shaunna is the lead-by-example type," said Agronin. "She's a very good player on the court. She doesn't care if she scores points as long as we win. That's the main focus she has."

But Ambrose's scoring has certainly helped the team. In a game against St. Bonaventure on Nov. 14, Ambrose had a team-high 28 points in Niagara's 71-64 victory.

"So far it's started off great, and hopefully just keeps on going," she said.