With Ailing Coach Back, Wilkes Gets Emotional Win

By MARK FITZHENRY Times Leader Sports Writer
Sunday, December 12, 1999 Page: 12C

WILKES-BARRE – Karen Haag fought back tears Saturday as the national anthem
played over the Marts Center loudspeakers.

She was entitled. Eight days after learning she had breast cancer, Haag was
back on the Wilkes University bench, coaching women’s basketball.
“I’m a pretty emotional person,” Haag said after her team’s 72-62 victory
against winless Beaver College. “My team knows about me. ... I’m an emotional
coach and I show it. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it’s me.”

Indeed, Haag was herself all game. Pacing. High-fiving. Questioning
officials.

“That’s her perfectly,” assistant coach John Seitzinger said. “She
didn’t miss a beat today.”

More important for Haag and the Lady Colonels, the team responded by
snapping its three-game losing streak despite committing 23 turnovers and
allowing 16 offensive rebounds. They did make 23 of 27 free throws, which
helped them build an 18-point lead in the second half.

The victory came in the first round of the Comfort Inn/Lady Colonel
Classic. Wilkes (4-4) will play Rosemont College – a 71-50 winner over Hunter
College – in today’s championship game at 3 p.m.

Haag said she’ll coach again today. The rest of her schedule will go
game-by-game, depending on her therapy. On days she is out, assistant Ann
Donnelly will run the team and Seitzinger, also the school’s sports
information director, will assist.

Upon learning of her cancer Dec. 3, Haag said in a statement she hoped to
return by early January. Once the doctors gave her details, Haag said she
expected to return soon.

On Monday, Haag underwent surgery to remove a tumor and lymph nodes from
her left breast. Wednesday, Haag attended the Wilkes-King’s game. Thursday,
she appeared at practice. Friday, she planned and ran practice.

“I certainly wasn’t surprised to be here this weekend,” Haag said.

Haag said her chances of beating the cancer are 95 to 97 percent.

“We’re happy to get back to a regular routine,” said Katie Watkins, whose


Haag gave no special speech, and the players said the pregame routine was
normal. But Haag’s sweater was pink, the same color of ribbons that are the
universal sign of cancer support. She said it was a coincidence – “I’m not a
walking breast cancer ribbon, no.”

Wilkes gave Haag little to worry about in the first half, getting a

in transition.

The lead expanded to 69-51 with 3:18 remaining. When Haag removed her
starters, Beaver (0-7) stepped up its pressure and cut the lead to 10 with


Ricketts 7 5-5 20, Copeland 4 8-12 16, Rickert 2 3-4 8. Totals 19 22-33 62.
WILKES (72) Elwood 2 0-0 5, Mendygral 2 7-7 11, Gorish 1 0-0 3, Eddy 0 0-0 0,
Wilson 0 0-0 0, Ronkowski 2 1-2 7, Watkins 7 12-14 26, Lee 2 0-0 4, Priestman

Totals 22 23-27 72. Halftime: Wilkes 35-25. 3-pt FGs: Ricketts, Rickert,
Elwood, Gorish, Ronkowski 2, Priestman.