University of New England women’s basketball team had a solid 2010-11 season, coming up just short in the CCC Championship game against Salve Regina, dropping a 76-74 decision. The team finished its season on a high note, however, by winning an ECAC New England Championship with a title-game win over Southern Maine. The Nor’easters return a lot of talent, including the reigning CCC Defensive Player of the Year and a CCC first team selection Kelley Paradis, who was fifth a year ago among the CCC scoring leaders (15.9 PPG) and was third in field goal percentage (.504). Alongside Paradis, fellow captains Margo Russell (2010-11CCC 2nd Team Selection) and Kari Pelletier are two of UNE’s top returners. All three players are in their senior year, and plan to provide great leadership in the upcoming season.
The 2010-11 CCC Women’s Basketball Champion Salve Regina, looks to repeat its success and make a push for the 2011-12 title after graduating eight seniors. The team is coming off an unblemished 13-0 conference play record, reaching the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the team fell to a tough Bowdoin opponent 74-64, thus ending a program-record 20 game win streak. The Seahawks return senior center Lindsay Shorey, who averaged 9.8 points per game and had 53 blocks on the season. Alongside Shorey, the Seahawks welcome back junior guard Kaitlyn Birrell who recently earned the 2011 CCC Offensive Player of the Year honor for women’s soccer. Birrell started 28 of the team’s 29 games last season, and was second in the CCC in assists (4.3 apg) and first in steals (3.3 spg).
The Roger Williams women’s basketball team looks to contend in this year’s CCC Championship race, after finishing with an 8-5 conference record. The Hawks return many key players in this upcoming season, including Alexandria Lanier, Kaitlyn Bovee, and Elizabeth Kilzi. Lanieri was a 2010-11 CCC third team selection, averaging 12.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. Bovee was selected as the 2010-11 CCC Rookie of the Year and complied 10.2 points per game and a free throw percentage of .841, which was good for fourth in the CCC. Kilzi comes back this season after averaging 9.5 points per game last season.
The Endicott Gulls look to come back after a successful CCC season last year, finishing with a 10-3 conference record. The Gulls will be led this season by captains Jenn McBrien and Nicole Heffernen. McBrien had a shooting percentage of .400 from the field last season, and has scored 174 points in her career. Heffernen started in all 27 games last season, and is a career .381 shooter from behind the three-point arc and a .374 shooter from the field. The Gulls will look to its veteran captains for leadership, as the team tries to win its first conference championship.
Western New England comes into this year’s season with high hopes for a successful season, returning a handful of experienced players. Trying to build on its 6-7 CCC finish last season, the Golden Bears look to last year’s CCC third team selected Emily Savino (11.3 PPG, 22 games started). Alongside Savino, WNE brings back 2011-12 co-captain Shelby Van Huysen (7.3 PPG) and junior center Elena Radzikowski who was first in the conference in field goal percentage (.528). Sophomore Ali Pessolano is also a co-captain, who the team will look to throughout the season for leadership.
Curry College enters the season with a good deal of experience returning from juniors Julia Scrubb and Hailey Rafferty. Scrubb led the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.9 points per game and was third in the CCC in free throw percentage (.867), while Rafferty started all 26 games, and averaged 9.3 points per game.
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