Springfield To Host 2008 Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — January 2, 2008 -- The Springfield College men's and women's basketball teams will open up the new year as hosts of the 2008 Holiday Inn/Naismith Classic which will be held on January 3-4 in Blake Arena.On the men's side, this year's tournament marks the 21st edition of the Classic, while it will be the13th for the women's squads. The men's tournament will consist of Springfield, Drew University, Roger Williams University, and Montclair State University. The Springfield women will entertain Wesleyan University, William Paterson University, and Bates College.
The women's team enters the Classic with a 4-4 record and will open up against Wesleyan at 1:00 pm on Thursday afternoon. Springfield, the top shooting team in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, is led by senior Tara McCarthy's 13.6 points per game. Junior center Lauren O'Connor has added 12.6 points to go along with a team-best 9.4 boards per game. Rachelle Walker (12.4 ppg), Christine Cotter (12.0 ppg), and Corey Finch (8.8 ppg) round out the Pride's starting five.
Despite a 3-6 record entering the Classic, the men's squad has shown its ability to play with some of the top teams in the nation. Springfield has knocked off a pair of teams ranked in the Top 25 in the country with wins over Trinity and Rhode Island College. To date, the Pride's opponents through their first nine games have a combined record of 60-22 . The Pride is a very strong rebounding squad, owning a plus-four advantage on the glass this year, and are paced by John Strawson's 8.8 caroms a game. Jamaal Gibbs leads the team with 12 points per game and is closely followed by Ryan Blackmon (11.9 ppg) and Pat Crean (11.4 ppg). Senior Gregg Daly is slowing coming into his own this season and is adding 9.4 points and 7.3 boards per game.
About the Field
Men's Side
Drew University -- Drew enters with a 4-4 record and its lone common opponent with the Pride is Williams. Drew fell to Williams, 74-58, while the Pride fell by a score of 71-66 in Williamstown.
Montclair State University -- Owning a 5-5 record, Montclair State has already defeated Drew once this season. On December 10, Montclair State was victorious in overtime, 73-67.
Roger Williams University -- Roger Williams enters the Classic with a 3-5 record, having lost five of its last six games.
Women's Side
Bates College -- After splitting a pair of games at the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout on Dec. 19-20, Bates has won three of its last four and stands at 4-3 this season.
Wesleyan University -- Wesleyan currently sits at 7-2 this season and defeated last-season's NEWMAC regular-season champion WPI, 57-55, earlier this year.
William Paterson University -- Riding a six-game winning streak, William Paterson is 7-2 this year. In its season-opener at the DeSales Invitational, Springfield fell to William Paterson, 67-59.
Holiday Inn Naismith Classic Schedule
Thursday, January 3
Women's
Wesleyan at Springfield -- 1:00 pm
Bates vs. William Paterson -- 3:00 pm
Men's
Roger Williams vs. Montclair State -- 5:30 pm
Drew at Springfield -- 7:30 pm
Friday, January 4
Women's Consolation Game -- 1:00 pm
Men's Consolation Game -- 3:00 pm
Women's Championship Game -- 5:30 pm
Men's Championship Game -- 7:30 pm
Team Links
- 2009-2010 Schedule
- 2009-2010 Roster
- 2009-2010 Statistics
- 2009-2010 JV Schedule
- Photo Gallery
- Live Stats
- Alumni Questionnaire
- NEWMACsports.com
- D3hoops.com
- Team Archives
Head Coach Naomi Graves
Entering her 19th season as head coach in 2009-10, Naomi Graves has directed her squads to an impressive 266-117 record (.695 winning percentage) since joining the Division III ranks in 1995. Graves has led the Pride to eleven post-season bids in the past 14 years, including five berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past nine years.
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