Women's Basketball Opens Season Nov. 17 at the Salem State Tip-Off Tournament
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – November 17, 2006 – The Springfield College women’s basketball team, under the direction of Head Coach Naomi Graves, will open its 2006-07 season tonight at the Salem State Tip-Off Tournament in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Salem State Tip-Off promises to be a highly-competitive tournament, considering three of the four teams reached the NCAA Division III post-season tournament last March.
In the first game tonight at 6 pm, the host team, Salem State, will take on the Pride. In game #2 at 8 pm, Williams College will take on the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Salem State, Williams, and Springfield all competed in the NCAA’s last season. The consolation game will be played at 1 pm on Saturday (Nov. 18), while the championship game will take place at 3 pm.
Springfield College women’s basketball has put together a very successful run in recent times, all under Graves who is entering her 16th year at the helm. SC has competed in post-season competition in each of the last 11 years, be it NCAA or ECAC play. In five of the past six years, SC has won its New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference post-season tournament, and thereby earned the automatic NCAA Division III qualifying berth that goes along with it. SC has competed in the NCAA Tourney in 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, and 2005-06. In 2004-05, SC made it all the way to the Elite Eight. Last year, SC was knocked out in the first round, losing to Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania.
SC’s overall record last year was 22-7. Its NEWMAC record was 12-1, before sweeping three games in the NEWMAC Tourney, including a 57-51 victory over Mount Holyoke in the title game.
The Pride must replace three starters. Included in that group is 5-10 forward Courtney Parvin, the 2005-06 NEWMAC Player of the Year. Graves must also replace 6-0 center Erin Schwartz and 5-8 point-guard LaToya Franklin. Parvin averaged a team-leading 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. Schwartz averaged 9.9 points and 7.8 rebounds. Franklin averaged 5.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a team-leading 3.0 assists.
The cupboard, however, is not bare. The Pride returns two starters, including a pair of junior guards in 5-7 Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) and 5-9 Tara McCarthy (Bristol, R.I.), the second- and third-leading scorers from a year ago. Cotter, who appears to be over a shoulder problem that plagued her all last year, averaged 11.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 2005-06. Cotter has the capability of shooting the three-pointer as well as slashing to the hoop. McCarthy averaged 10.3 points and 2.8 rebounds a year ago. The 2004-05 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, McCarthy will be remembered for her 23-point outburst in the NCAA Playoff game at Messiah. Both Cotter and McCarthy are considered strong scoring threats.
Springfield will also be depending upon 6-1 sophomore center Lauren O’Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.), who showed tremendous promise in the second half of last year. At her rate of improvement, O’Connor has the chance to be one of the league’s top players. She averaged 8.6 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds last season as a freshman.
SC will also be looking for help from 5-5 senior guard Amanda Hill (Cheshire, Conn.), who played just six games at the start of last year before tearing an ACL. In addition, there are 5-8 junior guard Katie Castignetti (Braintree, Mass.), who appeared in 26 games last year, 5-9 senior guard Caitlyn Cuthbertson (Assonet, Mass.), and 5-1 sophomore guard Liz Jordan (Sandwich, Mass.).
Cotter, Cuthbertson, and Hill are the tri-captains.
Two others who should see plenty of action include 5-8 sophomore forward Corey Finch (Hanover, Pa.) and 6-0 sophomore forward/center Liz Brosseau (Franklin, Mass.). Don’t be surprised to see the greatly-improved Finch in the starting line-up.
Three freshmen dot the roster. They include 5-7 forward/guard Krista Turnbull (Geneva, N.Y.), 5-11 center/forward Liana Fallon (Brewster, N.Y.), who has been slowed by arthroscopic knee surgery, but is expected back within a few weeks, and 5-8 guard Amanda DiPaolo (Garrison, N.Y.).
Graves is wary about high expectations, especially considering the tough early-season schedule. And the NEWMAC conference seems to be improving by leaps and bounds every year. But Graves is counting on the fact that this team “will be there in the end”.
Team Links
- 2009-2010 Schedule
- 2009-2010 Roster
- 2009-2010 Statistics
- 2009-2010 JV Schedule
- Photo Gallery
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- NEWMACsports.com
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- 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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