Brown Named NE-10 Coach of the Year

Skyhawks head coach earns Conference honors for second time

EASTON, Mass. (March 1, 2013) – Stonehill College women's basketball head coach Trisha Brown has been selected as the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year by her peers the league announced today. The NE-10's All-Conference and major awards are selected by the Conference's 16 head coaches.

Brown, who earns NE-10 Coach of the Year honors for the second time in her career, has led Stonehill to a 23-3 overall record, including a 19-3 mark in the NE-10, after being picked eighth in the Conference's preseason coaches' poll. The Skyhawks have returned to the USA TODAY Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) Division II poll for the first time since the 2009-10 season and are currently ranked a season-high 11th after defeating top-ranked Bentley University on Saturday and are winners of six straight and nine of ten heading into the postseason. Stonehill, the No. 2 seed for the upcoming NE-10 Tournament, are also ranked second in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings each of the first two weeks it has been released by the Championship Selection Committee.

Stonehill has had seven women's basketball Coach of the Year winners, with Brown also receiving the honors in 2007-08. Stonehill and Northeast-10 Hall of Famer Paula Sullivan collected the award five times over her illustrious career at the program's helm. Brown led the Skyhawks to a 27-5 record in 2007-08, winning the NE-10 regular season and tournament crowns on their way to third-straight NCAA Tournament bid.

Stonehill has returned to the top of the NE-10 standings by producing one of the top defenses and top shooting teams in the Conference, leading Division II with 18.8 assists per game. The Skyhawks are ranked fourth in the NE-10 for scoring defense (59.0 ppg), leading the Conference in field goal percentage defense (.364) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.260) while ranking second in blocked shots per game (4.5/gm). Stonehill ranks fifth in the NE-10 for scoring (68 ppg) while leading the Conference in field goal percentage (.432), three-point field goal percentage (.371), free-throw percentage (.760) and assists per game (18.8). The Skyhawks also rank eighth nationally for three-point field goal percentage, 12th for free-throw percentage, 15th for three-point percentage defense, 19th for three-point field goals per game and 24th for field goal percentage.

Brown has led Stonehill to a 244-112 record (.685) over her 12 seasons at the helm, including a 173-90 (.658) clip in Northeast-10 play. She has guided the Skyhawks to seven NCAA Tournament appearances, with an eighth imminent, as well as the two NE-10 championships and a spot in the NE-10 Tournament all 12 seasons. Stonehill reached the East Regional championship in 2003 and 2009 while also reaching the NE-10 title game in 2010. Brown's career winning percentage is good for 18th among active coaches in Division II and 34th all-time in Division II.

Brown, the Russell Athletic/WBCA East Region Coach of the Year in 2008, has produced five WBCA honorable mention All-Americans over her 12 seasons, one NE-10 Player of the Year, one NE-10 Rookie of the Year and an NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year with 15 All-Northeast-10 selections and five NE-10 All-Rookie honorees.

Stonehill is back in action on Sunday when it opens postseason play with a Northeast-10 Quarterfinal matchup in Merkert Gymnasium at 3 p.m. The Skyhawks await the winner of tonight's NE-10 first round clash between 10th-seeded Merrimack College (15-11, 11-11 NE-10) and 7th-seeded Pace University (14-12, 12-10 NE-10) taking place in Pleasantville, N.Y., at 7 p.m. Admission to Sunday's game will be $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for senior citizens and children and $1.00 for students of participating NE-10 institutions with a valid ID. All Stonehill students in attendance on Sunday will be admitted free of charge courtesy of the Athletics Department.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.