Raymond looks to build off her NE10 Rookie of the Year campaign this winter (PHOTO BY Tom Weishaar) |
Skyhawks tied for second with rival Bentley in NE10's Northeast Division
NE10 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
EASTON, Mass. (October 17, 2019) – The Stonehill College women's basketball team has been picked to finish tied for second in the Northeast-10 Conference's Northeast Division by the league's head coaches in the NE10 Preseason Poll released today.
Stonehill is tied for second in the Northeast Division with rival Bentley University, who collected five first place votes, with both programs receiving 77 points. The Skyhawks picked up one first place vote and trails just reigning NCAA East Region Champions Saint Anselm College in the poll with 83 points and eight first place votes. Southern New Hampshire University (50 points) is ranked fourth, followed by Assumption College (41) in fifth, Saint Michael's College (29) sixth and Franklin Pierce University (28th) seventh, to round out the Northeast Division.
Defending NE10 Tournament Champions Le Moyne College (90 points) are the runaway favorites to defend their Southwest Division title, picking up 12 of the 14 first place votes. The Dolphins are followed in the Division by Adelphi University (69 points) in second with a first place vote, the University of New Haven (62) in third, Southern Connecticut State University (57) in fourth and receiving the remaining first place vote, American International College (47) in fifth, Pace University (34) in sixth and The College of Saint Rose (26) in seventh.
Carter has been a steady member of the starting rotation for the last two seasons (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Stonehill head coach Trisha Brown, in her 19th season at the helm, returns 12 letterwinners and all five starters from her 2018-19 squad that posted a 20-10 record overall, including 14-7 in the NE10 to finish second in the Northeast Division. The Skyhawks reached the 20-win mark for the 26th time in program history and earned the program's 25th NCAA Tournament bid, where it advanced to the East Region semifinals.
Stonehill's roster features five seniors, including captains Grace Carter, Gabrielle Reuter and Kelsey Shaw, who have combined for 135 starts over their collegiate careers. They are joined on the team by classmates Rileigh Avila and Morgan O'Brien.
Jennifer Worden and Madison Seymour make up Stonehill's junior class, with five sophomores in Emily Bramanti, Sophie Glidden, Megan Hill, Kayla Raymond and Isabella Santoro.
Stonehill is excited by the addition of its four freshmen, Annalise DeMuth, Erin Donlan, Mia Kelly and Jesse Semeniak.
Raymond headlines the Stonehill returnees after a breakout freshman campaign that saw her collect a program-record nine NE10 Rookie of the Week honors on her way to NE10 Rookie of the Year and Division II Bulletin All-Rookie Team status. The second team All-NE10 selection averaged a team-high 16.2 points per game on 49.3-percent shooting, including 38.7% (41-for-106) from three-point range, while converting 79.5% (31-39) of her free-throws, pulling in a team-high 5.8 rebounds to go with 1.8 blocked shots and a steal per game in 24.2 minutes per game. She scored in double-figures in 22 of her 26 games, scoring 20-plus points eight times, including a season-high 32 points at Merrimack College on February 20, with a pair of double-doubles.
Shaw is a three-year starter for the Skyhawks and one of two two-year captains on this year's squad (PHOTO BY Peter Buehner) |
Carter contributed 9.8 points per game for Stonehill last season, adding 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a steal in 28.1 minutes per game. Reuter added 9.0 points on 51.9-percent shooting, with 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and team-leading 1.9 blocked shots in 23 minutes per game, while Worden registered 8.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, a team-high 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.8 minutes per contest. Shaw rounds out the five returning starters, having started 56 of 87 games over her career, and earning a spot on the NE10 All-Rookie Team as a freshman. She chipped in with 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.7 points per contest last year. Bramanti, Santoro and Seymour also saw regular minutes off the bench for Stonehill last season.
Stonehill opens its 2019-20 season at the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College, in Rochester, New York, against Daemen College on Friday, November 8, at 6 p.m. The Skyhawks first home game is its NE10 opener against Saint Michael's College on Saturday, November 23, at Merkert Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. Stonehill's schedule is also highlighted by a pre-Christmas Tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida, December 21 and 22, where it will face Ave Maria University and Grand Valley State University.
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