Women's Basketball Tips Off 2006-2007 Campaign Over Weekend In Sunshine State As Skyhawks Participate In 2006 Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic

November 2, 2006

The success of the Stonehill women's basketball program traces its roots back some 35 years, when the Skyhawks came roaring out of the gate with a 14-0 mark during their inaugural varsity campaign in 1971-72 under Hall of Fame mentor Paula Sullivan. Stonehill hasn't slowed down during that 35-year period, posting winning campaigns each winter during that time span, and last year was no exception under the guidance of Head Coach Trisha Brown, who guided her squad to 24 victories, a second place finish in the always rugged Northeast-10 Conference and the program's 16th NCAA tournament berth since 1983, the third highest total in Division II history.

With a bevy of talent and experience returning to the fold once again this season, Brown has plenty of reason to be excited and enthusiastic about her squad heading into her sixth season at the helm, as Stonehill welcomes back nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's campaign, including a pair of Northeast-10 individual honorees. Leadership has always played a major part of the Skyhawks throughout the program's history, and Brown will look to a pair of seniors for that example in Alisha Collins (Port Chester, N.Y./Trinity Catholic) and Tiffany Huggins (Stoughton, Mass./Brockton), who have been elected as team co-captains.

"Alisha and Tiffany step into leadership roles this season as tremendous role models," Brown, who has guided Stonehill to 96 career victories in five seasons, says of her captains. "I know they will make a very positive impact on our team both on and off the court in their role as captains."

Here's a look at how things are shaping up for the 2006-2007 edition of Skyhawk Women's Basketball:

FRONT COURT. All discussion of the Stonehill frontcourt begins with Collins, who returns as the reigning Northeast-10 and ECAC Division II Player of the Year after averaging 18.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior while posting 14 20-plus point performances, including a career-high 30 points in wins over Bentley and Merrimack. Collins enters the season 27 points shy of becoming the 21st member of Stonehill's 1,000 point club after posting the fourth highest single-season scoring total (563) in school history.

"Alisha is coming off a tremendous season as the conference Player of the Year, and she has a great ability to score," Brown says of Collins. "I'm looking for Alisha to enhance her scoring with an ability to create for others while becoming more of an impact player on the defensive end as well."

Fellow senior Caitlin Kennedy (Baldwin, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) lends additional experience up front for the Skyhawks, as she ranked third on the squad last winter in both scoring (9.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg) while connecting for 25 three-pointers while leading the team in the scoring column on four occasions.

"Caitlin is a true team player and a quiet leader," Brown says of Kennedy. "She is an unsung hero who does all the little things for team success, and she is one of the best post defenders and rebounders in our program."

The return of sophomore Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass./Cardinal Spellman) to the paint is certainly a plus for Stonehill, as last year's Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year made an immediate impact by averaging 10.3 points while adding a team-best 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per gamewhile notching five double-double efforts: "Kelsey hit the ground running and impacted the game like I hoped she would," says Brown of Simonds. "She combines great size and mobility to impact both ends of the court."

Junior Meghan Driscoll (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) and freshman Diondra Primus (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz) also bring great size to the Skyhawk frontcourt, as both stand 6-2. Driscoll appeared in 27 contests for Stonehill last season, averaging 1.3 points and rebounds per game, and Brown says that she "has shown great improvement on the offensive end, and her mobility will help us at the center spot." Brown says that Primus "has incredible potential with her size and athleticism and has a very bright future" as a Skyhawk.

BACK COURT. Huggins leads a talented group of Stonehill guards, as she averaged 5.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season in 26 appearances: "Tiffany is one of the quickest players I've ever coached, and we will look to utilize her speed at both ends of the floor. She brings a fantastic work ethic and passion for the game and makes an impact at both ends."

Junior Erika Stupinski (Topsham, Maine/Mount Ararat) has quickly established herself as a backcourt threat in her first two seasons at Stonehill, as she averaged 8.7 points per game and led the Northeast-10 with 5.6 assists per contest, including a school-record tying 15 assist effort last December in a win over Saginaw Valley State, while senior Kim Morast (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) brings great experience to the guard spot as a returning starter for Brown, as she started all 31 contests last season, averaging 8.4 points and ranking second to Stupinski in assists at 2.7 per game.

"Erika is a natural team leader, as she has excellent knowledge of the game and great court awareness and creates so well for others," says Brown. "Kim is one of the best competitors in the program and has the toughness and intensity to inspire her teammates in both practice and game settings. She picks up some of the toughest defensive assignments and I look for her to impact once again."

Sophomore Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) and junior Daryl Cioffi (New Milford, N.J./Immaculate Heart) lend additional experience for Stonehill, as Tighe appeared in 20 games during her rookie season and averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.7 rpg, while Cioffi averaged 1.5 ppg and nearly a rebound per game and made a solid impact off the bench in the post-season.

"Bethany is one of the most fundamentally sound players on our team, and is a fantastic shooter," says Brown. "We will look to utilize her scoring ability this year. Daryl provided a huge spark off the bench and has the ability to impact the game with her outstanding intensity and communication."

A pair of newcomers will be vying for roles in the back court mix as well for the Skyhawks, as freshman Stephanie Pintal (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) and Megan Methven (Corning, N.Y./Corning Painted-Post East) will look to have solid rookie seasons: "Stephanie has great court sense and will help us at the point, while Megan is a pure shooter who can put points on the board," says Brown of her rookie tandem.

Stonehill begins its 36th season of varsity competition by participating in the 2006 Disney Tip-Off Classic on November 3-5 in Orlando, Fla., as the Skyhawks will square off with Augustana (S.D.), Felician and West Texas A & M. Stonehill begins Northeast-10 play on Tuesday, November 21st by hosting Southern New Hampshire at Merkert Gymnasium beginning at 5:30 p.m.