Collects honors for fourth time as a finalist for Division II National Coach of the Year
WBCA Announces Division II Coach of the Year candidates
EASTON, Mass. (March 25, 2020) – Stonehill College women's basketball head coach Trisha Brown was named a finalist for United States Marine Corps Division II Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) representing the East Region as its Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
Brown, named the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year for the fifth time this winter, collects WBCA Regional Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time in her career, having also been named in 2008, 2015 and 2018. She guided Stonehill to its tenth NE10 regular season championship, with its third Northeast Division title over the last seven seasons and second in three years, finishing off the NE10 Championship double by capturing the program's sixth NE10 Tournament title with an 80-61 triumph over Saint Anselm College on March 8 at Merkert Gymnasium.
Brown, whose five NE10 Coach of the Year awards matches the total earned by Paula Sullivan between 1981 and 1995, guided Stonehill to their third-straight 20-win season and the 27th in program history overall and the program's 26th NCAA Tournament bid – the 13th in her 19 seasons at the Skyhawks helm. She also earned NE10 Coach of the Year honors in 2017-18, 2014-15, 2012-13 and 2007-08.
Stonehill, winners of a season-high 12 straight to end the season and 16 of 17 after the New Year, reached these heights despite sophomore honorable mention All-American Kayla Raymond and junior returning starter Jennifer Worden missing the first seven and 11 games of the season, respectively, and employing seven different starting lineups over the course of the year. The Skyhawks were also without sophomore Isabella Santoro due to a season-ending injury since December after she led the team with 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a steal per game over the first 11 games.
Stonehill, ranked No. 16 in the final regular season D2SIDA Division II poll and 23rd in the most recent WBCA Division II poll, played the toughest schedule in Division II this season, with its opponents boasting a .620 winning percentage. The Skyhawks, seeded No. 2 in the NCAA Division II East Regional, played six of the other seven teams scheduled to play at the regional, posting a 7-2 record against those teams, including wins over top-seeded Adelphi University, a 2-1 mark against No. 3 Saint Anselm and victory over No. 4 University of the Sciences.
Brown has led Stonehill to a 387-176 (.687) record over her 19 seasons at the helm, including a 285-133 (.682) mark in the NE10, with 19 NE10 Tournament appearances, four NE10 regular season championships, the 2008 and 2020 NE10 Tournament titles and 2018 NCAA East Regional Championship.
Stonehill wrapped up its 2019-20 season with a 23-5 record overall, including 16-3 in the NE10, winning the Northeast Division regular season title and NE10 Tournament Championship and earning the program's 26th NCAA Tournament bid.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
