Women's Hoops Looks to Level NE10 Record, Hosts Southern N.H. at Volpe
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
The Particulars:
Merrimack returns to Volpe Gym to take on Southern N.H. in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. The Warriors are 2-3 overall and 1-2 in Northeast-10 action this season. The Penmen are 2-4 on the year and 1-4 in the league.
About Merrimack:
The Warriors are looking to get back to its winning ways after falling to No. 7 Franklin Pierce. Merrimack is led by Kelly Schatzlein who is averaging 13.6 points per game. Tiffany Colon is close behind with 13.2 a night. Sarah Benischek and Genn Roy are each averaging just south of 12 points a game.
About Southern N.H.:
The Penmen are looking to string together a pair of Northeast-10 Conference victories. Southern N.H. is coming off of a 66-60 win over Stonehill. Julia Houghtaling enters the game as the Penmen's leading scorer with 12.0 points per game this season.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack leads the all-time series with Southern N.H., 25-17. The Penmen won both meetings last season. The last time the Warriors claimed a victory against Southern N.H., was January 20, 2007 in North Andover.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 45, #7 Franklin Pierce 80]:
The Warriors suffered an 80-45 setback at No. 7 Franklin Pierce December 1. Kelly Schatzlein paced Merrimack with 14 points. The warriors trailed by just five at halftime but the Ravens used a second-half offensive surge to claim their seventh-consecutive win of the season.
Milestone Watch:
Junior guard Gennifer Roy enters tonight's game with 751 career points to her credit. The co-captain of the Warriors needs 249 points to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Preseason Prognositications:
Merrimack was tabbed to finish 10th among the 16 teams in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Warriors were predicted to claim 13th a year ago and finished the season in 12th in the league.
2010-11 Captains:
Senior Sarah Benischek and junior Gennifer Roy will serve as captains for the Warriors this season. Benischek is a native of Shrub Oak, N.Y., majoring in sports medicine. Roy is a product of Granby, Mass., and a health sciences major.
If Its Free, Its For Me:
Senior Sarah Benischek ranks second in the Northeast-10 with a free throw percentage of 91.7%. Benischek has converted 11-of-12 attempts from the charity stripe this season.
Grand Theft Basketball:
Senior Taneka Brown leads the league in steals per game. Brown is averaging 3.60 swipes per game on the year for Merrimack. In the Warrior's game at No. 7 Franklin Pierce, the senior guard established a new career-high with eight steals on the night.
Block Party:
Sophomore Kelly Schatzlein ranks first in the Northeast-10 with 1.8 blocks per game. Schatzlein has rejected nine shots this season.
Merrimack Head Coach Helen Williams:
In her fifth season, Warriors' head coach Helen Williams has compiled a record of 39-79. The 1987 graduate of Wake Forest University helped Merrimack knock off the top team in the nation for the first time in program history with a 71-64 win over Franklin Pierce last year. Under Williams' tutelage, the Warriors won their first Northeast-10 Conference playoff game in five years with a 77-70 victory over St. Rose in the first round.
Williams' New Arsenal of Assistants:
There are two new faces on the Warriors' coaching staff for the 2010-11 season. KJ Krasco and Amanda Shannon are entering their first seasons on the Merrimack bench. Krasco comes to the Warriors after a three-year stint as the head women's basketball coach at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
Shannon returns to her alma mater to begin her coaching career after working for the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. Shannon graduated from Merrimack in 2009 with 1,360 career points, ranking her fourth on the all-time list. She is also sixth all-time in assists and eighth in steals.
Miller Follows a Dream:
Former Warrior Casey Miller is currently playing professional basketball in Spain. She is a member of the Universidad de Oviedo which plays in the Baloncesto Femenino 1st Division. Miller ranked second on the Warriors with 13.3 points per game in her senior season.
Follow From Home:
Once again this season, Merrimack will stream all home basketball games online at www.merrimackathletics.com. Brett Connolly and Brian Caira will have the call this season. Live stats will be available as well for all home contests.
