Women's Basketball Set to Host #22 Franklin Pierce in Conference Opener
Full Game Notes PDF
The Particulars:
The Merrimack women's basketball team returns home for a conference showdown with the #22 Franklin Pierce Ravens. Merrimack is coming off of a 63-51 loss at the hands of the Molloy Lions, while Franklin Pierce will be playing in their first game of the 2011-12 season.
About Merrimack:
The Warriors are led by Genn Roy who averaged 12.1 points per contest last season to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Kelly Schatzlein also returns this season after averaging 11.6 per contest last year. Schatzlein is also the top returning rebounder with 6.6 boards a game. Other returners include Valerie Avebe (4.3 ppg) and Katie Ganser (3.6 ppg).
About The Competition:
The Ravens come into this contest as the #22 team in the country preseason as they have not played in a game yet this season. The Ravens are led by a pair of seniors including Jewel White who averaged a team-high 19.4 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game. The other senior leader is Marielle Giroud who averaged 14.3 ppg and 8.7 rpg. Franklin Pierce finished last season with a 24-8 overall record and 18-4 conference record which was good for second in the conference behind the Bentley Falcons.
All-Time Series:
The Warriors are 7-14 all-time against the Franklin Pierce Ravens including losing both matchups last year.
Senior leads team in scoring once again:
Senior guard Gennifer Roy led the team once again in scoring in the season opening loss to the Molloy Lions. Roy finished the game with 13 points on 3-6 from the field and 6-6 from the line. Roy also added three rebounds in only 20 minutes of action as she got in foul trouble early on. Roy led the team in scoring 11 times during the 2010-11 season.
Schatzlein dominates boards and paint:
Junior forward Kelly Schatzlein had a dominating game on the glass in Merrimack's season opener. Schatzlein recorded a career-high 16 rebounds, 14 defensive and two offensive. Schatzlein also poured in 10 points to give her, her first double-double of the young season. To go along with her double-double Schatzlein was a force in the paint as she blocked a game-high four Molloy shot attempts. Schatzlein shot 5-11 from the field in 35 minutes of action.
Newcomers make early impact:
The Warriors received good play from their newcomers in the season opening loss to Molloy. University of New Hampshire transfer Jaclyn Lyons led the way for the newcomers as she put in nine pints, three assists and two rebounds on 3-7 from the field and 2-3 from the line. Melissa Miller chipped in with seven points off the bench to go along with six rebounds and a block. Chloe Rothman put together a solid all around game in her first collegiate start as she recorded six points, five rebounds and four assists in a team-high 36 minutes of action. Allison Wagner added three points in 32 minutes of game action in her first collegiate start.
Milestone Watch:
Senior guard Gennifer Roy became the 18th player in program history to amass 1,000 career points. Roy tallied reached the millenium mark February 23 at Southern N.H. She currently has 1,035 points to her credit which ranks her 17th in school history. Roy enters the season 127 points shy of entering the top ten for career scoring and 20 points shy of 16th place. Roy scored a career high 29 points against St. Michael's as a sophomore.
2011-12 Captains:
Senior Gennifer Roy and junior Katie Ganser will serve as captains for the Warriors this season. Roy is a product of Granby, Mass., and a health sciences major. Ganser is a native of Needham, Mass., and is a biology major.
Merrimack's New Head Coach Monique LeBlanc:
Monique LeBlanc is enterng her first season as head coach of the Merrimack Warriors. LeBlanc brings over seven years of division I coaching experience to North Andover. LeBlanc spent the last three seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Arizona University. LeBlanc also served as the teams academic mentor, Northern Arizona had a team GPA of 3.4 in 2010, which ranked 13th among all division I women's basketball programs. LeBlanc also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater Bucknell where her team captured the Patriot league title in 2007 and 2008 and earned a NCAA Tournament Berth in 2008. LeBlanc was a two year captain of the Bisons as a player. She led her team to its first-ever Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament Berth, while compiling back-to-back 20-win seasons. Received the teams Bison Award and Defensive MVP honors as a senior.
LeBlanc's arsenal of assistants:
There are all new faces on the Warriors' coaching staff for the 2011-12 season. Julian Assibey and Blake DuDonis are entering their first seasons on the Merrimack bench. Assibey comes to the Warriors after spending three seasons at Western State College of Colorado where he led the program to three consecutive postseason births. He oversaw all aspects of recruiting, scouting, travel and camps while cultivating alumni support. DuDonis joins Merrimack's staff after two years on the bench of division I Gardner-Webb women's basketball team. DuDonis served as student assistant coach for the Gardner-Webb team that in the 2010-11 season reached the NCAA tournament.
