Women's Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview
Last season the Mitchell women's basketball team scored points by
the bunches. The Mariners employed a run-and-gun style to outscore
conference opponents by more than 20 points per game, using
athleticism and speed to overwhelm other teams. Mitchell won its
final 10 regular season games, cruised to a 14-2 NECC record and
earned the top seed for the conference championship.
And then the Mariners were upset on their home floor in the
semifinals of the NECC Championship.
Mitchell will have unfinished business to take care of in 2009-10.
First-year head coach Bernadette Macca inherits a young
squad that returns everyone and adds three newcomers to the mix.
The group is hungry for another shot at the title.
Heading the charge will be senior Jennifer
Iglesias, the reigning NECC Player of the Year. The 5-6 point
guard led the conference in assists and ranked third in scoring
last season, averaging 18.3 points and 5.3 assists per game for the
highest-scoring team in the NECC. As the lone senior on this year's
squad, Iglesias will provide leadership both on and off the
court.
Macca also returns the 2009 NECC Rookie of the Year in sophomore Destiney
Harris. The 5-10 forward ranked second on the team in scoring
as a rookie and nearly averaged a double-double at 12.6 points and
9.7 rebounds per game.
The Mariners' strength will be their guard play. Junior Alix O'Neil and
sophomore Bianca
Young are athletic enough to create their own shots and will
also help the cause under the backboards. The duo combined for more
than 16 points and nearly 13 rebounds per game last year. From the
outside, juniors Allison Peck (9.2
ppg) and Brittany Smyth (7.5
ppg) will make opponents pay for collapsing into the paint.
While putting up points shouldn't be a problem for the Mariners,
Macca will look to make defense a priority for the upcoming season.
After all, a team that can defend will be a tough out in postseason
play.
"Last year ended so bitterly, I think it left a bad taste in their
mouth," said Macca of her team. "I think they want to avenge that
loss in the conference tournament and prove that they're the best
team in our conference."
