University of Massachusets Athletics
Women's Basketball Game Notes for Holy Cross
November 15, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2001
AMHERST, Mass. -
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TONIGHT'S MATCHUP...
Tonight's contest between the Minutewomen and the Crusaders marks the opening of regular season play for both teams. The Minutewomen are coming off a 61-45 victory over the NWBL USA Elite travel team in exhibition play, while Holy Cross is coming off a 69-53 victory over the Nor'Easter Storm in an exhibition game played at the Hart Center on Nov. 6.
THE SERIES...
Massachusetts and Holy Cross have met 11 times previous to tonight's match up, with the Crusaders leading the series, 6-5. In the last meeting between the in-state rivals, the Minutewomen defeated the Crusaders, 62-57, in overtime at the Mullins Center on Nov. 23, 2000. Senior Caroline Nehls had 16 points (8-for-12 FG) and 11 rebounds to lead the Minutewomen to their first victory over the Crusaders since the 1998-1999 season. The Minutewomen have a 2-3 record against the Crusaders at the Hart Center. The last win for Massachusetts at the Hart Center came on December 9, 1996, when the Minutewomen defeated the Crusaders, 58-57.
SCOUTING REPORT...
The Crusaders four top returning players combined for an average of 42.7 points per game last season. Senior guard Jeanette Paukert led the team in scoring and assists with 12.5 ppg and 4.4 apg, repectively. The frontcourt duo of senior Amanda Abraham (11.3 ppg) and junior Katie O'Keefe (10.8 ppg) each averaged double digits in scoring last season. Senior forward Eliza Zawadzkas chipped in 8.1 points per game to round out the scoring for the Crusaders. The major loss for the Crusaders lies in the graduation of Monica Rothemich, who averaged 10.1 points per game and 5.7 rebounds.
EXHIBITION RECAP...
Junior Nekole Smith (Ann Arbor, Mich.) scored 15 points to lead UMass to a 61-45 victory over the National Women's Basketball Leauge Travel Elite team in exhibition play on Nov. 4 at the Mullins Center. In 16 minutes of play, Smith shot 7-for-13 from the field and pulled down seven rebounds. The exhibition contest marked her first game back for the Minutewomen since sitting out the entire 2000-2001 season with a dislocated knee. Freshman Katie Nelson (Ellicot City, Md.) was perfect on four attempts from three-point range and 5-for-7 from the field for 14 points in the first game of her career as a Minutewoman. Junior Jennifer Butler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted a double-double, scoring 10 points (4-for-15 FG) and grabbing 13 rebounds. Sophomore Paige Harris (Rochester, Mich.) picked up right where she left off last year, scoring six points on two-for-three shooting from behind the arc. She led the team in three-point field goals a year ago with 44. Kristen McCoy led the NWBL USA Elite team with 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor. She also had a game-high four steals for the Elite Travel team.
THE PRESEASON POLLS...
The University of Massachusetts women's basketball program is predicted to finish third this season in the Atlantic 10 East Division, behind Temple and St. Joseph's. With the addition of Richmond this year, the A-10 has reverted back to a divisional format. Fordham, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's and Temple comprise the Atlantic 10 East, while Dayton, Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle, Richmond and Xavier make up the A1-0 West. Temple took first place for the East with 11 votes, returning five starters from a team that went 19-11 overall last season. George Washington claimed the top spot in the West division with 11 first place votes. The Colonials return four starters from a team that finished 22-10 last season.
BUTLER GARNERS PRESEASON ALL-ATLANTIC 10 HONORS...
For the second year in a row, Jennifer Butler was selected to the Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference team. Butler earned second team honors as well as All-Defensive team accolades in a preseason poll conducted by A-10 officials and coaches. Butler averaged 12.7 points per game last season and pulled down an average of 9.6 rebounds each game. She lead the Atlantic 10 in the offensive rebounding category with 120 last season.
O'BRIEN ENTERS 11TH SEASON...
Head coach Joanie O'Brien enters her 11th season at the helm of the UMass women's basketball program. She is currently the winningest coach in UMass women's basketball history with 147 career victories. The 1994-1995 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year has brought the Minutewomen to new heights durning her tenure. O'Brien has led UMass to its only two NCAA appearances (1996 & 1998) and listed the program's first 20-win season. In 10 seasons, O'Brien has compiled a 147-141 (.510) record.
BACK IN ACTION...
Junior forward Nekole Smith is back in the line up for the Maroon & White after sitting out the entire 2000-2001 season with a knee injury. In 16 minutes of play against the NWBL USA-Elite, Smith shot 7-for-13 from the field for 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds. The 6-2 center from Ann Arbor, Mich., finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 9.0 points and 5.9 boards per game as a sophomore. Her offensive presence in exhibition play is a good indicator that she is back to her former self.
FRESHMAN SHARP SHOOTER...
In her debut for the Minutewomen, freshman point guard Katie Nelson was perfect on four attempts from three-point range and 5-for-7 from the field for 14 points. The sharp shooter from Ellicott City, Md., averaged 13 points, four assists, and 3.5 steals per game as a senior at the McDonogh School last season.
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY?
Freshman guard Cindy Gonzalez will sit out the first half of the 2001-2002 season after tearing her anterior crucial ligament in an All-Star game last March. The 5-8 off guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. will learn from the sidelines during the first half of the season. It will be decided in January whether Gonzalez will play the conference portion of the schedule or opt to medical redshirt for the remainder of the 2001-2002 campaign.
CAPTAINS...
Caroline Nehls, Jen Butler and Nekole Smith were named captains for the 2001-2002 season. It is Smith's second season serving as a co-captain.
NEHLS AND THE IN-STATE RIVALRY...
Last year, senior Caroline Nehls went 8-for-12 from the field (.666) for a season-high 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to record her first double-double of the season against the Crusaders on Nov. 23, 2000. According to the recordbooks, Nehls excells against in-state rivals. Her career highs in points (20 vs. Boston College), rebounds (11 vs. Holy Cross), field goals (9 vs. Boston College) and field goal attempts (17 vs. Boston College) have all come against Massachusetts schools. The Randolph, N.J., native led the team in field goal percentage last season connecting on almost 45 percent of her shots.
GO TO (2) GIRL...
In terms of returning players, junior Amber Sneed ranked second in almost all statistical catergories last season, including second in points with 8.9, rebounds (5.3), minutes (866), assists (44), turnovers (80) and steals (31).
