Video Courtesy Northeast-10 Conference
The Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball program hopes that a mix of experience and youth can help it move up the Northeast-10 standings in 2011-12. The Penmen welcome back 10 players, including four of their top five scorers, from last season's team that advanced to the NE-10 quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons. Seventh-year head coach Karen Pinkos and her staff also brought in a five-member freshmen class that will look to make an impact on the Penmen's fortunes right away. SNHU was picked ninth in the NE-10 preseason coaches' poll that was released last month.
Seniors Erin Baldwin (Fairhaven, Mass.) and Christine Duffy (South Boston, Mass.) will serve as team captains this season.
Baldwin, a 5-8 guard, played sparingly (nine games) as a junior after suffering an injury in the preseason, but two years ago played in all 30 contests with seven appearances in the starting lineup. Duffy, who has started at point guard for most of her three-year career, averaged 6.5 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game last season and enters her senior season sixth in career assists with 368.
The Penmen also welcome back seniors Megan Smith (Smithfield, Maine) and Megan Spanarkel (Tinton Falls, N.J.). Smith, a fifth-year senior who redshirted two years ago after suffering a knee injury, was in the starting lineup 12 times while playing all 28 games last season. She was SNHU's fourth-leading scorer (7.4 ppg) and also grabbed 3.1 rebounds per game at forward. Spanarkel emerged as a key reserve for Southern New Hampshire, playing in all 28 contests while scoring seven points on three occasions.
The junior class consists of Michelle DeRoma (West Roxbury, Mass.), Deborah LaValley (Rochester, N.H.), Morgan Munson (Rockhampton, Australia) and Sloane Sorrell (Berwick, Maine).
Sorrell and DeRoma were the second and third-leading scorers on last season's team behind NE-10 All-Conference performer Julia Houghtaling, who is now playing professionally in Denmark. Sorrell, a 6-1 forward, was one of two players to start all 28 games and trailed only Houghtaling in scoring (10.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). She also ranked eighth in the NE-10 in field goal percentage (50.2%). DeRoma, who gave the Penmen an outside threat it had lacked in recent seasons, knocked down 53 three-pointers in her first season in an SNHU uniform and averaged 9.3 ppg while ranking eighth in the NE-10 in accuracy behind the arc (36.8%).
LaValley appeared in all 28 games in a reserve role in 2010-11 and matched a career-high with eight points in a narrow loss
to nationally-ranked Franklin Pierce in February. Munson will be looking for a larger role after appearing in six contests a season ago.
The list of returners is rounded out by sophomore post players Kelly Chergey (Bow, N.H.) and Victoria Wiseman (Montreal, Quebec). Chergey appeared in nine contests and had two key baskets in an early-season win at Franklin Pierce. Wiseman participated in 10 contests and had four points against Assumption at home.
The freshman class consists of guards Lorreta Rocha (Espargos, Cape Verde), Shelby Santini (Winchester, Mass.) and Brooke Springfield (Jaffrey, N.H.) and forwards Chelsea Dunham (Johnson, Vt.) and Kaylea Griffin (Green Springs, Ohio).
Rocha joined the Penmen program at the semester break last season but redshirted. A newcomer to the game of basketball, she has been invited to play for the Cape Verdean national team and was named Most Improved Player at Academia Nacional de Basquetbol Cabo-Verdiano. Santini, who can play either guard or forward, graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Winchester HS history and averaged 15.2 points and seven rebounds as a senior. She was a two-time All-League selection and team captain as a senior. Springfield was a three-time New Hampshire Class M Player of the Year at Conant HS and led the Orioles to a pair of state championships as well as a third finals appearance. A four-time All-State performer, she averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game as a senior.
Dunham averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game as a senior at Lamoille Union HS, leading the Lancers to state titles as a junior and senior. The 2011 VBCA Player of the Year, she was a two-time First Team All-State selection. Griffin averaged 11.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior as she led Clyde Senior HS to a 25-1 record and a state semifinal appearance. A three-time Honorable Mention All-State choice, she was the first player in her conference's history to finish her career with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
After opening the season with home contests against NYIT and Mercy, the Penmen jump into Northeast-10 conference play on November 16 when they host Saint Michael's. Six days later, Southern New Hampshire entertains crosstown rival Saint Anselm for the first of two meetings this season.
Other key contests for the Penmen include a November 30 home tilt against Franklin Pierce and a December 3 road contest at Bentley, the top two teams in the NE-10 preseason poll. SNHU will face the Ravens and Falcons again in February, hosting Bentley while traveling to Rindge. Southern New Hampshire has a total of seven games against foes that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, hosting Pace while traveling to Assumption and Saint Rose for single contests.
