Women's Basketball

Co-captain Jodi Brown and the Endicott women's basketball team will tipoff its season Friday night against nationally ranked Bowdoin College (No.2) at the Eastern Connecticut State Tournament.

Gulls Take Aim at CCC Crown

Nov. 16, 2005

BEVERLY, MA - Endicott women's basketball head coach Jen Lucey is hoping her team can reach the summit of the Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2005-2006.

The upstart Gulls nearly achieved that feat last season, reaching the CCC semifinals as the top seed in the tournament. Coach Lucey, who enters her third season, was named CCC Coach of the Year for leading the Gulls to the top seed in the conference tourney. But the coach and her team want nothing less than a CCC title and the automatic NCAA bid that comes with it.

Endicott has perennially faced the best teams in Division III and this season will be no different. The Gulls, who finished 18-10 a year ago, will face three of the top 15 teams in the nation and it all begins Saturday night when EC tangles with Bowdoin College, which is the second-ranked team in the ESPN/USA today national poll, in the first round of the Eastern Connecticut Tipoff Tournament. The Gulls also play No. 12 Brandeis University (January 3 at Macdonald Gymnasium) and No. 13 Emmanuel College (December 10 in Boston).

The Gulls have a well-balanced attack that features senior guard Liz Yuneman (Middle Village, NY/St. Francis Prep). The first-team all-conference co-captain will be a huge factor at both ends of the court.

Yuneman was the only Endicott player to average double figures (13 points per game) and broke the school record for best 3-point field goal percentage in a season, connecting on 40 percent (50-125) of her three-point field goals.

Yuneman was everything coach Lucey wanted in a guard. She controlled the tempo of the game and led the team with an impressive 1.25 assists-to-turnover ratio (50/40). A 68 percent free throw shooter (79-of-117), Yuneman hit double digits in scoring 20 times last season and broke the 20-point barrier four times.

Fellow co-captain Jodi Brown (Coventry, RI/Coventry) and Carly Haynes (Laconia, NH/Laconia) averaged over 8.5 ppg and helped the team lead the CCC in three-pointers, averaging almost seven per contest. Brown, an honorable mention all-conference pick, sank 47 three-pointers, converting at a 33 percent clip while Haynes led the team in assists and steals. Brown converted 78 percent of her free throws and led the team with a 1.15 assist-to-turnover ration (70/61) and was the third-leading rebounder (4.7 per game).

Sarah Voigt (Kingston, NH/Sanborn Regional) - EC's only other senior - Kate Harte (Warner, NH/Kearsarge Regional) and Paris Sanders (Needham, MA/Minuteman Tech) will be key players for the Gulls and provide veteran leadership.

Aubrey Drugan (Salem, NH/Bishop Guertin) averaged five points per game and will be counted on to make big shots. She showcased that ability in a win over Gordon when she sealed the victory by hitting two free throws with six seconds left.

Endicott will have to improve upon some pretty lofty stats from a year ago if they want the CCC crown. The Gulls eclipsed school records for most wins in a season (18); consecutive wins (14); games played in a season (28); steals in a season (311); 3-pointers made in a season (169); and points scored in a season (1734). Moreover, EC's relentless defense held conference opponents to just 50 points per game (second in CCC).

Rachael Bradley (Lynn, MA/St. Mary's) and Sara Doherty (Somerville, MA/Arlington Catholic) will compete for playing time with a talented freshman class including Nicole Young (Rockland, MA/Cardinal Spellman), Hayley Janelle (Madbury, NH/Oyster River), Nicole Duchesne (Plastow, NH/Central Catholic) and Jenna Cosgrove (Sharon, MA/Sharon).