Newbury Women's Basketball Preview

The Newbury College women's basketball team enters the 2009-2010 season poised to make a run at the New England Collegiate Conference Championship.  The Nighthawks, who finished with five conference victories last season and lost in the first round of the 2008-2009 playoffs, believe their mix of experience and added height and strength on the post will prove vital to their success this year.

Guards:
Led by lone senior Katelyn Mark (Quincy, MA/North Quincy), Newbury sees just one new face at the position with the addition of freshman Nicole Silvia () who will join sophomore Morganna Machado (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) as a key contributor from the perimeter.  Machado led the conference in 3-point shooting % in 2008-2009, while also collecting Rookie of the Week honors.  Juniors Ashley Monteiro (Cambridge, MA/Cambridge Rindge & Latin) and Amy Chen (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) as well as sophomores Shayla White (Dorchester, MA/Wellesley) and Kendra Bannister (Stafford, VA/Brooke Point) have the versatility necessary to be a threat from the perimeter and penetrate to the basket.

Forwards:
Formerly an area of weakness for the Nighthawks, Newbury brings three key additions to the post in 2009-2010.  Jasmine Bishop (), Jalisa Fields (), and Catherine O'Connell () join Jessica Graus (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia) and Felicia Jones (Randolph, MA/Silver Lake) to anchor the frontcourt.  Graus led the Nighthawks last season with 196 total boards, hauling in 109 on the defensive end. 

The Nighthawks were ranked 6^th in the conference women's basketball preseason poll voted on by all NECC head women's basketball coaches.  Women's basketball is the only Winter NECC sport that all nine members sponsor.  Teams received nine points for every first place vote received, eight points for second place votes, seven points for third place votes, down to one point for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.

2009 NECC PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POLL
TEAM, POINTS (1st Place votes)
1-Lesley, 72 (3)
2-Mitchell, 69 (3)
3-Elms, 65 (3)
4-Daniel Webster, 62
5-Becker, 43
6-Newbury, 34
7- Southern Vermont, 24
8-Wheelock, 19
9-Bay Path, 17

Leadership will be important for Newbury this year.  Mark was honored for her team-high 305 points and 74 assists as NECC Honorable Mention in 2008-2009 and is a leader by example on all fronts, also collecting the Nighthawks of the Year award given by the Newbury Department of Athletics.  The remaining seven returners have experienced one year of conference play and know what to expect; while the four rookies know what they want and are learning how to get there. 

The road to the championship goes through eight non-conference opponents before opening their NECC schedule vs. Elms College on January 9, 2010.  Forty-five days later, the NECC Quarter-Finals begin and Newbury is already looking to be part of it.  It is a long road, but one if traveled one game at a time can lead them right to where they want to be.