Post by HC13 on Dec 30, 2020 19:17:20 GMT -5
Of course, no mention of why Faulkner gone or the injured
www.telegram.com/story/sports/college/2020/12/30/holy-cross-womens-basketball-has-some-unfinished-business/4060837001/
Holy Cross women's basketball has some unfinished business
Under first-year coach Maureen Magarity, Crusaders want to pick up where they left off in last year's PL Tournament
Jennifer Toland
Telegram & Gazette
WORCESTER — The 2019-20 season ended abruptly for the Holy Cross women’s basketball team when the Patriot League Tournament was called off hours before the Crusaders’ semifinal game at Bucknell due to growing coronavirus concerns.
Returning HC players have some unfinished business to take care of this year.
“Getting back out there is all we’ve been thinking about since our season got canceled,” Holy Cross junior guard Avery LaBarbera said. “It was just a matter of when that was going to be.”
Much has changed, and continues to evolve, since the HC women played the last basketball game in the Hart Center — a 52-33 triumph over Lafayette in the PL quarterfinals on March 9.
Maureen Magarity was hired as coach in April. Five seniors, including Lauren Manis, a 2,000-point scorer and the program’s all-time leading rebounder, graduated. Four newcomers joined the team.
In September, HC players came back to a mostly empty campus and took their classes virtually. They’ve been practicing in masks, getting COVID-tested three times a week during an extended preseason and were unable to spend Christmas at home with their families. They have hung in admirably, though, and finally, their opener, Monday at Boston University, is in sight.
“At first it was a little bit difficult because everything is so different on campus,” junior forward Oluchi Ezemma said, “but as time has gone on, we’ve definitely improved. We’ve come together as a team. Our practices, the energy is up, there’s healthy competition. As we’re getting closer to games, we’re just so excited about it.”
HC’s season-opening series against the Terriers, originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was delayed to Monday and Tuesday to accommodate BU’s testing schedules and cadence resulting from the holiday break. Holy Cross will play its home opener against BU at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Adaptability will be part of the 2021 season.
“That’s the way the whole year has been, and they’ve adjusted so well,” Magarity said. “We are proud every day. They’ve been extraordinary. We’ve been doing this for so long now, and we still haven’t played any games, but now it’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the biggest reward, just to be able to go out and compete.”
The Crusaders are scheduled to play 16 regular-season games, all against Patriot League foes. The 10 PL schools are divided into three regional mini-conferences. Holy Cross is in the North with Army, Boston University and Colgate. HC will play BU six times, Army and Colgate four times each and also travel to Lehigh for two games Jan. 23-24.
Last year under interim coach Ann McInerney, Holy Cross won 19 games, its most since 2013-14.
Magarity led a turnaround in her nine seasons at the University of New Hampshire and she is looking forward to good things at Holy Cross.
“I’m so honored to lead this amazing group,” Magarity said. “They’ve worked so hard. It’s going to be fun to show everybody how much we’ve improved and I think we are going to surprise a lot of people.”
The Crusaders have battled some injuries, so the extra practice time has been beneficial, Magarity said, and the team is young with just one senior (center Shannon Murphy), and inexperienced, but should be bolstered by the leadership of the junior class — LaBarbera, an All-PL preseason selection, Ezemma, forward Madison Demski and guard Kelly Petro. Senior Jenay Faulkner is no longer with the team.
LaBarbera, Petro, Ezemma and freshman guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy project as four of the starting five with the other spot still to be determined.
LaBarbera, HC’s leading returning scorer (13.7 ppg in 2019-20) and the only player on this year’s roster to start a game last season, said the transition to Magarity and learning her system has gone well.
“We’re running the ball a lot,” LaBarbera said. “We’re playing a motion offense, so there is a ton of freedom, which is good. We’ll play a pressure defense. I think we’re going to be fun. We’re on the smaller side, but we can use our speed and quickness offensively and defensively.”
The last two seasons Ezemma was a key contributor off the bench, especially at the defensive end, and is the team’s leading returning rebounder (5.4 rpg).
“I think with the new system we have in place, with the motion and pushing the ball and all that,” Ezemma said, “I think it works for all of us as individual players, and I think it’s going to work for us as a team. I’m excited. We can’t wait to play.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @jentandg.
Holy Cross at a glance
Coach: Maureen Magarity, first season
League: Patriot League
2019-20 record: 19-11 (11-7)
Top returning players: Jr. G Avery LaBarbera (13.7 ppg, 3.3 apg, team-high 40 steals), Jr. F Oluchi Ezemma (5.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Key losses: F Lauren Manis (18.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 27 blocks), C Megan Swords (11.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg), G Madalyn Smith (6.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg).
Notable newcomers: Fr. F Janelle Allen, Fr. G Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Fr. G Cara McCormack, Fr. G Steph Davis.
www.telegram.com/story/sports/college/2020/12/30/holy-cross-womens-basketball-has-some-unfinished-business/4060837001/
Holy Cross women's basketball has some unfinished business
Under first-year coach Maureen Magarity, Crusaders want to pick up where they left off in last year's PL Tournament
Jennifer Toland
Telegram & Gazette
WORCESTER — The 2019-20 season ended abruptly for the Holy Cross women’s basketball team when the Patriot League Tournament was called off hours before the Crusaders’ semifinal game at Bucknell due to growing coronavirus concerns.
Returning HC players have some unfinished business to take care of this year.
“Getting back out there is all we’ve been thinking about since our season got canceled,” Holy Cross junior guard Avery LaBarbera said. “It was just a matter of when that was going to be.”
Much has changed, and continues to evolve, since the HC women played the last basketball game in the Hart Center — a 52-33 triumph over Lafayette in the PL quarterfinals on March 9.
Maureen Magarity was hired as coach in April. Five seniors, including Lauren Manis, a 2,000-point scorer and the program’s all-time leading rebounder, graduated. Four newcomers joined the team.
In September, HC players came back to a mostly empty campus and took their classes virtually. They’ve been practicing in masks, getting COVID-tested three times a week during an extended preseason and were unable to spend Christmas at home with their families. They have hung in admirably, though, and finally, their opener, Monday at Boston University, is in sight.
“At first it was a little bit difficult because everything is so different on campus,” junior forward Oluchi Ezemma said, “but as time has gone on, we’ve definitely improved. We’ve come together as a team. Our practices, the energy is up, there’s healthy competition. As we’re getting closer to games, we’re just so excited about it.”
HC’s season-opening series against the Terriers, originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was delayed to Monday and Tuesday to accommodate BU’s testing schedules and cadence resulting from the holiday break. Holy Cross will play its home opener against BU at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Adaptability will be part of the 2021 season.
“That’s the way the whole year has been, and they’ve adjusted so well,” Magarity said. “We are proud every day. They’ve been extraordinary. We’ve been doing this for so long now, and we still haven’t played any games, but now it’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s the biggest reward, just to be able to go out and compete.”
The Crusaders are scheduled to play 16 regular-season games, all against Patriot League foes. The 10 PL schools are divided into three regional mini-conferences. Holy Cross is in the North with Army, Boston University and Colgate. HC will play BU six times, Army and Colgate four times each and also travel to Lehigh for two games Jan. 23-24.
Last year under interim coach Ann McInerney, Holy Cross won 19 games, its most since 2013-14.
Magarity led a turnaround in her nine seasons at the University of New Hampshire and she is looking forward to good things at Holy Cross.
“I’m so honored to lead this amazing group,” Magarity said. “They’ve worked so hard. It’s going to be fun to show everybody how much we’ve improved and I think we are going to surprise a lot of people.”
The Crusaders have battled some injuries, so the extra practice time has been beneficial, Magarity said, and the team is young with just one senior (center Shannon Murphy), and inexperienced, but should be bolstered by the leadership of the junior class — LaBarbera, an All-PL preseason selection, Ezemma, forward Madison Demski and guard Kelly Petro. Senior Jenay Faulkner is no longer with the team.
LaBarbera, Petro, Ezemma and freshman guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy project as four of the starting five with the other spot still to be determined.
LaBarbera, HC’s leading returning scorer (13.7 ppg in 2019-20) and the only player on this year’s roster to start a game last season, said the transition to Magarity and learning her system has gone well.
“We’re running the ball a lot,” LaBarbera said. “We’re playing a motion offense, so there is a ton of freedom, which is good. We’ll play a pressure defense. I think we’re going to be fun. We’re on the smaller side, but we can use our speed and quickness offensively and defensively.”
The last two seasons Ezemma was a key contributor off the bench, especially at the defensive end, and is the team’s leading returning rebounder (5.4 rpg).
“I think with the new system we have in place, with the motion and pushing the ball and all that,” Ezemma said, “I think it works for all of us as individual players, and I think it’s going to work for us as a team. I’m excited. We can’t wait to play.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @jentandg.
Holy Cross at a glance
Coach: Maureen Magarity, first season
League: Patriot League
2019-20 record: 19-11 (11-7)
Top returning players: Jr. G Avery LaBarbera (13.7 ppg, 3.3 apg, team-high 40 steals), Jr. F Oluchi Ezemma (5.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Key losses: F Lauren Manis (18.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 27 blocks), C Megan Swords (11.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg), G Madalyn Smith (6.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg).
Notable newcomers: Fr. F Janelle Allen, Fr. G Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Fr. G Cara McCormack, Fr. G Steph Davis.