Women’s Basketball Takes on Adelphi in Season Opener Saturday

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – The Merrimack women’s basketball team, under third-year head coach Helen Williams, will open the 2008-09 season at Adelphi University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Warriors return home to host Assumption College on November 19 at 5:30 p.m. before hosting the Courtyard by Marriott Classic on November 20-21. They round out the pre-Thanksgiving schedule against Southern New Hampshire on November 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Merrimack finished last season 9-19, but earned four straight conference wins in late January over Saint Anselm, Bentley, AIC and Le Moyne.

After travelling to Alaska last season over Thanksgiving to play Alaska Fairbanks and Fort Valley State, the Warriors will visit Seattle, Washington over the New Year’s Holiday and will take on Western Washington and Seattle Pacific.

Picked to finish 14th in the Northeast-10 Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, Helen Williams and the Warriors welcome five newcomers, but just one freshman, to this year’s team.

Guards

Merrimack’s strength is at guard as senior captain Amanda Shannon (North Andover, MA) returns for her final season in blue and gold. Shannon, a Northeast-10 third team honoree last season, needs 117 points to become the 16th female in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Shannon ranked sixth in the conference last season with 16.3 points per game.

Junior Casey Miller (Fairbanks, AK) returns to team up with Shannon at the guard position. Starting in 26 of 28 games last season, Miller equaled her freshman year output averaging 9.0 points per game, scoring in double-figures 12 times.

Sophomore Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, NY) improved as last season progressed, making two starts while averaging 2.8 points and 2.0 boards. Her classmate, Taneka Brown (Lynn, MA), will look for a breakout season in 2008. Brown averaged 1.0 points per game, including a season-high four points against Post on opening night last year. Quinn Sendall (Nashua, NH) adds depth to a talented back court.

Sophomore transfers Chelsea Shea (South Burlington, VT) and Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, MA) will see immediate playing time for a team that struggled from the field a year ago. Shea comes from Long Island University while Colon spent last season at the University of Maine. Freshman Gennifer Roy (Granby, MA) will also compete for minutes in the backcourt, using her five-foot, nine-inch frame to her benefit.

Forwards

Replacing three graduated forwards will be the main challenge for Ashley Metal (Thurmont, MD) and newcomers Megan Harbaugh (Kettering, OH) and Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, NC).

Troubled by injuries for most of last season, Metal impressed when she was healthy, averaging two points and three boards in seven games. Playing 19 minutes per game on average, she opened last season with six points and seven boards against Post.

Harbaugh, a junior, comes to the Warriors from Sinclair Community College, posted 43 blocks and averaged 6.5 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Tartans, who finished 22-4. DeGraffinreed is Merrimack’s lone freshman down low and hopes to see impact minutes early.


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