There is a feeling of unfinished business going around the Manhattanville women's basketball team after dropping a 63-59 contest to DeSales University in last year's Freedom Conference Tournament Championship game.
Now in her second-year at the helm, Freedom Conference Coach of the Year Lauren Thomer has seen the battle scars on her players and even though the wounds have healed, the team will look to build off their Conference regular-season title and inch one step closer to the NCAA Tournament.
The Valiants lost only one member from last year's squad to graduation and will add four newcomers in the hopes of improving on their 19-win season. A positive for Thomer is that all five of her starters return, including three all-conference honorees: senior point guard Carey Hickey (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.), senior shooting guard Simona Gordon (Cambridge, Mass.), and junior off-wing guard Courtney Turner (Staten Island, N.Y.).
Thomer has asked her team to dig deep down this season, as the team will face five NCAA Tournament qualifiers and four 20+ win teams from last season. Prior to the start of the season, the team was tabbed to place second in the pre-season coaches' poll as announced by the Freedom Conference.
Here is a Position-by-position breakdown
Guards
Running the point for her final season in Kennedy Gym, Hickey will be asked to be a more impact player on the court as she finished fifth in team scoring averaging 5.4 points per game, while leading the team with 134 assists. As the floor general Hickey will be asked to dish out the ball, while also taking key shots from inside and outside the perimeter.
Gordon returns for her final season at the college, as the first-team All-Conference member led the team in scoring last year averaging 13.9 points per game and was one of the best inside shooters connecting on 46 percent on shots from the field. Gordon was also the top outside shooter last year, converting on 31 three-pointers. Just like Hickey, Gordon will be a top defender for Thomer this year, as she will be asked to defend the opposition's top backcourt scorer after having picked off 75 balls as a junior.
Another returning starter this season is Turner, who had a career year last year averaging 11.2 points per game. A second-team honoree last year, Turner upped her scoring from her freshman year by 6.8 points, and also is a great defender, as she finished tied with Gordon for the steals lead with 75. Besides being an offensive scoring threat and working hard pm defense, Turner also led the team in rebounds averaging 5.3 boards per game, including a team-high 92 defensive rebounds.
Helping the trio in the backcourt this year off the bench will be junior Stephanie Vaiano (South Ozone Park, N.Y.) and sophomore Taylor Wilson (Pearl River, N.Y.). Vaiano is a threat from the outside, hitting six trifectas last year playing all 20 games as a reserve. This season, her role will be more important as she will be asked to use her speed and athleticism along with her leadership abilities as one of the first names off the bench. Wilson came on late in the season as a long-distance shooter made 17 three-pointers and averaging 4.8 points per game. Wilson was a top contributor in the final two games of the season against DeSales, averaging 17 points and draining five shots from behind the arc and nine free throws. Wilson has one of the best chances to crack the line-up this season as she finished last year starting four of the last five games, at forward due to her size.
New to the team this season are freshmen Shauna Mulkerin (Branchburg, N.J.) and Breana Jackson (Los Angeles, Calif.). Both freshmen will vie for time in an upperclassmen-heavy backcourt.
Forwards
In the guard-oriented scoring team, the forward's role is to be a big body in the paint on both sides of the court. The Valiants return four forwards this year that will all battle for time. Taking a more important role inside the paint this year is junior Kelli Hyjek (Tolland, Conn.), who will need to improve on her 5.4 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game if she wants to be a dominating force come conference time.
Sophomore Janetta Arnold (Windsor, Conn.) is back with a year under her belt as a forward. Arnold had a great freshman campaign averaging 5.4 points per game and finished tied for third in outside-the-perimeter action, making 17 long-distance baskets. Known as one of the fastest breakout players on the team, Arnold made 51 field goals while playing in all 27 games.
Looking to have a productive year for the Valiants will be senior Kaitlin Degnan (Irvington, N.Y.)and sophomore Jennifer McSharar (Gainerville, N.Y.). Both forwards spent the season as reserves, with McSharar getting the starting call on two occasions. The tallest returning player on the team, McSharar averaged 3.4 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, while breaking double-digits twice in scoring and once on the glass. Degnan will look to fight for time on the court, as the vocal leader on the team played in 22 games as a reserve and made 17 field goals.
New to the team this season are freshmen Kelsey Rankin (Willington, Conn.) and Beranda Felder (Brooklyn, N.Y.), both of whom will have an opportunity to make an impact and vie for time. Felder has the best opportunity out of all four newcomers to crack the starting line-up early in the season as the 5'8” forward will be used as a center in a smaller line-up. One of the top seniors in New York City, Felder comes to Manhattanville after being named by the Daily News as a PSAL Second-Team member.
Schedule
The Valiants finished last year with a 7-6 non-conference record, but this year Thomer has packed the schedule with some top opponents as the team will meet four opponents from last year, while adding six new competitors.
The 25-game slate will begin on November 16 in a rematch of last year's opening night game, as the Valiants welcome William Paterson University to Kennedy Gym. The Valiants will partake in two in-season tournaments this year beginning with the Salem State Tip-Off Tournament, followed by the Catholic Tournament to begin the 2011 year.
The Valiants will also participate in the CUNYAC Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament in December against Brooklyn College. The year's schedule will be a true test as the Valiants will be on the road for 15 of the 25 games and will begin conference play in a Freedom Conference Championship rematch against DeSales on December 1.
The Valiants will welcome back their alumni for the second annual Alumni Day on January 29 against King's (Pa.) and then continue their support of breast cancer with the Pink Zone- Breast Cancer Awareness Game on February 12 against Eastern. The Conference tournament begins on February 23 with the semifinals with the championship game on February 26.
