SHU Women's Basketball Picked Second in Preseason NEC Coaches Poll; Brooke Kelly Named to Preseason All-Conference Team
11/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 5, 2002
FAIRFIELD, CT (November 5, 2002) - The Sacred Heart women's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference women's basketball preseason coaches poll for the 2002-03 season, as selected by a vote of the leagues head coaches. Senior Brooke Kelly (Medford, NJ), and All-NEC second team selection in 2001-02, was chosen to top that performance this season, being selected to the NEC Preseason All-conference team by the league's head coaches.
Head coach Ed Swanson's first Division I recruiting class is now a veteran group of seniors and having lost just one senior from last seasons squad, the Pioneers looked poised for a run at the NEC title. Seniors Brooke Rutnik (Albany, NY), Ashley Durmer (Nashua, NH), and Kelly, all three-year starters, have been elected tri-captains for the 2002-03 season and will be the backbone of this year's squad. Kelly enters her final season with 973 career points, ninth on the school's all-time list, leading the Pioneers in scoring the last two seasons. She finished 2001-02 averaging 14.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg and currently ranks third on the NEC's active leaders list in career scoring and rebounding. Rutnik was tops in the NEC in blocked shots (1.45 bpg, 42 total) for the second straight year in 2002-03 and was second on the squad with 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Durmer handled the point guard duties for part of the season last year, dishing out 68 assists and hitting on 44 treys on her way to averaging 8.2 ppg.
SHU welcomes back plenty of depth this season led by returning point guard Allie Bagnell (Newtown, PA). Bagnell took over the starting point guard role as a freshman nine games into last season, and led the Pioneers to a 14-6 record over the last 20 games. She finished the year averaging 5.1 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Junior Ashley Kohl (Palmyra, PA) returns as a threat from behind the arc averaging 7.0 points a game last season while knocking down a team-high 55 treys. She set a new school record for three-point percentage in a game when she hit on six-of-seven from three-point range against Quinnipiac in last year's NEC Tournament quarterfinals. Junior Shannon Quinlivan (Albany, NY) also gives SHU a solid three-point threat off the bench, shooting 16-40 (.400) last season. Freshman Nicolle Rubino (Port Jefferson, NY) will step in and make an immediate impact possibly challenging for a starting role. Inside, the Pioneers welcome back junior forward Kate Maher (Waterford, Ireland) and sophomore forward Colleen Duggan (Newington, CT). Maher was a very solid contributor off the bench last season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds.
The Pioneers will be playing with added incentive in 2002-03 as they will host the first two rounds of the NEC Tournament. If SHU can qualify for this year's tournament, they will be a tough draw at the Pitt Center, posting a 29-9 (.763) record at home since joining the conference in 1999-00.
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