Tag Archives: Rosa Drummond

Jan 27 2013

Mass. College Hoops: News And Notes From Saturday’s Slate

By Matt Noonan 

There were some interesting outcomes on Saturday in the college basketball world, and below are a few thoughts on the various games.

* I want to congratulate the Bentley University women’s basketball team for earning their 30th consecutive win against an East Region opponent, as Barbara Stevens guided the Falcons to 75-66 win against New Haven. Courtney Finn registered her second straight double-double, while Tyler Parker Kimball recorded a career-best 15 rebounds in 20 minutes. The Falcons are now 17-0 and 13-0 in Northeast-10 Conference play.

* Against UMBC, Boston University’s men’s team had six players record double figures in the Terriers 11th win of the season. Dom Morris, Malik Thomas, Maurice Watson Jr., John Papale, D.J. Irving and Nathan Dieudonne each tallied 10 points or more. The Terriers hadn’t had six scorers record double figures in a game since 2003.

* Kelly Greenberg picked up her 250th win as a head coach, as the BU women’s basketball team rebounded from their loss to Albany with a win against UMBC. The Terriers are now 17-4 overall and 7-1 in America East play.

* Harvard’s men’s basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit with 1:10 remaining and went onto defeat the visiting Dartmouth Big Green in overtime, 82-77. Tommy Amaker’s squad is now 10-6 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League.

* Anna Maria’s men’s basketball team has been a rather quiet story this year. However, their most recent win a few days ago against Albertus Magnus certainly created a ripple across the region. Yesterday, they earned their eighth consecutive win by defeating Johnson & Wales, 76-68. Anthony Clink led the AMCATS with 22 points, while also recording eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

* Daniel Wohl upped his status to Big Man On Campus following his go-ahead layup with 31 seconds remaining, as Williams College handed Middlebury College their first setback of the season in Williamstown. The Ephs are now 17-2 overall and 6-0 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

* Amherst College’s men’s basketball team is on a roll and has now won 11 straight contests. The Lord Jeffs haven’t dropped a game since falling to Babson College on December 6. On Saturday, they defeated Trinity College to earn their sixth conference win, along with their 17th of the season.

* Tufts University’s women’s basketball team earned its 20th consecutive win of the season by defeating Bates College, 55-34. Since the Jumbos started playing basketball in 1972, the Powder Blue and White have tallied 20 wins or more in four seasons. The most wins the Jumbos have recorded were 26, which occurred during the 2007-08 season.

* Amherst’s women’s basketball team picked up its 19th consecutive win of the season, as the Lord Jeffs defeated Trinity College, 67-47. Marcia Voigt and Savannah Holness each tallied a game-high 13 points.  

* The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) got off to a slow start, but as of recently, it is a two-horse race for the number one spot. Elms College and Newbury College are both 8-1 in the conference and 10-8 overall. Becker College is also 10-8, but 6-3 against conference foes. Newbury defeated Elms earlier this season, but will tangle with them once again on Saturday, February 16.

* Babson College and Smith College each picked up important road wins and remain neck and neck in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

* Framingham State’s women’s basketball team shocked Worcester State yesterday, as the Rams handed the Lancers their first setback in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC). Kristen Hoffman, Madeleine Park and Kia Minor each tallied 11 points or more in their team’s 11th victory.  

Jan 12 2013

Mass. College Hoops: Babson 59, Smith 50

Babson's second half surge lifted the Beavers past Smith College! (Photo Credit: Brian Willwerth for NoontimeSports.com)

Babson’s second half surge lifted the Beavers past Smith College! (Photo Credit: Brian Willwerth for NoontimeSports.com)

By Brian Willwerth

BABSON PARK, MA – The streak is still alive for the Babson women’s basketball team.

In a battle of the top two teams in the NEWMAC, the No. 22 Beavers used a stifling defensive effort in the second half, and ground out a win against Smith College on Saturday afternoon, 59-50.

For the entire first half, and the first few minutes of the second, that streak was in jeopardy. The Pioneers led during much of that time, thanks in large part to Rosa Drummond’s 13 first-half points. But the Beavers turned their defensive intensity up a few notches, and held Smith to just 18 points in the second half.

“We took our post player and kept her inside, instead of matching post on post,” said Babson head coach Judy Blinstrub. “That was the big difference, people playing tougher on the defensive end. And matchups were key.”

Offensively, Babson was led by NEWMAC leading scorer Sarah Collins, who had a double-double: 19 points (17 in the second half) and 22 rebounds. Drummond led Smith with 15 points.

The Beavers improved to 13-1, 8-0 in the conference. They are now in sole possession of first place in the NEWMAC.

“It feels good. I’m happy for the girls. They worked hard to get there, and the seniors especially,” said Blinstrub of her team’s 73-game winning streak in the conference. “You don’t want to lose on your home court, [so] I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

On Wednesday night, Babson will host Clark on Wednesday, while Smith (12-2, 7-1 NEWMAC) returns home to take on WPI.

Feb 26 2012

Hersey: “Our Goal Was To Win [On Sunday]”

Photo Credit: Smith College

By Matt Noonan 

BABSON PARK, MA – Sunday’s loss to Babson College wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to digest, especially for Smith College head coach Lynn Hersey, who stated, “I would say that our goal was to win, [but] getting to this point – there’s positives for it, but we’re disappointed with the loss.”

The Pioneers concluded their season with a heart breaking, 74-51 defeat to the Beavers, who wrapped up the NEWMAC conference for the fourth consecutive year. Yet, despite losing to Babson for the third time this season, Hersey believes that this particular game will benefit her team going forward.

“I think we learned a lot from this – we have a young group, one senior, [so] getting back to the NEWMAC championship game for the second year – I think we were hoping for a better result, but we’re going to learn from it, and focus on the future,” said Hersey.

The head coach continued by discussing the team’s consistency throughout the past year by saying, “To win 20 games – that shows a consistency in your program, and maturity in your program to come out and compete, day in and day out.”

Smith kept pace with Babson following the opening tap, but when sophomore Rosa Drummond missed the team’s first shot at 17:56, the Beavers immediately raced down court and earned their first lead of the contest, which was never relinquished. Hersey called a timeout a few minutes later, but the 30-second breather didn’t exactly help the Pioneers stop their opponent, who ended the first half on a 30-13 run.

“I think I was more just trying to focus us back on our game plan,” Hersey said of that particular timeout. “Unfortunately, it kind of came a little too late in the game.”

The Pioneers ended the contest sinking 31.3 percent of their field goals, which wasn’t enough to upset the top-seed in their conference.

“We have a bright future. We lose one senior, and she’s a big player for us, but I think the experience is very valuable,” added the head coach.

Smith will most likely not receive an invitation to the upcoming NCAA Division III March Madness tournament, but could possibly earn a bid for the New England ECAC tournament, which is slated to tip-off on February 29.

“We’ll await an ECAC bid, and take our pathway that way,” said Hersey.

Jan 3 2012

Massachusetts College Basketball: Women’s Top-5 Poll Updated

The Ephs have won 11 consecutive games, and will look too keep on rolling this week! (Photo Credit: Williams College Athletics)

By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s been a few weeks since our last Division III Massachusetts college basketball polls were released, but now that the new year has officially begun, and it’s Tuesday, let’s unveil our updated women’s Top-5 list.

Here’s our current five teams to watch, and as usual, please feel free to contact us at NoontimeSports@gmail.com with your take, as well as advice on any of the squads listed below!  

1.) Amherst College – Their highly anticipated matchup against Williams College will occur later this month, but in the meantime, the Lord Jeffs are still undefeated, and will look to keep their winning ways going this week against Wesleyan and Connecticuit College.

2.) Williams College – The Ephs have yet to lose this season. Recent wins against University of New England, RPI, and Wesleyan are huge confidence boosters going into this week’s contests against Tufts and Bates.

3.) Smith College – Currently ranked second in the NEWMAC, (New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference), the Pioneers will look to continue their first half success against MIT and Wellesley this week. Sophomore Rosa Drummond currently leads Smith College with 152 points, while senior Ellie Giles is the sole leader of rebounds with 70, (56 defense, 14 offense).

4.) Babson College – The Beavers will kick-off their second portion of their ’11-’12 season playing four of their next six contests on the road against Springfield College, Smith, Clark and Coast Guard. Babson has already won four contests in November and December against NEWMAC foes, and can practically lock up the conference with a win against the Pioneers next weekend. However, expect head coach Judy Blinstrub to keep her squad focused on the task at hand, which is Coast Guard on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

5.) Fitchburg State – The Falcons overcame pre-season expectations by winning all 10 consecutive games in November and December. Now, they’ll travel to Anna Maria on Tuesday, Jan. 3, and look to extend their current winning streak to 11 games. Also, expect sophomore Amy Fahey to continue being their go-to player with the game is on the line. Head coach Walter Paschal told Noontime Sports in December that the Falcons are underdogs, but certainly will continue to surprise their opponents by getting better every day.

Dec 1 2011

Massachusetts College Basketball – Division III/November Team

Wheaton College's Brendan Degnan has been a major component for the Lyons this season! (Photo Credit: Wheaton College Athletics)

By NoontimeSports.com 

The first official month of Division III college basketball in Massachusetts is officially in the books, and now it’s time to look back at some of the great individual performances from the past few weeks.

Here’s a list of some of the men and women that earned our monthly honors, enjoy.

Men’s Basketball

Brendan Degnan (Wheaton College, Senior) – The senior guard has been a lightning rod for the Lyons this season, and certainly is one of the major reasons why Wheaton has experienced a great deal of success. Degnan finished the month of November with 85 points, 26 rebounds, eight assists and eight steals, as well as led the Lyons in points against Wheelock College and Emerson College, but only mustered five points against the team’s most recent opponent, Mount Ida.

Russell Braithwaite (Babson College, Junior) – The Beavers haven’t lost a game all season, and a major reason for that is due to Mr. Braithwaite’s play, who currently leads the team with 36 rebounds and 78 points. He’s also registered 10 steals too, and has one block through six games.

Marcus McDermott (Babson College, Junior) –McDermott is tied with teammate Braithwaite for total points, (78 points), but leads the team with 18 assists. McDermott led the Beavers with 19 points against Curry College on Monday, and will continue to be a major asset, especially against Emerson College, Tufts University and Amherst College in December.

Max Kaim (Wheelock College, Senior) – Kaim has helped the Wildcats offense and defense, but also leads the squad with 72 points through five games. He’s recorded 17 rebounds, 14 assists and 11 steals.

James Klemm (Williams College, Junior) – Klemm is off to a fast start, and leads the Ephs offense with 72 points, (14.4 points per game). He’s also tallied 21 rebounds, seven assists and four rebounds. His best game of the season thus far came against Wesleyan, as Klemm led the squad with 21 points, as well as contributed one rebound and two assists.

Willy Workman (Amherst College, Junior) – Mr. Workman has been a workhorse for the Lord Jeffs this season, and is averaging 16.3 points per game. He’s recorded 12 assists, 11 steals and three blocks, and has pulled down 11 defensive rebounds.

Noel Hollingsworth (MIT, Senior) – After six games this season, the senior center currently leads the squad with 98 points, and 20 offensive rebounds. He’s complimented the efforts of teammates Will Tashman and Mitchell Kates, who’ve also helped the Engineers remain undefeated.   

Can anyone stop Fitchburg State's Amy Fahey? (Photo Credit: Fitchburg State Athletics)

 

Women’s Basketball

Nicki Wurdeman (Babson College, Senior) – The pre-season All-American has been a major reason the Beavers are off to another successful start this season. Despite dropping their only contest of the month to Williams College, Wurdeman leads Babson with 82 points, and is tied with Kathleen King for 40 rebounds. Through four games, she’s handed out seven assists, and has recorded six steals and five blocks.

Kathleen King (Babson College, Senior) – It’s no surprise that King made this list, as she’s been a major reason for helping her team with points, (63), assists, (11) and rebounds, (40).

Sarah Collins (Babson College, Junior) –The junior forward has certainly complimented King and Wurderman’s play quite well. Through four games, Collins has scored 54 points, and leads the team with 12 blocks.

Jill Greenberg (Williams College, Senior) – The former Westwood High School Wolverine has done quite well this season, and not only leads the Ephs in minutes played, but has also recorded 65 points, 14 assists, and 18 rebounds.

Megan Robertson (Amherst College, Freshman) – The former Philips-Andover Academy star has excelled quite well at Amherst, and despite not starting four games, she currently leads the team with 54 points and 26 rebounds. She’s averaging roughly 19.8 minutes per game and could be added to the starting line-up soon, especially if her numbers remain consistent.

Rosa Drummond (Smith College, Sophomore) – The two-sport athlete is off to an amazing start. She’s registered 91 points in five games, along with 27 rebounds and 13 steals. The Pioneers have won five games this season, and certainly she’s a reason why her team has experienced a great deal of success.    

Amy Fahey (Fitchburg State, Sophomore) - Fahey has been “on fire” through five games, and leads the Falcons with 142 points. Yet, despite averaging 28.4 points per game, she’s also recorded 49 rebounds, seven steals and seven assists. 

Nov 29 2011

Massachusetts College Basketball – Division III Poll

By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s officially time to unveil our weekly Division III Massachusetts hoops poll. Here’s some the teams that have experienced a great deal of success over the past few weeks, as well as a few squads that have either dipped or been added.

As usual, we encourage fans, athletes, coaches and spectators to email us their thoughts toward our polls and college basketball coverage, (NoontimeSports@gmail.com).

Men’s Basketball  

1.) Amherst College [3-0] (Last Week No.1) – For the third week in a row, the Lord Jeffs remain atop our poll, and will look to keep their three-game winning streak alive on Tuesday evening when they travel to Lasell College. Afterward, Amherst will head to Springfield College for the Pioneer Classic, and wins against the Pride and Owls of Westfield State would be rather impressive.

2.) MIT [5-0] (Last Week No. 2) – The Engineers are fast, athletic and certainly, the real deal. Against Suffolk University this past weekend, junior Mitchel Kates helped MIT secure the Engineers fifth win of their season. After the game, head coach Larry Anderson described Kates as MIT’s equivalent of Tom Brady. The Engineers will look to keep their winning ways going against Emerson College on Tuesday.

3.) Williams College [3-1] (Last Week No. 3) – The Ephs have rebounded quite well since losing their second game of the season to Salem State. Two back-to-back wins have helped Williams keep pace with Amherst, but a win against RPI on Tuesday is somewhat a must, especially since MIT beat them earlier this month.

4.) Babson College [6-0]  (Last Week No. 5) – The Beavers jumped up to the fourth spot in our poll after finishing their November slate undefeated. Former Milton High School guard Marcus McDermott has been a major reason Babson College has experienced a great deal of success, especially since he leads the squad with 78 points. The Green and White will hit the road for three critical contests before returning home to face Amherst College.

5.) WPI [4-0] (Last Week No. 4) – Freshman Marco Coppola has been the spark behind WPI’s four game winning streak, especially since he’s recorded 70 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 rebounds over the past few weeks. The Engineers will resume play on Thursday when they travel to Lasell College.

Women’s Basketball:

1.) Amherst College (No. 1) – The Lord Jeffs continue to be the number one women’s squad to watch this season, and certainly, they can remain atop our poll with three more wins against Keene State, Lehman and Emmanuel. Also, Shannon Finucane, Kim Fiorentino and Lem Atanga McCormick led Amherst with 11 points each against Mount Holyoke last week.

2.) Williams College [4-0] (No. 2) – Wins against Springfield College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts were important, but now, the Ephs need to prepare themselves for a talented Bridgewater State squad that could hand them their first loss of the season. We’ll see what happens, but expect the Ephs to beat the Bears on Friday, and keep their undefeated streak alive.

3.) Babson College [3-1] (No. 3) – It’s been nine days since Judy Blinstrub’s squad has played a game, but on Wednesday, they’ll return to action against a struggling WPI squad in Worcester. Consider this a must-win, especially so the Beavers can begin to distance themselves in the NEWMAC, (New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference) standings.  

4.) Smith College [4-0] (No. 5) – The Pioneers keep on winning, and can end the month of November undefeated with a victory against Mount Holyoke College. Rosa Drummond has been a major part of the team’s success, and has recorded 74 points, 24 rebounds, and 11 steals over the past few weeks. Also, Ellie Giles has helped the Pioneers in the rebounding department, as she’s snagged 33 boards, (8 offensive, 25 defensive), as well as leads the team with six blocks.

5.) Fitchburg State [5-0] (Last Week/Not Ranked) – Three of their five wins have come on the road against Curry College, University of Massachusetts (Boston), and Nichols College, but victories against Clark University and Maine Maritime are quite impressive and won’t go unnoticed. Sophomore forward Amy Fahey is averaging 28.4 points and 9.8 rebound per game, and is certainly one of the reasons why the Falcons have experienced a great deal of success thus far.

Nov 16 2011

Massachusetts College Basketball — Tuesday Night Stars

By NoontimeSports.com 

Day one of the Division III College Basketball season is in the books, but on Tuesday, there were certainly some spectacular performances across the state of Massachusetts.

Here are some of the players that we’ll be watching this season, and could certainly earn our weekly honors too.

Men’s Basketball:

Kyle Pierce (Wheelock College) – Against Wentworth Institute of Technology, the senior Wildcat led his team with 15 points, and seven rebounds, as well as converted seven free throw shots too. Pierce was a major component of John Preziosa’s offense last season, and is expected to be a major factor in the team’s upcoming contests.

Brendan Degnan (Wheaton College) – The senior guard was a major reason why the Lyons earned an important opening night victory against Salve Regina, as Degnan led the young squad with 27 points, and matched teammate Will Bayliss with six rebounds.

Noel Hollingsworth (MIT) – The Captain did his job quite well on Tuesday, as he finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks against Curry College. Hollingsworth was also a major threat down low, as he recorded eight offensive boards, which provided numerous second chances and scoring opportunities for the Engineers.

Frank Stephenson (Worcester State) – Playing the full 40 minutes, Stephenson didn’t miss a beat, as he finished the game with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Lancers first loss of the season to Nichols College.

Isiah Benjamin (Mount Ida) – The Mustangs cruised to a 99-68 victory over Lesley on Tuesday, and a major reason was because of Benjamin’s play, who finished with 24 points, five assists, two steals, and one block.

Women’s Basketball:

Nicki Wurdeman (Babson College) – The Pre-Season All-American delivered on Tuesday, as she led the Beavers with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.

Sarah Collins (Babson College) – Collins converted 8-of-12 of her shots, and finished the contest against Salem State with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Kelly Slattery (Springfield College) – The Pride kicked-off their season with a win, and a major reason, Kelly Slattery, who finished the contest with 24 points, and two rebounds.

Rosa Drummond (Smith College) – The sophomore led the Pioneers with 15 points and eight rebounds, as well as registered one assist and one block. She also recorded three steals in Smith’s first win of the season against Westfield State.