2009-10 Season Preview: Women's Basketball

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- With all but three players from last year's roster returning, including all five starters, the 2009 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Champion Babson College women's basketball team is looking to stay on top of the league this winter. Ending last season with an overall record of 20-9, the Beavers are coming off the fourth appearance to the NCAA Division III Tournament in the program's 35-year history.

Leading the way for the Beavers this winter will be sophomore stars Nicki Wurdeman (Rowley, Mass.) and Kathleen King (Framingham, Mass.), who combined for 923 points last season. Starting all 29 games, both were named to the NEWMAC All-Conference First-Team.

Averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, Wurdeman also took NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Year, NEWBA All-New England Second Team, D3hoops.com Northeast All-Region Second Team, and Northeast Region Rookie of the Year honors last year. She also tallied 42 blocked shots, 25 assists and shot 50.6% from the floor while having nine double-doubles in her fantastic rookie campaign.

King also earned post-season honors from D3hoops.com, earning a spot on the Northeast All-Region Third Team. She averaged 15.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was second in the conference in scoring. She led the Beavers with a .844 percentage from the free-throw line and had 11 double-doubles last winter.

Tri-captains Becky Bowman (Melrose, Mass.), Amanda Grammel (Leominster, Mass.), and Sarah Hughes (Wellesley, Mass.) return after a successful 2008-09 season. As a sophomore, Bowman was third on the team in scoring averaging 9.7 points per game and 2.9 rebounds. She led the team with 86 assists on the season. Grammel started all 29 games averaging 2.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, while Hughes came off the bench to play in all 29 games, averaging 3.6 points per game and going 33-39 (.846) from the free throw line.

Juniors Kristy Benoit (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Renay Hamilton (Lynn, Mass.) along with sophomores Michelle Kenel (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) and Kelly McKenna (Shrewsbury, Mass.) will also look to make an impact for the Beavers this winter. Benoit came off the bench last season to lead the team in steals with 56. She also averaged 3.7 points per game. Hamilton started all 29 games in 08-09, averaging 3.7 points per game and chipping in 69 assists. As a first-year, Kenel saw ample time off the bench and was fourth on the team in scoring with 6.3 points per game. She also hit a team-high 22 three pointers on the season and averaged 3.2 rebounds per game. McKenna contributed 54 boards and 13 blocks in 25 games last winter, as she will look to add even more depth to Babson's already potent front court.

Joining the Beavers' roster this winter will be first-years Allanah Wynn, Katerina Mallios (Winthrop, Mass.), Kelsey Olivere (Braintree, Mass.), Jessica Aruda (Hanover, Mass.), Sarah Collins (Weymouth, Mass.) and junior transfer Damisi Adewumi (Bronx, N.Y.). All should have a chance to see significant time on Babson's talented but relatively young squad.

The 2009 NEWMAC Coach of the Year, Judy Blinstrub hopes to lead the Beavers to their fifth NCAA appearance in 2010. "I'm really looking forward to this upcoming season," Blinstrub said. "We have a lot of talent on this team, and with a class of very skilled first-years coming in, we should have outstanding depth this winter. However, playing in a very competitive league, we're going to need a total team effort from top to bottom if we want to have an opportunity to win the conference title again this year."