Endicott Women’s Basketball Slated Fourth In 2015-16 CCC Preseason Poll

 2015-16 CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll Release

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott women's basketball team has been slated fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Preseason Poll, as selected by the league's 10 head coaches.

Endicott received 67 points headed into the 2015-16 season after posting a 12-15 record overall in 2014-15, which included a 7-11 showing in conference games.

 Five-year head coach Brittany Hutchinson and the Gulls enter the 2015-16 season ready to rebound after a 66-49 loss to Curry in the CCC Semifinals last season.

The Gulls' key returners include CCC Rookie of the Year sophomore forward Hannah Shaw (Bar Harbor, Maine), as well as senior guard Kelsey Cuddy (Madison, Conn.), an All-CCC First Team selection. Cuddy leads the team of returners in points (364), rebounds (174), blocks (48) and steals (90) from a season ago. Cuddy also paced the squad in blocks and steals for the past two seasons.

Shaw, a three-time Rookie of the Week winner, scored 264 points and grabbed 170 boards en route to four double-doubles and 14 double-digit scoring games over the course of the season. Other players to watch include sophomores Sam Charette (Wenham, Mass.), Hannah Kiernan (Wenham, Mass.) and Gabriella Coppola (Watertown, Mass.).

The University of New England, the three-time defending CCC Champions, was unanimously picked first in the poll as the Nor'easters claimed all ten place votes for a total of 100 points.  Roger Williams was second with 90 points and Western New England was third with 74 points.

Salve Regina ranked No. 5 on the poll with 60 points, Curry checked in at No. 6 with 50 points, and No. 7 Eastern Nazarene received 42 points. Wentworth was positioned eighth overall (33 points), while Gordon (18 points) and Nichols (15 points) rounded out the conference voting.

 Endicott opens the season in the Pepsi Mariner Classic this weekend in Castine, Maine with a 4:00 p.m. game against UMass Boston on Saturday, November 14.

The Gulls will host Keene St. on Tuesday, November 24 at 5:00 p.m. for the first game of the 2015-16 season on the home hardwood in MacDonald Gymnasium. The 2015-16 home campaign also features NEWMAC and NESCAC opponents, MIT and Bates, respectively, coming to town to prepare the Gulls for conference play. 

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