Spring Break
Two triumphant returns
by Mike Prada and Julie Ganz
Sports | 3/4/08
Posted online at 4:37 AM EST on 3/4/08
"I think it's going to be a really good matchup. Southern Maine is a very good team, a big, strong, physical team, a team that can shoot very well, aggressive defensively, so we definitely have our work cut out for us," women's coach Carol Simon said.
Despite missing all-University Athletic Association forward Steve DeLuca '08 for nearly the entire season due to back and hamstring injuries, the men's team finished the season 20-5 and 10-4 in the UAA, both one-game improvements over last year's squad's regular-season records. Last season, the Judges earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Trinity College in the first round before losing to Rhode Island College in the second round.
"I think a lot of teams losing their best player would have struggled trying to find a way to win games," Meehan said. "Early on, although we struggled, we kept finding ways to win games, and as the season went on, guys just kind of fell into different roles, and we've had a lot of guys at different times step up and have good games when we've needed them to."
With DeLuca sidelined by injury, Coppens has become the Judges' top offensive threat, averaging 15.1 points per game this season on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range. Forward Terrell Hollins '10 took over DeLuca's starting spot and is averaging 13.6 points and a team-high six rebounds per game, while guard Kevin Olson '09 entered the starting lineup last December and has increased his scoring average from 6.5 to 11 points this season.
After losing to Emmanuel College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, the women's team returns despite losing two nonconference games for the first time since the 2002 to 2003 season. Road losses to Washington University in St. Louis Feb. 22 and the University of Chicago Feb. 24 put the Judges' tournament hopes in jeopardy, but they rebounded with a 63-60 win over New York University last Saturday to secure their spot in the field.
Despite missing all-University Athletic Association forward Steve DeLuca '08 for nearly the entire season due to back and hamstring injuries, the men's team finished the season 20-5 and 10-4 in the UAA, both one-game improvements over last year's squad's regular-season records. Last season, the Judges earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Trinity College in the first round before losing to Rhode Island College in the second round.
"I think a lot of teams losing their best player would have struggled trying to find a way to win games," Meehan said. "Early on, although we struggled, we kept finding ways to win games, and as the season went on, guys just kind of fell into different roles, and we've had a lot of guys at different times step up and have good games when we've needed them to."
With DeLuca sidelined by injury, Coppens has become the Judges' top offensive threat, averaging 15.1 points per game this season on 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range. Forward Terrell Hollins '10 took over DeLuca's starting spot and is averaging 13.6 points and a team-high six rebounds per game, while guard Kevin Olson '09 entered the starting lineup last December and has increased his scoring average from 6.5 to 11 points this season.
After losing to Emmanuel College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, the women's team returns despite losing two nonconference games for the first time since the 2002 to 2003 season. Road losses to Washington University in St. Louis Feb. 22 and the University of Chicago Feb. 24 put the Judges' tournament hopes in jeopardy, but they rebounded with a 63-60 win over New York University last Saturday to secure their spot in the field.
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