Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/8/2017) – With a pair of record seasons in the books, two reigning Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Rookies of the Year on the roster, and a class of talented freshman ready to contribute, the future is now for Head Coach Mike West and the Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team. In 2016-2017, the Scarlet and Gold roster vowed to "Conquer 30". This year they look to "Finish".

 

"After another first round playoffs loss, both the players and coaching staff have been working hard at getting better and being more prepared," stated Coach West. Chestnut Hill College set 21 program records during the 2016-2017 season including most National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) wins (16), most CACC wins (11), and best overall DII record (16-11), but for the second season in a row the Griffins run came to an end in an 70-53 CACC Opening Round final at #2N Bloomfield College. In many ways the season was a great success, but for Coach West and the Griffins it was just another step on their path to a CACC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. "We have very high expectations for this year's team. Our combination of returning players and new additions gives us the talent and depth we need to compete. We hope to challenge ourselves with our non-conference schedule and focus on our goal."
 
Chestnut Hill College will miss the play and leadership of All-CACC Third Team performer Caity Kuhnen '17 and Erica McIntosh '17, but are pleased to welcome fellow 2016-2017 seniors, fellow groundbreakers, Brittany McDonough '17 and Michaiah Young '17 to the coaching staff. McDonough and Young join Nakaida Monroe Thomas and former Rosemont College men's basketball assistant coach and alumni, Pat Curtin '11 in Coach West's inner circle, which retains 1,000-point scorer Lindsay Alexander '13.
 
On the court the Griffins will make up for their losses with the improvement of sophomore guard Cailey Gibson (Marlton, N.J.), junior guard Mary Trossi (Somerset, N.J.), junior forward Jaeda Wildgoose (Somerset, N.J.), senior guard Vicky Tumasz (North Wales, Pa.), and the CACC Rookie of the Year, forward Shannon Glenn (Philadelphia, Pa.).

Trossi will once again be the engine for Chestnut Hill College. She earned an All-CACC Third Team selection and the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award by recording the program's most free throws in a season (142) and most assists in a season (149) in addition to providing a pair of triple-double performances in wins over Kutztown University (17 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists in a 94-92 overtime victory on December 17) and Georgian Court University (11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 92-78 win on February 7). She will share a majority of the backcourt responsibilities with Tumasz and Gibson. Tumasz, who was named the CACC Student-Athlete of the Month in January, finished her first season in the Scarlet and Gold as the team leader in three-pointers made (80), free throw percentage (.862, 50-of-58), and steals. She will assume captain duties this season and continue to be a weapon in Coach West's high-octane offense. Gibson gained valuable experience as a reserve in her freshman season. Her hard work has earned her an expanded role in the season to come.
 
The Griffins also return senior guards Caroline Gehring (Suffolk, N.Y.), Ayanna Holloway (Philadelphia, Pa.), and Tomiaya Graham (Miami, Fla.). New additions to the backcourt include four freshmen; Kaitlin Dougherty (Philadelphia, Pa.), Angela Faraglia (Clifton Heights, Pa.), Rachael Millan (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.), and Cassie Sebold (Willow Grove, Pa.). Dougherty is a proven winner, who has demonstrated a strong work ethic and displayed athleticism in preseason training. Millan is a versatile scorer who could add another dimension to the Griffin offense. Sebold is also of good stock as a well-rounded small hailing from Archbishop Wood.
 
Up front, Chestnut Hill College is anchored to the hi-low play of back-to-back CACC Rookies of the Year, Wildgoose (2015-2016) and Glenn (2016-2017). Wildgoose led Chestnut Hill College in field goal percentage (.533, 137-of-257), rebounds (194, 7.2/game), and blocks (16) while totaling 340 points for a 12.6 points-per-game average. With two double digit scoring seasons in the bag, Wildgoose assumes captain duties in her junior season. Glenn totaled 281 points (10.4/game), 117 rebounds (4.3/game), 37 assists, 13 blocks, and 15 steals in her rookie campaign. Her early maturity was essential to last year's success, as she develops so will the possibilities for the 2017-2018 Griffins. The new frontcourt piece is junior forward Mary Bode (Zaria Kaduna State, Nigeria), who transfers to Chestnut Hill College from Miles Community College (MCC) in Montana. In 2016-2017, she was part of a Pioneer squad that finish second in the Mon-Dak Conference and was the first team in program history to reach the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 9 Tournament.
 
Chestnut Hill College begins their quest to "Finish" on Saturday, November 11, when they face Molloy College in a 4:00 p.m. contest at the Jefferson University Challenge.