Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/8/2019) – A senior-less Chestnut Hill College roster is under new management in 2019-2020 as the Scarlet and Gold welcomes Head Coach Jim Connolly to the fold. "I am excited about this opportunity. We have a lot good shooters, but we will need to play better defense if we are going to compete in a deep CACC South." Connolly – a former assistant for Jefferson Head Women's Basketball Coach Tom Shirley and former All- Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) performer under Jefferson Head Men's Basketball Coach Herb Magee – inherits a youthful roster that includes nine underclassmen.
 
Sophomore captain Lauren Crim (Warrington, Pa.) averaged 10.8 points-per-game (PPG) in her first collegiate campaign. In 2019-2020, she fellow sophomore skipper Abbey Spratt (Doylestown, Pa.) will look to begin the Scarlet and Gold's new chapter under Coach Connolly. Crim had four games with five three pointers or more and additionally supplied the Griffins with 77 rebounds (2.9/game), 36 assists, a block, and 15 steals last season. Meanwhile, Spratt proved to be a versatile piece, also grabbing 77 rebounds, while contributing 54 assists, 11 blocks, 12 steals, and 4.7 PPG. Connolly identified junior guard Cassie Sebold (Willow Grove, Pa.), sophomore forward Leah Miller (Punxsutawney, Pa.), and sophomore guard Rachael Millan (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) as other key contributors. Sebold has scored 567 points in her first two seasons in the Scarlet and Gold. She is the Griffins top returning scorer, coming off a sophomore campaign that included 11.0 PPG, 3.3 rebounds-per-game (RPG), 93 assists, six blocks, and 21 steals. Meanwhile, Miller was a pleasant surprise in 2018-2019, totaling six double-doubles en route to 7.8 PPG and 7.0 RPG. Millan has shown plenty of potential, but has had trouble staying healthy in her first two seasons at Chestnut Hill College. But Coach Connolly has also marked her as a factor to the Griffins' success.
 
Other returning players include junior guard Kaitlin Dougherty (Philadelphia, Pa.), sophomore guard Morgan Orloski (Bethlehem, Pa.), and sophomore forward Bri Hewlett (North Wales, Pa.). All three saw significant time last season. Dougherty contributed 49 points, 19 rebounds, 17 assists, a block, and six steals a year ago. Meanwhile, Orloski showed an ability to hit from the perimeter, shooting 41.3% (19-of-46) from behind the three point line in her freshman season. She totaled 84 points to go along with 25 rebounds, 16 assists, a block, and two steals. Hewlett can stretch the floor as well as provide depth in the paint. She totaled 74 points, 65 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks, and seven steals in her debut season.

New to the program are freshmen guards Trinity Brittingham (Middletown, Del.), Maura Conroy (Philadelphia, Pa.), Amber Washington (Bear, Del.) and freshman forward Lindsey Lane (Havertown, Pa.). Coach Connolly believes that Lane will make an immediate impact with her size and interior presence. With a steady shot, she will contribute on both ends of the court. Conroy and Washington are quick guards who will provide defense, athleticism, and depth to the Griffin backcourt.
 
"We rebound the ball well," acknowledged Coach Connolly. "But we will need to limit our turnovers. We want to keep our opponents under 64 points per game by being aggressive on the defensive end." Coach Connolly also noted the return of Lindsay Alexander '13 and graduate student Bri Cullen as assistant coaches as good omens for a young Scarlet and Gold roster that is looking toward the upcoming season with quiet optimism.
 
Chestnut Hill College begins the season on Saturday, November 9, when they welcome Jefferson, Molloy College, and Queens College to Sorgenti Arena for a 2019-2020 tip-off tournament. The Griffins open the weekend with the Lions in a 4:30 p.m. contest.