After an extended collegiate career at Chestnut Hill College, McDonough ’17 joined Coach West’s staff as an assistant prior to the 2017-2018 campaign. McDonough totaled 597 (12th, 6.4 points/game) points, 298 rebounds (18th, 3.2 rebounds/game), and 250 assists (4th, 2.7 assists/game) in over 93 games played for the Scarlet and Gold, finishing among the program’s top-20 on those all-time lists.
As an experienced junior (2015-2016), McDonough was named a captain during Coach’s West first season as the director of the Chestnut Hill College women’s basketball program. At the conclusion of that season, she was named the team’s Most Valubale Player (MVP) for providing career-highs across the board. McDonough ranked fourth on the team in scoring (267 points, 10.7 points/game) and second in assists (97, 3.9 points/game), helping the Griffins to their first-ever Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship Tournament appearance.
McDonough's senior season (2016-2017) brought 116 points (7.3 points/game), 57 rebounds (3.6 rebounds/game), 48 assists (3.0 assists/game) and the team’s Coach’s Award. She started 14 of the 16 contest she appeared before suffering an unfortunate career-ending injury in an 87-78 victory over Holy Family University on January 17, 2017. The win – the Griffins’ second over the Tigers that season – helped propel Chestnut Hill College to a subsequent victory over Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University, W, 75-69 on January 24) and a second straight CACC postseason berth.
Additionally, McDonough received the Golden Griffin Award at the 2017 Chestnut Hill Colege Leadership Banquet and she was a member of both the spring 2016 and fall 2016 Chestnut Hill College Athletics Academic Honor Rolls.
