The women’s basketball team will begin its 2007-08 season hoping to claim the NESCAC title. Having graduated only one senior last year, nearly every Jeff returns to welcome new Head Coach G.P. Gromacki. In their 2006-07 campaign, the Jeffs had an overall record of 12-13 and went 3-6 in conference play. The sixth-seeded Jeffs’ NESCAC Tournament run was cut short when they were defeated by third-seeded Bowdoin College in the quarterfinals. Though Amherst was pleased to qualify for the conference tournament, they hope to go further this year. “Our goal is to win our conference and go as far as possible in the NCAA Tournament,” said forward Stefanie Reiff ’08. “Once you get into the tournament, anything is possible.”
The Jeffs’ lone loss, guard Jenny Muller ’07, led the team in steals and in three-pointers last winter. Muller was also third on the team in field-goal percentage. Though the team will have to step up to fill Muller’s shoes, the seniors are confident that the Jeffs will be able to do so.
“We have almost everyone from last year returning plus some great talent in the [first-year] class,” asserted senior guard/forward Anne-Claire Roesch. “Not having to fill huge gaps in the lineup will definitely be an advantage for us as many of our players have the experience to really contribute.”
Returning to the team this year is a trio of seniors: Reiff, Roesch and senior point guard Shaina Pollack. Last season, Reiff led the team in points per game, rebounds per game and minutes played. She also led the NESCAC in free-throw percentage at .830 and was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. Roesch proved her tenacity last winter as a defender, grabbing an average of four defensive rebounds each game and blocking 16 shots over the course of the season. Pollack controlled the offense at point guard, averaging a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Last year’s NESCAC Rookie of the Year, guard/forward Samantha Swensen ’10, will look to continue her sharp play on both offense and defense. The first-year led the team in field-goal percentage and blocked shots, and ranked third in total points scored. Swensen will be joined at forward by Kerry O’Laughlin ’09, who was second on the team in points and third in total rebounds during the 2006-07 season.
Under its new coach, the team will focus on meeting its potential and winning a higher percentage of close games. “Although we lack some true height in the post, our athleticism will match up well against some of the bigger, slower bodies we play against,” explained Roesch. Reiff agreed: “We have a very quick and athletic team. What we may lack in size we can make up in speed and agility.”
Throughout the 2006-07 season, the majority of the team’s losses were by fewer than five points. If the team really wants to compete in the NESCAC, they will have to turn some of those close losses into victories. Gromacki has already begun to address this issue.
“We work in practice on situational plays,” said Reiff. “For instance, we might put one minute on the clock and tell one team they are down five and we will then work on making that comeback.”
In 2006-07, the Jeffs finished second in field-goal percentage. This season, they will try to match that offensive success with defensive intensity and focus. According to Reiff, “Our team needs to work on defensive intensity and rotations in the defense. If we have great defensive energy, then our offense will be fueled from that.”