Women’s Basketball Opens Season at Merrimack College Tournament

Women’s Basketball Opens Season at Merrimack College Tournament

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Concordia College (N.Y.) women's basketball team begins the 2018-19 campaign on Friday, Nov. 9 against Bentley University in North Andover, Mass. at the Merrimack College Tournament, with a matchup against the host Warriors the following day. Tip-off for the season opener is slated for 7:30 p.m. with Saturday's start time scheduled for 5 p.m. 

Match Information: Bentley
Date: 
Friday, November 9, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.
Location: 
North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
All-Time Series: Bentley leads 1-0
Last Time: Bentley, 76-49 (Nov. 12, 2016)
Media Coverage: 
Live Stats | Live Video  

Match Information: Merrimack
Date: 
Saturday, November 10, 2018 | 5 p.m.
Location: 
North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
All-Time Series: Merrimack leads 1-0
Media Cove
Last Time: Merrimack, 55-36 (Nov. 13, 2016)
Media Coverage: 
Live Stats | Live Video

About the Clippers
Concordia heads into the new campaign after going 4-24 during the 2017-18 season. The Clippers ended last season second in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) in blocks per game with 4.1 and fifth in rebounds with 41.1 while also averaging 54.3 points per game, 8.1 assists and 7.3 steals.

Concordia returns nine members from the 2017-18 team, with junior guard Nicole Nicholson (Staten Island, N.Y.), junior center Amiya Rankins (Somerset, N.J.) and sophomore guards Jordyn Hornbuckle (Hopkinsville, Ky.) and Saundra Cleckley (Queens, N.Y.) all starting in double-digit games last season. Nicholson is the top returner scorer for the Clippers, finishing last season second on the team with 8.8 points per game on top of a 1.6 steals per game rate that also finished second.

Concordia last saw Bentley and Merrimack during the 2016-17 campaign, a season that ended for the Clippers in the CACC Championship.

About the Falcons
Bentley enters the 2018-19 campaign with a preseason ranking of eighth by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Division II Sports Information Directors' polls after a 28-4 campaign with a Northeast-10 Conference Championship and NCAA East Region semifinal appearance. The Falcons led the NE10 in scoring with 73.7 points per game while finishing second in rebounds and assists with marks of 43.4 and 17.0 while also averaging 7.9 steals and 3.1 blocks.

2017-18 NE10 All-Conference First-Team member Victoria Lux returns to Bentley after leading the team with 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in the 2017-18 season. Megan Lewis represents the top-returning guard for Bentley, recording 2.0 assists and 0.9 steals last season.

About the Warriors
Merrimack hosts the season-opening tournament after going 15-12 last season. The Warriors led the NE10 in steals per game with 9.3 and ranked third in assists and blocks with 15.1 and 4.2 while also averaging 60.0 points and 35.1 rebounds.

Lindsay Werner returns for her senior campaign after leading the team with 15.4 points, joined by Karlee Alves who paced the Warriors with 6.4 assists and 2.7 steals while Denia Davis-Stewart pulled down a team-best 9.4 rebounds last season. Reigning NE10 Rookie of the Year Alyssa Carey averaged 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals during her first collegiate campaign.

Up Next
Following play at the Merrimack College Tournament, the Clippers host Mercy College on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in the home opener at 5 p.m.

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