Collins Highlights NEWBA Postseason Award Winners

Lynn Hersey
Smith College

Lynn Hersey earns New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Coach of the Year honors for the first time after leading Smith College to the NCAA Tournament for the time in program history.

The Pioneers received an at-large bid, and immediately made their presence felt, upsetting No. 8 ranked and host University of Southern Maine before falling to No. 25 Ithaca College in the second round.  The Pioneers tied the school record for wins in a season with 23, the most notable of which was a 53-49 upset of Final Four participant Williams College on January 28.  

In six seasons at Smith, Hersey has taken the program from five wins in her first year to 23 in each of the last two years, and earned her 100th career win with Smith's 71-56 victory over Clark  on February 6.  She has also been named NEWMAC Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013, where Smith has a 46-11 (.807) record over that span. 

Prior to taking the reins at Smith, Hersey was co-coach of the women's basketball team at Amherst College in the 2006-07 season.   Hersey played for four years at Plymouth State College (now Plymouth State University), where she earned a degree in Physical Education, and a minor on Health.  She also holds a master's degree in Sport Management from UMass-Amherst.

Sarah Collins 
Babson College
Senior • Center • Weymouth, Mass.

Sarah Collins caps her incredible career with the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA) Player of the Year Award.

Already named named the 2013 NEWMAC Player of the year, first team All-Conference, NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, the d3hoops.com Northeast Region Player of the Year, and ECAC New England Player of the Year, Collins was also one of 11 finalists for this year's Jostens Trophy.

The senior center led the nation with 25 double-doubles this season, while setting a single-season program record for rebounds (401), rebounds per game (13.8), and blocked shots (99).

Two of her best performances came in Babson's biggest games: she scored a career-high 32 points against Wellesley in the NEWMAC Championship Game, and she just missed a triple-double with 18 points, 12 boards, and eight blocks in the team's NCAA First Round win over SUNY New Paltz.

Collins was a D3hoops.com Pre-season All-American, an eight-time NEWMAC Player of the Week, a four-time NEWBA Player of the Week, and a three-time D3hoops.com Team of the Week selection.

Shannon Brady
Bowdoin College
First Year • Center • Scituate, Mass.

Bowdoin's Shannon Brady earns her second Rookie of the Year award this season by being named the 2012-13 NEWBA Rookie of the Year.   

Already named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Rookie of the Year, Brady started 20 of 24 games while averaging 7.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per contest, and 2.2 block shots.

Brady made an impact in the big games, with 14 points against Amherst College, and 12 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocked shots against Hamilton College.  Brady was also named to the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Rookie team.

• Claire Baecher, Williams College (Sr., F, Brunswick, Maine) - The NESCAC Player of the Year, Baecher started every game this season for the Ephs, who advanced to the Final Four in 2012-13.  Williams' leader in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots, Baecher scored in double-figures in 22 of the first 29 games of the year, including a 30 point, eight rebound performance against Amherst College on February 10.  
• Beth Suggs, University of New England (Sr., F, Bath Maine) - The CCC Player of the Year and 1st team all-CCC selection, Suggs led the Nor'easters in scoring (14.4), rebounding (11.4), field goal percentage (45.7), and free throws made (102) entering the NCAA tournament. She ranks 11th in Division III in double-doubles (16 in 28 games), and 20th in rebounds. Suggs scored in double figures the last 18 games of the year (24 times overall), and UNE won each of those contests plus the one before (19 total), shattering the program record winning streak of 12 in-a-row. 
• Kaitlin Donahue, Bowdoin College (Sr., G, Amherst, N.Y.) - A 1st team All-NESCAC Player, Donahoe averaged 15.4 points per game, along with 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest and connecting on 77.4 percent of her free throws..  Donahue went over 20 points six different times this year, including a season high 28 points with six boards and four assists in a 82-71 win over rival Colby College on January 26.   
• Devon Quattrocchi, Smith College (Sr., G, Brewster, N.Y.) - A NEWMAC 1st Team Selection, Quattrocchi led Smith to a 23-5 record, its first trip to the NCAA tournament and wins over ranked USM and Williams. Nearly doubling her offensive output from a year ago, Quattrocchi's relentless on ball defense and play making ability led Smith to the highest scoring offense in the NEWMAC, a first round win in the NCAA tournament and the most wins in school history.
• Sarah Collins, Babson College (Sr, C, Weymouth, Mass.) - Collins was named NEWBA Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points and 13.8 rebounds per game, and racking up a nation-leading 25 double-doubles.  Collins was also named NEWMAC and ECAC New England Player of the Year.

• Taylor DeSanty, Colby-Sawyer College (Sr., G, North Adams, Mass.) - DeSanty was named NAC Player of the Year for the second straight season and to the All-NAC First Team. She was a four-time Player of the Week winner and was named to the NEWBA Honor Roll twice. She led the NAC in scoring with 19.3 points per game in conference play, while ranking among the top-five in field goals (136) and three-pointers made (35). DeSanty is Colby-Sawyer's all-time leader in points (1785), three-pointers (219) and field goals (650).
• Michaela Cosby, Bridgewater State University (Sr., G, Walpole, Mass.) - Cosby averaged 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals in 25 games this season as she helped lead the BSU women's basketball team to their second straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season title and third consecutive MASCAC Tournament championship. She also shot 50.7% (150-296) from the field and 71.4% (75-105) at the free throw line for the Bears who made their third straight trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. A two-time All-MASCAC First Team selection (2012, 2013), Cosby amassed 1,092 points, 563 rebounds, 262 assists, 226 steals and 47 blocked shots over 101 career games. 
• Colleen Moriarty, UMass-Dartmouth (Sr., F, Canton, Mass.) - The LEC Player of the Year, Moriarty finished the season averaging 19.0 points per game, along with 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.  Recording 10 double-doubles on the season, Moriarty surpassed 20 points in a game 12 different times, and went over 30 points three times, including a season high 35 points and 11 rebounds against Plymouth State on January 26.  Moriarty was also named to the ECAC DIII New England All-Star team.
• Nicole Garland, University of Southern Maine - A First Team All-Little East Conference selection and First Team Maine Women's Basketball Coaches' Association, Garland was fourth in NCAA Division III Three-Point Field Goal Percentage at 45.4%. She set school record for career three-pointers with 224 as well as school record for threes in a season with 88. She led the Huskies in scoring at 13.0 ppg, and was Little East Conference Tournament co-Most Outstanding Player. 
• Meaghan O'Keefe, Worcester State University (Sr, C, Warren, Mass.) - 1st Team All-MASCAC, MASCAC Player of the Year and three-time MASCAC Player of the Week honoree, O'Keefe finished regular season first in the MASCAC in rebounding (12.6) and total blocks (46), third in points per game (16.0) and fourth in field goal percentage (.480).  As of 3/3/12, she ranked eighth in Division III in total rebounding and ninth in average boards. Among single-season WSU leaders, O'Keefe finished with third most rebounds (328) and sixth most points (411), ending her career 36 points shy of 1,000 for career.