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Mar 27, 2008

Historic Season for NEWMAC Basketball Programs

Babson Park, Mass.-The 2007-08 basketball season was a memorable one in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). There were noteworthy accomplishments throughout the season, as multiple school records fell and numerous student-athletes and coaches reached individual milestones.

Both of the Coast Guard Academy's programs achieved great team success this season. The men came within one game of advancing to the NCAA Division III Final Four, while the women captured the ECAC Division III New England championship. Both teams set program records for wins this season, with the men winning 24 games and the women winning 25. Men's Coach Peter Barry also won his 400th career game when the Bears knocked off UMass-Dartmouth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

A number of Bears also achieved impressive individual accolades. Senior captain, and NEWMAC Player of the Year, Natalie Moyer (Oklahoma City, Ok.) will graduate as the Academy's all-time leader in games played (107), points (1,640), steals (234) and three-point field goals made (259). On the men's side, senior Jeff Prebeck (Columbus, Ind.) became Coast Guard's all-time leading scorer, finishing his career with 1,614 points. His teammate, senior Al Sowers (Monrovia, Md.), now holds the Academy records for career assists (400) and three-point field goals made (266). Senior Grant Johnson (Grayson, Ga.) and junior Craig Johnson (Medford, Ore.) each surpassed the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season, and Prebeck collected his 1,000th rebound, becoming the first player in Coast Guard history with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. In an impressive show of their collective consistency and durability, Prebeck, Sowers and Grant Johnson each set an Academy record by starting all 109 career games during their four-year careers at Coast Guard.

At Babson, men's coach Stephen Brennan collected his 200th career win on January 12 against MIT. Women's senior Caitlin Boulier (Wolcott, Conn.) also hit the 1,000-career point mark on January 23 against Wellesley.

The Clark men tied a team record when they knocked down an impressive 18 three-pointers in a 104-95 win over Ramapo University on December 27.

MIT junior Jimmy Bartolotta (Littleton, Colo.) is well on his way to holding a number of Institute records when his career is over. Bartolotta went over the 1,000-point mark in his junior season, while setting an Institute record for scoring average in a season with 23.9 points per game. He already leads MIT in career 30-point games (10), and currently has the high-marks for career three-point shooting percentage (40.0) and free-throw shooting percentage (83.7). Senior Kimberly Soo Hoo (Benicia, Calif.) raised the bar by which all MIT point guards will now be measured. She set Institute records for assists in a game (13), season (139) and career (407) during her final season at MIT.

Springfield senior Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) recorded her 1,000th career point on February 2 against Wheaton. Teammate Lauren O'Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.) finished her junior season with the school record for field goal percentage in a season, shooting 59.5 percent on the year.

Krystin Hickey (Manchester, N.H.) became the first Wheaton College junior to score 1,000 career points, doing so on January 31 against MIT. Hickey helped Wheaton capture the NEWMAC Tournament championship and an earn NCAA Tournament appearance, as well. Junior Nick Michel (Hyde Park, Mass.) set a school record by shooting 62.8 percent from the field this season. NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Anthony Coppola (Watertown, Mass.), made a Wheaton first-year record 85 three-point field goals, and was the second-highest freshman scorer in Wheaton history, with 500 points.

NEWMAC Player of the Year Antoine Coleman (Everett, Mass.) reached the 1,000-point mark this season. Coleman also helped lead the WPI men to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this year. Women's head coach Cherise Galasso won her 100th game at WPI this season as well.

These, and countless other, student-athletes continued to wow fans during two thrilling and successful Conference tournaments. Most importantly, though, they were textbook representatives of their schools and the NEWMAC. They are the reason this basketball season truly was one for the record books.

The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference consists of ten highly selective institutions committed to academic excellence: Babson College, Clark University, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.