Wentworth Institute of Technology: Athletics > Varsity Sports

Under the direction of first-year head coach Amanda Rodgerson, the Wentworth women’s basketball team entered the 2007-08 season looking to continue its streak of 10-plus win seasons to five and extend its streak of making an appearance in the conference tournament to three. With the loss of just one player to graduation, both of these goals seemed attainable.

The Leopards opened the season with a second-place finish at the Bridgewater State Tip-Off Tournament. In the opening game of the season Wentworth held on for a 52-49 win over the host Bears, who would suffer just two home defeats all season; the other coming to Bowdoin in the NCAA Tournament. In the championship game the Leopards fell just short to conference rival Salve Regina, falling, 66-62.

Wentworth’s loss to Salve Regina would be just one of two losses the Leopards would suffer during the first semester, with the other coming to perennial power Emmanuel. During Wentworth’s 7-2 start – the best start in the program’s history – the Leopards outscored their opponents by an average of over 10 points per game and held opponents to 39 points on two occasions.

As successful as the first semester was for the Leopards, the second semester would have more of its share of ups and downs. Coming out of the gate Wentworth saw its four-game losing streak end with three losses by a combined 18 points, including dropping the conference opener to Gordon. A win over Eastern Nazarene snapped the losing streak, but the Leopards would drop four in a row and six of their next seven tilts.

Standing at 9-11 overall and 2-6 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference, Wentworth defeated Anna Maria in its next game to crack the 10-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season. However, the Leopards would see themselves eliminated from playoff contention by dropping their next three contests. A convincing, 85-44, win over New England College closed out the season for Wentworth, which would finish 11-14.

Statistically speaking, senior Emily Cring averaged 14.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. She became the eighth Wentworth women’s basketball player to eclipse the 1,000-point mark in the loss to Emmanuel on Nov. 29. Freshman Kirsten Vallone (Avon, N.Y.) had a solid rookie campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and a block per game. Sophomore Jessie Coffey averaged 8.7 points per game to round out Wentworth’s top three scorers.

Cring was honored by TCCC as an honorable mention selection. This marked the third consecutive season she earn this distinction from the conference.

Looking Ahead

Wentworth returns all but two players - Cring and Whitney Alverez (Jaffrey, N.H.) - for the 2008-09 season. With the majority of the Leopard offense returning, Wentworth should be a contender to return to TCCC Tournament.

Schedule

Wentworth plays a 25-game schedule, including 13 conference games against such schools as Colby-Sawyer, Curry, Salve Regina, Endicott, and Gordon. The non-league schedule consists of games against such schools as Emanuel, Emerson, and Suffolk. During the 2002-03 season, the Leopards traveled to the Rhodes College Tournament (Memphis, Tenn.). During the 1999-2000 season, the Leopards played in the Scotty Wood Tournament at Muhlenberg College and the 1998-99 Leopards played two games in Atlanta to begin the season. The 2006-07 Leopards traveled to the HoopNSurf Tournament in Honolulu, shortly before Christmas break. During the 2008-09 season, Wentworth will participate in the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout the week before Christmas.

History

Women's basketball team has been a varsity sport since 1985, competing in the CCC. Since that time, several women have been honored as all-conference performers and seven have scored 1,000 points or more. Three, Cheyenne Noble, Brandy Trice and Rebecca Morris, have scored over 1,000 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds. The team's 14-11 record in 2005-2006 is the best record in the program's history.

Meet the Coaching Staff

Amanda Rodgerson (University of New England '02) enters her second season as the Wentworth women's basketball coach. She joins the Leopard staff after posting a 44-30 record in her three seasons as the Assistant Athletic Director/Head Women's Basketball Coach at Southern Maine Community College. While at SMCC, her team won a pair of Maine Small College Conference Championships, as well as winning the Yankee Small College Conference title in 2006. A former standout at the University of New England, Rodgerson was the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2002. She is assisted by Brittany Rheault (Worcester State '07).