Regis Women’s Hoop About to Begin Busy Stretch of Games
WESTON, Mass. – Coming off its second two-week break of the season, the Regis College women's basketball team starts a stretch of five games in eight days this weekend at the Clark Basketball Holiday Classic in Worcester, Mass.
The Pride face the host Cougars Saturday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. and Wellesley Sunday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m. Regis then kicks off the new year at Brandeis Tuesday, Jan. 1, followed by a home game against UMass Dartmouth Thursday, Jan. 3, and a trip to Leicester to face Becker Saturday, Jan. 5.
Regis is still looking for its rhythm, as the Pride were unable to maintain their momentum after a 76-71 victory over Fitchburg State. Regis could not get going offensively in losses at Framingham State and to Southern Maine before the holiday break.
In her first year with the basketball program, junior Katryna Veasey leads the Pride with 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Senior Sam D'Angelo is shooting 58.1 percent from the field, third in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, as she is averaging 9.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Clark has put together a 3-7 overall record by losing the first three games of the season, rattling off four straight wins, and then losing four straight games heading into the weekend. As a team, the Cougars are scoring 59.0 points per game and shooting 31.2 percent from the field, including 23.0 percent from behind the three-point line, and 63.9 percent from the free throw line.
Hannah Favaloro is averaging a double-double, leading the Cougars with 11.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Sam O'Gara is averaging 11.8 points per game, but she did not play in Clark's last game before the break, and Ogechi Ezemma is also averaging a double-double with 10.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Regis and Clark are meeting for the third time in history, with the teams splitting the previous two contests. The Cougars won the first meeting at the Bowdoin Classic Dec. 29, 2012, 67-54, but the Pride won the rematch at the Catholic University Holiday Tournament Dec. 30, 2013, 69-58.
Wellesley College enters the weekend with a 5-3 overall record, last playing on Dec. 8, a 59-50 loss to Springfield. As a team, the Blue are scoring 52.8 points per game and shooting 39.2 percent from the field, including 29.8 percent from behind the three-point line, and 55.2 percent from the free throw line.
Caitlin Aguirre is the team's leading player, averaging 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. Alyssa Cho is contributing 9.1 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game, with Emily Kopp shooting 51.8 percent from the field as she is averaging 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
This will be the 22nd meeting all-time between Regis and Wellesley, with the Blue holding a 17-4 series advantage. However, the teams have not met since Dec. 7, 2006, a 40-38 Wellesley victory.
Brandeis brings a 4-5 overall record into the New Year's Day contest. The Judges hold an 8-1 series advantage over the Pride, including a 60-50 victory at Regis Jan. 2, 2018. UMass Dartmouth is currently 8-1 overall, with its only loss to top-ranked Bowdoin, while Becker is 6-4 overall.
After the Becker game, Regis opens conference play against preseason favorite Saint Joseph's College Tuesday, Jan. 8, starting at 7 p.m.