Magic possible for the postseason in women's basketball

Written by: Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow

It is winter postseason time again in Rindge, and that can only mean one thing. The women's basketball team is lacing up their sneakers and getting ready for the final stretch. With the number 13 nowhere to be found, the program will turn to the team-oriented game which they have relied on and succeeded with all year.

Coming from two big wins to rally themselves into the second seed in the Northeast-10 Tournament, the Ravens have their confidence back. After the setback against Saint Anselm on February 12, the Ravens put themselves into a tough position, being tied for second and behind Bentley by two games with two to go. The Ravens defeated nationally-ranked Bentley 90-87, to come within a game, but came up short as Bentley won their final game of the year. Franklin Pierce is slotted as the number two seed, and will await winners to see who they will host at the Field House on March 1 in the Quarterfinals.

The shining light and surprise of the year has been the fact that the freshman class has been nothing short of impressive. When recruits come in, no one really knows what they have got or how much they can take. This year's freshman group has lost big, won huge, and done the same in close situations. Brook Coderre originally started the year as a starting guard before becoming the lightening rod off the bench that the Ravens needed. One of the many perimeter threats the Ravens have, Coderre will be a major part of this possible postseason run. Brittany Martelle has gone from being the no-name player who played well against Uconn, to a major rotation player in the Ravens scheme. Martelle is as good as the rest at shooting the ball when she has confidence, which will be her key to success. Kate McDonald may be the most known coming into this year. She was the Ravens starting point guard for the entire year and has come into her own as of late. Her ability to be aggressive and then become the distributor in a matter of a play has really worked to her advantage. The freshman class will need to play well for the Ravens to stay in the postseason as long as possible.

Regardless of whom they play or what the underclassmen produce, the key factors and telling tale of the Ravens will be their two junior leaders, Marielle Giroud and Jewel White. Going into the final game against UMass-Lowell, Giroud came off her career game and was averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Those statistics were second only to arguably the conference's best player Jewel White. White won the NE-10 Conference Player of the Week award more times than anyone else this year. She averaged 18.7 points and over 11 rebounds per contest. The two players have been the corner stone of this ball club all year, to the point where there were only three games where one of them did not lead the team in scoring. If they play well, the Ravens play well. Both also hold the experience card in their hands as they have been through the thick and thin of this team. White and Giroud were both part of the team during the two glorious recent elite eight runs, but also have been a part of the heartbreak of coming up just short of the trophy. The team's success lies in the hands of White and Giroud this postseason.

This is the first postseason run the Ravens will have to make without Johannah Leedham in a long time. The two-time player of the year and leading scorer in the history of the division has moved on, but her jersey is still in the Field House. This young team will need to rely on their team play, rather than letting Leedham go for over 30 a night. Leedham is gone, but the heart of the Ravens is still within the program. Magic is still possible for this program as the pieces are in place.

The Ravens basketball postseason will not be blessed with having the best player in the division in Johannah Leedham, but there is plenty of hope. With the accelerated progress of Martelle, Coderre, and McDonald, to go along with the experience and drive of Giroud and White, the Ravens have a chance to keep this successful program nothing short of magical.