January 23, 2013
Emmanuel vs.
Tufts Women’s Basketball Game Preview
Setting the Scene
The Emmanuel Women’s Basketball Team will host the Jumbos of Tufts University on Wednesday night. Emmanuel enters the contest on a five-game winning streak, and sits at 13-4 overall and 5-0 in GNAC play. The Jumbos enter the game ranked 4th nationally in the USA Today Top 25 poll, boasting an 18-0 record and a 6-0 NESCAC mark. Emmanuel’s Head Coach Andy Yosinoff currently sits at 699 career wins after defeating Emerson College on Monday afternoon.
Turn up the Intensity
With two of New England’ s perennial powerhouses squaring off tonight and Tufts ranked among the top teams in the country, the Yawkey Center will be full of intensity tonight. This intensity will need to translate onto the floor if the Saints want to pull off an upset tonight. Over their current five-game winning streak, the Saints have allowed an average of just 42 points per-game and have dominated their opponents, winning by an average margin of 35 points. This can primarily be attributed to the defensive intensity that has been ramped up with an expanded role going to Coach Yosinoff’s bench. Strong play from the reserves has senior captain Chenae Earle to come off the bench as a defensive catalyst on the second unit. Combine that with three starters, Fiona O’Dwyer, Britni Mikulanecz and Laura Benvenuto, averaging at least two steals per-game apiece and the Saints’ defensive dominance has been their key to success.
Effort From Top to Bottom
Throughout the season, Coach Andy Yosinoff has preached maximum effort from his team, starters and reserves alike. The Saints will require full effort across the board, as well as several standout performances, in order to secure a W tonight. The Jumbos feature a balanced attack, led by sophomore guard Hannah Foley. Foley leads her team with 12.4 points pre-game, and sets the tone for a team that is efficient on offense and hard-nosed on defense. Throughout the 2012 season, the Jumbos are beating their opponents by an average of 20.1 points per game and are out-rebounding their opponents by an average of 8 boards per night. The Saints average 65.8 ppg, compared to 63.3 ppg by the Jumbos, but Emmanuel will need to be clicking on all cylinders this evening to pull out this huge win.
Chasing History
Tonight marks the first time that veteran Emmanuel Coach Andy Yosinoff can capture his 700th career win. Yosinoff is in his 36th season with the Saints, the same program he has won all 699 games with. Winning tonight will place Yosinoff in elite company, as he will become just the third NCAA Division III coach to eclipse the 700-win milestone, behind Scranton University’s Mike Strong (active) and St. John Fisher’s Phil Kahler (inactive). Yosinoff will be the first Division III coach from a New England college or university to hit this mark. Just two other New England women’s basketball coaches have won more than 700 games, UCONN’s Geno Auriemma (Division I) and Bentley’s Barbara Stevens (Division II).