Women’s Basketball Ready to Tip-Off Season
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's basketball team is scheduled to kick off the 2024-25 season with a home game against Salve Regina University on Tuesday, November 12 at 6:00 pm. The Mariners recently unveiled their schedule, as Ashley Wilson's team looks to make strides during their second season as members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).
Wilson, who is entering her second season coaching the Mariners, will be looking to build upon 2023-24, when the team posted a 6-16 overall record, including a 4-10 mark in conference play.
"We have a positive energy this season that will give us an edge while competing," said Wilson. "We are young but resilient! I am proud of our progress so far and we look to only get better from here."
The Mariners will be tasked with replacing the production of graduated forward Yasmine Santos, who produced at historic levels last winter. Santos, who earned All-Conference First Team honors, turned in one of the most prolific seasons in the Division III era of the Mitchell women's basketball program, averaging 25.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, both program records.
Returning guard Jamya Beddoe (New London, Conn.) figures to be a major factor in the offense after starting 21 games last season and averaging 10.7 points per contest. Beddoe scored in double-figures in 10 games, including a career-high 22 points on 4-7 from three-point territory in a GNAC clash with Anna Maria College, and will look to take the next step over the course of her junior season. Senior Lyliana Daly (Englewood, N.J.) also returns after making 20 starts a year ago and averaging 5.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, yet she only has eligibility through the end of the first semester.
Senior sharpshooter Kyrsten Lucas (Manchester, Md.) will be making her return after missing nearly all of last season with injury, while sophomore guard Inonda Peterson (Houston, TX) and junior Tanai Williams (Harlem, N.Y.) round out the returning players. A freshman class of four will be looking to make an impact for Mitchell, who open GNAC play on Saturday, January 4, at Lasell University.
After their season opener against Salve Regina, the Mariners will play five non-conference games on the road leading into the GNAC opener with the Lasers, before hosting Johnson & Wales on Saturday, January 11. From there on it's all conference showdowns, including home games against Regis College (January 18), Emmanuel College (January 25), Colby-Sawyer College (February 1), New England College (February 8), Saint Joseph's College (February 15), and Rivier University (February 18).
In the recently released GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Mariners were ranked 13. Voting for the poll was completed by the league's 15 women's basketball head coaches.
Tip off for the 2024-25 women's basketball season is on Friday, Nov. 8 as teams open with non-conference action. Conference play gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 7. Teams will complete a 14-game single round robin conference season with the top-10 teams at the end of the regular season earning berths into the 2025 GNAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The postseason starts with a Play-In Round featuring the bottom four tournament seeds on Monday, Feb. 24 with those winners advancing to the GNAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Following the quarterfinals, the remaining four teams will play in the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 27 with the tournament culminating in the GNAC Championship game on Saturday, March 1. The winner of the championship game will be named 2024-25 GNAC Women's Basketball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.
2024-25 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll Results
1. Saint Joseph's (Maine) 220 (12 first-place votes)
2. University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 201 (1)
3. Albertus Magnus 191 (1)
4. Emmanuel 189 (1)
5. Lasell 157
T-6. Johnson & Wales 138
T-6. Rivier 138
8. Regis 127
9. New England College 101
10. Colby-Sawyer 83
11. Elms 71
12. Norwich 66
13. Mitchell 56
14. Anna Maria 43
15. Dean 19
