Season Outlook

2011-2012 Basketball Outlook

The Saint Mary's basketball team continues to thrive under the guidance head coach Jenn Henley, who enters her sixth season with the College. Over the last seven seasons, the team has won at least 10 games. The Belles have been in the top three in the league in each of the past three seasons and four times in the last five years.

In just the past five seasons, the team has won 75 overall games and more than 50 conference contests. Over that same span of time, the Belles have set nearly 30 new team and individual records. Most recently, the 2011 squad won a school-record 18 games, which included a tournament title at North Central College.

In 2011, the team will look to an already well-accomplished senior class to continue their winning ways. Kelley Murphy '12 headlines the class as she is set to cap off an outstanding career. Last winter, Murphy became the ninth player in program history to score her 1,000th career point on her way to First Team All-MIAA honors.

Joining Murphy in the Belles' quest for a championship will be classmates Jessica Centa '12, Maggie Ronan '12, Patsy Mahoney '12, and Katie Sullivan '12. The group comprises a senior class that has combined for over 370 game appearances, more than 1,400 rebounds, and better than 3,300 points scored in the past three seasons.

The Belles will have more than a few tough non-conference and conference opponents on the slate in 2011-12. Saint Mary's will open up the season against USA Today/ESPN Division III Preseason #25 Wheaton (Ill.) on Tuesday, November 15. Last season, the Belles took a 72-36 decision over the Thunder, but Wheaton returns the majority of a team that finished 19-7 overall in 2010-11.

At the first weekend tournament of the season at Manchester, the Belles will face off against either #12/#16 Denison or a Baldwin-Wallace team that has received votes in both polls in the second game of the Manchester Tip-Off Tournament.

Over Thanksgiving, the Belles will travel to and take on an Ohio Northern squad that has received votes in the d3hoops.com preseason poll.

In December, Saint Mary's will have back-to-back contests against ranked opponents in #15/#19 (USA Today Preseason Poll/d3hoops.com preseason poll) Hope and #2/#2 University of Chicago. The Belles will tangle twice with the Flying Dutch as well as twice against MIAA Coaches' Preseason Poll favorite and #5/#6 Calvin.