Lose to Albertus Magnus, 82-81

Article by: Christian Petruzzi

The Suffolk women’s basketball team is sometimes overshadowed by men’s sports, but sports fans of the University should take note: these young ladies are primed to make some noise in the years to come.

Led by 16 year head coach Ed Leyden, the Rams posted a 14-12 record this season and a sixth-place finish in the GNAC, surprising many prognosticators who expected them to finish eighth in the conference. Since he took the reins at Suffolk in 1994, Leyden’s teams have averaged an outstanding 18 wins per season.

However, the Lady Rams saw their GNAC run end last week following a razor-thin loss to the third-seed Albertus Magnus Falcons by a score of 82-81, which eliminated the Rams from the conference tournament.

“We all feel proud of what we accomplished this season and we felt that we represented the University well,” said Leyden of the 2009-10 edition of his team, which was among the youngest in the GNAC with nine players who will return next season.

The word “steady” seems to epitomize this team, captained by senior forward Laura Thompson, who had a team leading 170 rebounds, and whom Leyden referred to as the “glue” that kept the team together.

Sophomore forward Meghan Black was named to the GNAC’s All-Conference Third Team and led the team in scoring, averaging 10.2 points and close to six rebounds per game.

Freshman point guard Jackie Vienneau played over 30 minutes per game, while also chipping in for 9.3 points per game with 119 rebounds.

“[Vienneau] was like a coach on the floor, simply exceptional,” said Leyden.

He also had high praise for freshmen guard Lindsey Rogers.

“She was all around tough player,” he said of Rogers. “Key offensive player, but especially [key] on defense.”

Despite the early exit, Leyden knows his team will only get better next season. In the 2009-10 season, the Rams played the an extremely tough schedule, facing the best teams New England could offer, like Salve Regina, Endicott, and Curry.

“We played solid defensive basketball as the season progressed,” said Leyden. “There are always areas to improve, starting with rebounding.”

Leyden also pointed to the rigors of a long season, and the effects it had on his young team.

“They realize how long the season is now (mid-October through March) and they’ll prepare better next season in the early weeks and build on that throughout the season,” he said. “We have a solid foundation and are looking forward to continued success next season.”