WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – For the first time since March 2020, Williams women's basketball will be back on the court, attempting to build on a 2019-20 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen.
Head coach
Pat Manning will be returning for her 31
st season coaching the Ephs. She is the all-time winningest basketball coach (men's or women's) in Williams history, having compiled a 521- 245 (.680) record and an even 10 seasons with at least 20 wins.
The Ephs finished 20-8 overall in 2019-20, including an 11-0 start and a 6-4 record in NESCAC play. Following their strong regular season, the Ephs earned an NCAA Division III tournament bid, defeating Albright and Ithaca before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was a very sad bus ride back," said Manning on the cancellation of the tournament after having made the Sweet Sixteen. "The hardest part was that everyone was playing their best basketball."
Though the Ephs will be returning five players (guard
Maggie Meehan, forward
Maddy Mandyck, guard
Devin Biesbrock, guard/forward
Mia Holtze, and center
Priscilla Singleton-Eriyo), the majority of this year's team is made up of freshmen and sophomores, none of whom have played a game for the Ephs before this season. "We're going to look different from what we were [two years ago] because we graduated so much experience," acknowledged Manning, noting that three starters from the 2019-20 season – guard Gabby Martin, guard Mikaela Topper, and forward/center Morgan Dauk – have graduated.
Meehan and Mandyck will serve as captains this year, with Meehan being named to the NCAA Division III All-American Honorable Mention team. In 2019-20 Meehan paced the Ephs with 13.8 points per game on 36.2% shooting from beyond the arc, while Mandyck consistently stuffed the stat sheet with 5.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
"Maggie's been so fun to watch," said Manning when asked about Meehan's growth over her four years at Williams. "To see her assume a leadership role this year is so exciting. She's been playing so well in the preseason."
Manning was also impressed by Mandyck's play down the stretch of the 2019-20 season. "Midway through her sophomore season, she just exploded, and the Ithaca weekend was the best she'd played all season."
The Ephs will play ten games, eight of which are at home, before the holiday break, including two tournaments: the Morin Memorial Tournament, November 19
th and 20
th, and the Shooting Touch Classic on December 3
rd and 4
th. During the break, the Ephs will travel to Nashville to participate in the Nashville Tournament, with games against Salisbury and Trine on December 29
th and 30
th, respectively.
Williams will then take on the NESCAC portion of their schedule in January and February. Their two Little Three matchups, both at home, are against Wesleyan on December 11
th and against Amherst on January 19
th.
"I'm excited about this year because everyone's excited about the opportunity to compete and to be back on the court again," said Manning. "It's the best."
The Ephs start their season on Saturday, November 13
th at 2:00 pm, at home against Skidmore and the next day they will host MCLA at 3:00 pm.
