2019-20 Women's Basketball Preview

SALEM, Mass. -- Head Coach Bobby Verdun enters his second season as the head coach of the Salem State's women's basketball program. Last year, the Vikings finished with a record of 6-19 while reaching the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Tournament.    

2019-2020 OUTLOOK

Salem State enters this season with a young team compared to recent years. The Vikings will look to build chemistry on and off the court to develop into a cohesive unit.

KEY PLAYERS

- Senior Courtney Paschal (Waltham, Mass.) averaged 5.8 points, 4.3 rebounds last season. Paschal will show competitiveness on both sides of the ball.

- Junior Natalie Mellinger (Beverly, Mass.) will be counted on to provide shooting and playmaking for the team.

- Junior Kara Jussaume (Dunstable, Mass.) is coming off an injury from last season and looks to be a contributor on and off the court.

- Senior Mia Crawley (Hyannis, Mass.) is one of the most improved players from last season and the team will rely on her leadership.

NEWCOMERS

Incoming freshmen include guards Hannah Cravedi (Templeton, Mass.), Anaily Lorenzo (Brockton, Mass.), and Alyssa Genness (Belgrade, Maine). The freshmen forwards joining the roster include Darcy O'Sullivan (Marblehead, Mass.) and Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.)

COACH'S TAKE

"With a young team, and especially a team that features so many incoming athletes who were in HS just a year ago, we want to keep things simple and build as we go along. To that end, one of our primary goals is continuous improvement. Winning each day in practice with regards to competing consistently, communicating with each other and the coaching staff, and building their skill sets and confidence so by the end of the year we're a very tough team to play."