BRISTOL, R.I. - Following a record-setting regular season, the top-seeded Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team punched its ticket to its third trip to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship in program history. The Hawks seek their first conference crown as they will entertain the third-seeded and reigning champion Endicott College Gulls on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm. The Hawks reached this point after a truly dominant first two contests in the conference tournament, trailing for a mere 15 seconds of game time and outscoring the five seed, Gordon College, and the eight seed, Nichols College, by a combined score of 152-77 to reach this point.
 
"They came into this year hungry and ready to prove something," Head Coach and CCC Coach of the Year Kelly Thompson said. "I think what is most impressive is that they have been able to sustain that desire throughout the year. They are a team of competitors who consistently practice well and have an urge to improve from day to day. What I love most about them are that they are living examples of our team values of character, passion, and selflessness. You can see those qualities when we play, and these women are genuine reflections of those traits off the court as well."
 
Roger Williams opened the season by rattling off a program-best 16 consecutive wins and have barely slowed down since and they currently stand at 24-2 with their lone losses coming at the hands of the now #17/19 nationally ranked Smith College Pioneers, and the University of New England, whom the Gulls bounced in the semifinal round. RWU earned the top seed with a 17-1 conference record, their best ever. Endicott finished the regular season at 15-10 overall, 12-6 in CCC play to grab the third seed, before dispatching sixth-seeded Salve Regina University in the conference quarterfinals, and the two seed, UNE in the semifinals.
 
"I am really pleased with how we have handled our business in the CCC playoffs so far, particularly on the defensive end," Thompson said "Even when our offense is struggling, we know we can count on our defense to get us through the tough moments. We have showed great urgency to compete right from the start of these games."
 
This marks the first time the Hawks will host the CCC Championship Game as they had to venture to the University of New England in each of their prior trips, both losses occurring in the 2013-14 and 2017-18 season.
 
"Getting to the actual (championship) game and giving ourselves a chance to win one is a tremendous accomplishment in itself," Thompson said. "It is not easy to perform at a high level against great competition day after day, and that is just what we have done to this point."
 
"Obviously, a championship would put an exclamation point on what has already been a record-setting season," Thompson added. "I would be thrilled for my team, especially my seniors. But I would also be excited for our alumnae, who put in the work to help build our program to where it is now. It would be a great moment of pride for our entire program."
 
For The Hawks
Roger Williams sports a well-rounded team with very few weaknesses as they top the Commonwealth Coast Conference in multiple major offensive categories. They now stand atop the conference averaging 71.1 points per contest, a mark that also ranks 53^rd nationally. They score with deadly efficiency too, topping the CCC and sitting at number 58 in the NCAA with a team field goal percentage of 41.82% that is in large part thanks to a dominant interior presence. They average north of 39 points in the paint per contest with a portion of those being second-chance opportunities. They are the fifth-best offensive rebounding team in the nation averaging 18.2 per contest leading to 15.3 second-chance points per game. Their passing is also superb. They simply do not turn over the basketball as their average of just 13.3 turnovers per game, the ninth fewest in the nation, while also dishing 18.7 assists to rank ninth. As a result, they boast the second-best assist-turnover ratio in all of Division III Women's Basketball at 1.44.
 
The true calling card of this Hawks squad is on the defensive end, however. While they do not typically force a ton of turnovers, averaging 16.8 per contest to rank eighth in the CCC, they do force consistent tough shots resulting in their opposition shooting just .313 from the field, .234 from three, and them swatting 5.0 shots per contest with each mark ranking in the top-25 in the nation. This results in the Hawks surrendering a meager 49.6 points per game, the 13^th fewest nationally.
 
This RWU team's biggest strength is that they can strike from anywhere. Six different members of their team rank in the top-41 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference in scoring average, more than any other team, and the theme of the season has been if one person has an off night, another player steps up to the task. This resulted in a conference-best four All-CCC selections with a pair on the first team.
 
The team's leading scorer is sophomore Katie Galligan (Pembroke, Mass.) who finished the season tenth in the CCC scoring 13.4 points per game. An all-conference first team honoree, Galligan has really found her grove scoring-wise since the season's midway point, averaging 14.9 points per game shooting .460/.214/.862 with four 20+ point performances in that span. She is not just a scorer, however, as she's third on the roster in rebounding (4.7), second on the team and seventh in the CCC in assists (3.0) and is an excellent defender that is only partially reflected by her 1.2 steals per contest.
 
Her running mate at the other wing spot is fellow sophomore and All-CCC Second Team selection, Caroline Elie (Rockland, Mass.). Another player who makes her presence felt in various ways, Elie is third on the team and 22^nd in the CCC in scoring at 10.9 per game shooting a solid 45.3% (10^th in CCC) in the process, while also gathering 3.9 caroms per contest including 1.9 on the offensive end. Another tremendous defender, she can and does guard anyone and averages 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
 
While the underclass duo of Galligan and Elie have been terrific, the heart and soul of this Hawks team is their veteran leaders and captains, Karli Opalka (Southington, Conn.) and Sam Mancinelli (Peabody, Mass.). Opalka went through a mid-season cold spell but nonetheless finished 16^th in the CCC in scoring average (12.2) and second in field goal percentage (49.5%) on her way to her second consecutive All-CCC First Team selection. Whether she scores or not, Opalka is a force on the glass leading the conference in rebounds (10.6) and she's simply among the best offensive rebounders in the nation collecting 4.4 per game, the 21^st most at the Division III level. A graduate student, Mancinelli was named all-conference for the first time this season by guiding the RWU offense with the wisdom and level-headedness one expects from a fifth-year member of the team. The All-CCC Third Team honoree only scored 8.5 points per game (35^th in CCC) but was the team's top threat from range, ranking fourth in the CCC connecting on 32.7% of her looks while also converting on her freebees, shooting at an 87.2% clip that would lead the conference if it qualified. Her best attribute, however, is her passing. She is third in the CCC and 58^th in the nation dishing 4.3 assists per game, a mark that is all the more impressive considering how little she commits turnovers as she is fifth in all of Division-III Women's Basketball in assist-turnover ratio (2.97). In the end, the stats simply do not properly justify how impactful Mancinelli is for this RWU squad as she finished the regular season as a team-best +386 in cumulative plus-minus. 
 
Rounding out the starting five is one of the top defenders in the CCC in junior Kendi Barnard (Bedford, Mass.). One of just four players to average north of one block and one steal per game, Barnard's impact defensively is often not properly reflected in the box score, as she is truly one of the most disruptive players on the defensive end in the CCC. Her 1.2 steals per game ranks 28th while she also swats 1.8 shots per contest, the fourth most in the conference. Offensively, she is a terrific passer, dishing 1.7 assists per game, while picking her spots to score using her length inside or quality touch in the mid-range resulting in a quality 44.1% field goal percentage.
 
RWU's top reserve options are fellow third-year members of the team, Sophie Araneo (Branford, Conn.) and Nikki Rosa (Nahant, Mass.). Your prototypical stretch-four, Araneo is the third member of the Hawks' three-woman rotation at the second forward and center positions, and their fifth-leading scorer netting 8.3 points per game (36^th in CCC). She is a problematic player to defend as a 31.9% shooter from range while also being an exceptional finisher at the rim when she gets downhill. On the glass, she collects 4.4 boards per game, the fourth-most on the roster. A long and athletic wing, Rosa is second on the Hawks in steals-plus-blocks, narrowly missing out on the aforementioned one-plus block and steal club as she stands with 1.0 thefts and 0.9 swats per contest. While she only nets 4.5 points per game, she is efficient when the opportunity arises connecting on her shot attempts at a .489/.357/.800 rate with each mark being good enough to rank in the top-ten in the CCC had she qualified. While her best attribute is her energy defensively, she is also a great distributer and her 2.2 assists per game leads all reserves (less than 50% games started) in the conference and she will sometimes operate as the de facto point guard in some lineups.
 
Coming off the bench and running the point will be Lizzy Stevenson (Bedford, Mass.). Her season did not begin until the new year due to injury but in limited minutes she shines as a well-rounded contributor who shoots and defends at a high level when called upon. Senior wing Hannah Driscoll (Hampton, N.H.) and junior forward Peri MacDonald (Melrose, Mass.) may also find time in the rotation if the game dictates it.
 
For The Gulls
A perpetual rival of the Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team, Endicott College is a team that can match the Hawks length and talent on both sides of the ball. This season they average 65.0 points per game offensively to rank sixth in the CCC while their 60.0 points per game is fourth. While neither mark jumps out as particularly impressive, they find ways to win and are battle-tested playing in 13 games that have been decided by single-digits though they are 6-7 in those games. They are exceptional on the glass, ranking behind just the Hawks in the conference and in the top-30 in the nation in rebounds (46.4), offensive rebounds (16.4), and turnovers (14.4) per game and are also right behind RWU and third in the CCC in blocks (4.9). What is missing for the Gulls currently, is offensive efficiency as they shoot .370/.221/.647 as a group and are in the bottom-half of the conference in field goal and three-point percentage.
 
"Endicott is a well-coached team with scrappy, talented players," Thompson said about the Gulls. "You can always count on them to compete for the full 40 minutes. Sarah Dempsey and Tara Laugeni are tremendously talented scorers, and they have tough, capable players around them. They are a tough team to defend and will make us work hard to get scores on offense. I expect this to be an awesome game."
 
Endicott boasts two of the top players in the Commonwealth Coast Conference in junior Tara Laugeni (Woodbridge, Conn.) and sophomore Sarah Dempsey (Windham, N.H.) who rank second and third in the CCC in scoring average respectively. Both were all-conference first team selections and are exceptional two-way players. Laugeni finished second in the CCC in scoring at 16.0 points per game while collecting 7.4 rebounds per game to rank ninth. She also averages 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game on the defensive end. Dempsey was named CCC Rookie of the Year by ranking third in scoring (15.5) and second in rebounding (10.5). She leads the conference in defensive rebounds per game and trails just Opalka in offensive rebounding while also being a member of the one-plus steal and block group mentioned earlier snatching 1.4 steals and blocking 1.5 shots per contest.
 
If teams can slow those two down, however, they can find success. When Laugeni and Dempsey are held under a combined 25 points, the Gulls are just 1-7, when that duo matches that mark or better, Endicott is 16-3. This is largely due to their lack of a true third scoring option. No other player averages double-digit points per game and they only have one other player in the top-45 in the CCC in scoring. That would be Emily St. Thomas (Sterling, Mass.) who nets 8.7 points per contest.
 
Senior Olivia Duncan (Essex Junction, Vt.) will run the point where she is second in the CCC in passing with 4.8 assists per game while plucking 1.5 steals to lead the Gulls. She does not shoot often taking just 5.6 shots per game and attempting just two three pointers all season, but she does convert at a 42.3% clip and averages 5.5 points. Duncan is also someone to watch on the glass as she collects 7.1 caroms per game, good for third on the Gulls, including 3.3 per game on the offensive end.
 
The likely fifth starter in this matchup will be the senior center, Morgan Bresnahan (Wilmington, Mass.) who rode an eight-block showing the last time the Hawks and Gulls met to rank third in swats per contest at an even two. While not contributing too much scoring (3.0 points per game) she crashes the boards well averaging 4.8 rebounds per game despite playing only 16.9 minutes per matchup.
 
Libby Fleming (Bangor, Maine), Taylor Bogdanski (Saugus, Mass.), and Lexi Gellerman (West Hartford, Conn.) are the top reserve options for the Gulls. Fleming is the biggest offensive threat of the bunch, averaging 5.8 points per game to rank fourth on the team and she is the team's best shooter connecting on 27.6% of her attempts from three-point range to lead the team among players with at least two three-point attempts per game.
 
Previous Matchups
The Hawks swept the regular season series from Endicott for the first time since the 2015-16 season, coming from behind to win 57-56 on the road on January 19^th before taking a 67-54 Senior Day victory on February 5^th. Elie led RWU in scoring with 15 points in the first matchup while Dempsey poured in 28 in the first meeting, though Roger Williams erased a six-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to claim the win. In the second go-around, Opalka notched a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double to lead five Hawks with nine or more points in the win.  
 
How To Follow Along
Opening tip-off for the CCC Championship game is presently set for 2:00 PM on Saturday afternoon at the court in the Campus Rec Center on the campus of Roger Williams University.
 
If you cannot make it in person, you can follow along online.
 
VIDEO: https://rwuhawks.com/sports/2012/11/14/wbb_live_video.aspx
 
LIVE STATS: https://rwuhawks.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary