WORCESTER, Mass. â€" Freshman guard Megan Ferguson (Plainville, CT) scored 12 points in her collegiate debut, including a crucial free throw with 1/10 of a second remaining in regulation, as Western New England College opened its season with a 56-50 overtime win at WPI.

Ferguson, who was 10-of-13 from the foul line, made four straight charity shots in the final 29 seconds of overtime to help seal the win.

WPI led 45-44 before Ferguson drove to the basket drawing a foul with no time showing on the clock, but before the horn sounded. She missed her first attempt, but calmly swishing the second to send the contest in an extra session.

The Golden Bears then outscored the Engineers by an 11-5 margin.

Junior center Lisa Masella (Newtown, CT) contributed a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds. It was her 20th career double-double.

Freshman guard Jennifer Dabrowski (Plainville, CT) added 12 points in her collegiate debut. She made 6-of-9 shots from the field and had three rebounds coming off the bench.

Sophomore guard Laura Booth (Chicopee, MA) contributed seven points and five rebounds.

The Golden Bears held a 48-33 rebounding advantage and held the Engineers to only 31.3% shooting from the field.

JUNIOR GUARD JESSICA HARRICA OUT FOR SEASON WITH INJURY

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" Western New England College junior guard Jessica Harrica (Morrisonville, NY) will miss the 2004-05 season with a torn right Achilles tendon, coach Wendy Davis announced Wednesday (Nov. 17).

Harrica, a team captain, suffered the injury in practice on Monday (Nov. 15). She will have surgery to repair the damage next Tuesday (Nov. 23), the same day the Golden Bears open their season at WPI.

"This is a big blow to our team because Jessica is a leader on the court," said Davis. "She plays hard and with a lot of passion, and was our rock to lean on. We need to regroup and find players who are willing to step up to this new challenge."

A psychology major, Harrica started all 26 games last year averaging 5.0 points last season while leading the team in assists (116) and steals (51).

GOLDEN BEARS SET SIGHTS ON GNAC TOURNAMENT CROWN

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" With four returning starters and a promising group of underclassmen, Western New England College hopes to challenge for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title this season.

The Golden Bears open their 29th season at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23 at WPI.

WNEC posted a 16-10 record last year despite losing three contests by a single point and with only one senior in the lineup.

It was the team's sixth consecutive winning season and fifth under the direction of coach (and former UConn standout) Wendy Davis. The Golden Bears placed sixth in the conference with an 8-4 mark.

Western New England College was ranked fifth nationally in field-goal defense (31.1%), ninth in rebounding margin (+9.3) and 11th in scoring defense (50.2). Conference opponents averaged only 46.7 points while shooting 29.2% from the field.

The Golden Bears had an eight-game winning streak highlighted by a 63-59 victory over Brandeis University who went on to compile a 22-5 record while winning the ECAC Division III New England Regional Tournament title.

"This year we again have a young team with five freshmen, six sophomores, three juniors, and only one senior," said Davis. "We are going to showcase an up-tempo running style of p ay due to the large number of talented guards and forwards. It should be exciting basketball."

Heading the list of nine returning players is junior center Lisa Masella (Newtown, CT) who led the squad in scoring in scoring (12.7 avg.), rebounding (10.0), and field-goal percentage (48.0) in gaining All-GNAC Second Team honors for the second straight season.

Masella will serve as a team captain this season with senior forward Shelley Everson (Plainville, CT)and guard Jessica Harrica (Morrisonville, NY).

Everson averaged 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while Harrica averaged 5.0 points while leading the team in assists (116) and steals (51).

Also returning is sophomore guard Laura Booth (Chicopee, MA) who averaged 7.1 points while shooting a respectable 42.4 per cent from the field in her rookie season. She also led the Golden Bears in three-pointers made (37) and attempted (83).

Sophomore forwards Sharon Simoncelli (Litchfield, CT), Kerri Sullivan (Cumberland, RI), and Lauren Picozzi (Hope, RI), and sophomore guards Jenna Cullen (East Haddam, CT) and Christine Aldrich (Montpelier, VT) will challenge for starting positions and more playing time.

Junior guard Stephanie Wilkes (Conway, MA) returns to the lineup following an injury that caused her to miss all but three games a year ago.

There are five freshmen guards, Jennifer Dabrowski (Plainville, CT) Amanda Deni (Enfield, CT), Tiffany DeRosa (Hamden, CT), Megan Ferguson (Plainville, CT), and Tara Slattery (Somers, CT).

Dabrowski and Ferguson were the backcourt duo at Plainville High School in Connecticut that is also the alma mater of Everson.

With an 86-47 record, Davis holds the school record for career wins and winning percentage (64.7).

Western New England College will host the third annual Pioneer Valley Hoop Classic on December 3-4, 2004, with local rivals Amherst College, Springfield College, and Westfield State College.

WESTERN NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE TEAM MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN "SAVE OUR KIDS" PROGRAM

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" Five members of the Western New England College women's basketball team along with coach Wendy Davis participated in the "Save Our Kids" program on Tuesday, October , 2004.

They were junior guard Jessica Harrica (Morrisonville, NY), junior center Lisa Masella (Newtown, CT), sophomore forwards Lauren Picozzi (Hope, RI) and Sharon Simoncelli (Litchfield, CT), and freshman guard Amanda Deni (Enfield, CT).

"Save Our Kids" is an organization located in Springfield that gives underprivileged children a place to go after school, get homework assistance, and interact in a safe environment. Team members visit the children weekly serving as tutors.

GOLDEN BEARS VISIT PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL IN SOUTH WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" Six Western New England College players, along with Coach Wendy Davis, visited Mary Novak's fourth grade class at Pleasant Valley School in South Windsor, Connecticut on Thursday, April 29.

The players read a short story to the students as well as answered questions about college and basketball. The 4th graders shared poems they wrote.

The Golden Bears gave each student a women's basketball yearbook from this season and signed autographs.

Mary Novak was a mentor for Coach Davis when she was student-teaching at UConn.

LISA MASELLA SERVES ON MASSACHUSETTS STUDENT-ATHLETE PANEL

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. â€" Western New England College sophomore center Lisa Masella (Newtown, CT) served on the panel "Community: Making A Difference" at the Massachusetts STUDENT-Athlete Citizenship Awards Ceremony held at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on April 15.

Student-athletes from several Western Massachusetts high schools were honored at the event that was sponsored by the Massachusetts Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and the Basketball Hall of Fame.