Lincoln School girls hoops shooting for first SENE crown in 18 years

Photo courtesy of Lincoln School

BY CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

Before the start of the season, the Lincoln School girls basketball team came up with "a very precise list of goals," says coach Christina Batastini Sheehan.

One of the first objectives actually wasn't to win the Southeastern New England Athletic Association's regular-season championship, she says. Much more modest than that, the Lynxes simply wanted to try and win all of their home games.

Instead, they went ahead and did both.

With its second win in four days over Williams School of New London, Conn. on Monday, Lincoln School captured its first SENE regular-season championship in 18 years, finishing with a 14-0 record.

Now it's on to the next major goal - the tournament championship.

Receiving a first-round bye, the Lynxes will begin their bid for the school's first SENE tournament Championship since 1991 when they host Marianapolis in a semifinal matchup, tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at the Boss-McLoughlin Gym.

The winner of that game and the other semifinal between Falmouth Academy and Hyde School will meet in the title game, Saturday at 2 p.m. also at Lincoln School.

"Going 14-0 allows us home-court advantage, which is huge," said Sheehan, whose squad is 18-3 overall, with nonleague losses to Portsmouth Abbey, Pomfret and Cumberland. "So we've done all the right things up to this point."

Lincoln School has received consistent scoring contributions from a number of players, most notably junior Stephanie Kiser and sophomore Corinne Coia (in photo at right).

Described by Sheehan as an "impact player" with "great court vision" and the ability to create opportunities both for herself and her teammates, Kiser, a 5-foot-8 guard, has been averaging 15 points, 5 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds per game.

Considered by Sheehan to be the "best post player in the SENE" with still more untapped potential, Coia has been pumping in 16 points per game, while pulling down an average of 11 rebounds to go along with her 2 blocks per game.
"She has greatly improved her ability to finish around the basket," Sheehan said of the 6-2 center. "She runs the court well and has a soft touch around the rim."

Possessing a nice touch from the outside, junior point guard Jenna Lemoi has been contributing nine points, four assists, three steals and four rebounds per game.

Lone senior captain Sarah Howard - who has committed to play at Rivier College, a Division III school out of Nashua, N.H. - has been chipping in 7 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game.

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