CU Women's Basketball Preview - vs. Bryant & Stratton (1/16)

By: January 14, 2021

Addie Friedlander

Women's Basketball | 1/14/2021 11:25:00 AM

Unlike a season ago when the team was depleted by injuries, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team has a full roster ready to open the 2020-21 season, as the Golden Knights begin the campaign at home against Bryant & Stratton (Buffalo) on Saturday.

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The Series: Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Key Stats for Clarkson (0-0): Late last season the team was dressing just a few extra players outside of the starters due to injuries, but the Green and Gold is back with an extended roster. The biggest return is graduate student Molly Stewart, who came within a game of not qualifying for a medical redshirt after she was injured in the first semester. Stewart was a Liberty League All-Star as a junior and averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in the first eight contests of 2019-20. She is just 72 points shy of becoming the eighth member of Clarkson's 1000-point club, which she will likely assault via the long-range shot. Stewart also has recorded 149 3-pointers in her career, ranking third on the Knights' all-time list. Also returning from injury is Carly Assimon, who played in just two games to open the 2019-20 season after scoring 8.5 points per game in her sophomore campaign. The team boasts several other veterans in Emma Buonanno, Hannah Earl, and Rachel Marion, all starters from a year ago. Buoananno's scrappy play allowed her to average 9.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game, with the latter figure ranking second in the conference. Earl ranked 16th in the league in scoring at 12.5 points per game and Marion tossed in 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. Sophomore point guard Mariah Benavides had a strong first season for the Knights, scoring 9.5 points per game with 48 3-pointers, tied for fifth in the Liberty League.

Key Stats for Bryant & Stratton (3-1): The Bobcats have a consistent lineup, with none more so than senior guard Janae Brannon, who has played all 40 minutes in three of the four games for Bryant & Stratton. Brannon is an invaluable component, averaging 8.3 points, 8.3 assists and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Mary Caldwell leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game, but is followed closely by Armoni Jordan, who is producing 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Alissa Johnson also averages double figures with 10 ppg, and Charm Stone is close to a double-double thanks to 8.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest. The Bobcats are averaging 78.5 points per game and reached the century mark in one contest, with those stats not included in the per game averages noted above.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Carly Assimon: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#3 Mariah Benavides: G; 5' 1"; Sophomore

#30 Emma Buonanno: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#20 Hannah Earl: G/F; 5' 8"; Senior

#24 Rachel Marion: G/F; 5' 7"; Senior

#1 Molly Stewart: G; 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#11 Carly Assimon
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#3 Mariah Benavides
: 5' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#30 Emma Buonanno
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#20 Hannah Earl
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G/F

#24 Rachel Marion
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G/F

#1 Molly Stewart
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student
: G