Boston Globe South - South Shore duo drives Endicott

Release courtesy of John J. Johnson, staff writer for Boston Globe South

The rivalry between Samantha Crough and Julie Manning became even more spirited in high school, when the South Shore League battles between Cohasset High and Hull High often reached epic levels.

Four years removed from their heated high school rivalry, Crough and Manning are roommates and cocaptains at Endicott College. The former competitors have forged a strong friendship and are a major factor behind the Gulls' strong start.

On Saturday, with Crough posting 17 points and nine rebounds, Endicott improved to 12-4 (7-2 Commonwealth Coast Conference) with a 71-55 win over Eastern Nazarene in Quincy. Manning contributed nine points and six boards, including five consecutive points that triggered a 19-2 first-half run and gave the Gulls a comfortable lead.

"We were rivals since fifth grade and now we are best friends, roommates, and cocaptains," said Crough, a 5-11 forward from Cohasset.

"We joke about our past a lot. We played together on the Cape Cod Waves AAU team after our senior year, and we started to become friends."

Manning, a 6-foot center from Hull, said that when the two arrived as freshmen, "we were able to blend together well and it's been a really good experience. Being a captain with her and roommates has made our bond stronger."

The duo has clearly made Endicott stronger as well.

Crough is averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game, ranking fifth in the conference, and also leading the Gulls in rebounding (7.5 per gam). Manning pulls down 4.7 boards per game and averages 6 points a game.

The offense revolves around Crough, who has added a dribble-and-drive aspect to her offensive repertoire this season. She is also regarded as Endicott's best defender and her 25 blocked shots are second on the team.

Endicott coach Brittany Hutchinson has been impressed with Crough's ability to improve at least one facet of her game each season.

"Samantha got a lot of playing time in her freshman year, and after the season we talked about her defense, which was OK but not great," said Hutchinson. "She had her feet stuck in the mud and wasn't moving well. She came back for her sophomore year and became one of our best defenders.

"After her sophomore year we addressed her shot, which wasn't falling as much. She came back for her junior year and was killing it off the backboard, which I think is underutilized at this level. Before this season we talked about being more than a catch-and-shoot player, so she added a dribble-and-drive move. She continually adds new aspects to her game, which speaks volumes about her commitment."

Crough has logged a team-high 499 minutes and is shooting at 43 percent (108 of 248) from the floor. Only Manning (48.7 percent) is higher. Crough scored 30 points in a 79-74 victory over Salem State in November, and poured in 29 points when she netted her 1,000th point in a 78-77 overtime victory at Roger Williams earlier this month.

After losing in the conference final in 2012, the Gulls are shooting for the title this season.

"Our major goal is to win the Commonwealth Coast championship," said Crough, a psychology major who would like to get involved in coaching after graduating. "We've never done that at Endicott so we'd love to bring a banner back to the school."

Hutchinson knows that Crough will be a major piece in that quest.

"She knows how to win and she will do anything to win," said Hutchinson of Crough, who won a pair of Division 4 state titles at Cohasset. "Samantha is a scorer and she wants the ball in her hands more than anybody else. She's not afraid to take the big shot. She wants the ball, and she capitalizes when she gets it."

Junior forward Kayleen Whall of Foxborough is having another steady season for the Gulls, averaging 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Whall had 12 points in the victory over ENC, including 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Whall has improved her shooting accuracy in all three categories this year, including free throws (82 percent), 3-pointers (37.1 percent), and field goal percentage (43 percent).