BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott women’s basketball head coach Brittany Hutchinson announced today that senior Nikki Heffernan (Londonderry, N.H.) and junior Jen McBrien (Medfield, Mass.) will captain the Gulls women’s basketball team in the 2011-12 season.

Endicott is coming off a 17-10 record last season, including a 10-3 mark in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). For the second year in a row, however, they were upset at home in the first round of the CCC tournament by Regis College. The Gulls will look to their veteran captains for leadership as they attempt to win their first conference title.

“I am very excited about the leadership we have chosen for the upcoming 2011-2012 season,” said Hutchinson. “ Though Nikki and Jen will be guiding a young team this year, they are up for the challenge and I foresee them learning a lot about themselves in the process as well.”

Nikki Heffernan, Sr., Guard, Advertising

Heffernan has played in 61 games in her career, starting in 27 of them and has averaged 14 minutes of playing time. She is a career .381 shooter from behind the three-point arc and a .374 shooter from the field. She has 104 career assists and 35 steals while scoring 121 points in three years. Last season Heffernan started every game for the Gulls, averaging 3.5 points a game and leading the squad with 77 assists.

Coach Hutchinson says, “Nikki brings a veteran perspective and has already done a great job stepping up.  I will be looking to her a lot as our lone senior.”

Jen McBrien, Jr., Guard, Biotechnology

McBrien has played in 54 games for the Gulls in two seasons and has averaged over three points and two rebounds a game. She has shot .400 from the field (80-200) and has scored 178 points in her career. Last season she started eight games, averaging fifteen minutes of playing time while dishing out 44 of her 64 career assists. McBrien also has nineteen steals in each of the past two seasons.  

Coach Hutchinson says, “Jen is in a perfect position to be the medium between team and coach.  Her work ethic and competitive edge are infectious and she has been a vocal leader since her freshman year.”

The Gulls will begin their 2011 campaign on November 19^th and 20^th when they battle the hosts and other regional competition at the Brandeis Invitational.