Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2000

BASKETBALL'S GOODMAN NAMED NEWBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

MEDFORD – Freshman center Emily Goodman (Briarcliff, NY) not only had one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the Tufts University women's basketball team this year, she had one of the best seasons period. Now the post-season awards are rolling in.

Already named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Rookie of the Year and to the NESCAC All-Star team, Goodman today was recognized as Rookie of the Year by the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA).

"I'm thrilled for Emily because she's not only an excellent player, she's a great kid," head coach Janice Savitz said. "Obviously, we're looking forward to three more years of her production here. She has a chance to really make a name for herself."

That is happening already. She led Tufts and was second in the NESCAC with 17.2 points per game this winter, scoring 396 points in 23 contests. That total was the fourth-best in 28 seasons of women's basketball at Tufts. Eight times she struck for 20 or more points, including 36 (the third-best single-game mark at Tufts) at Clark on February 3. She led the NESCAC with a 76.9 free throw percentage (80/104) and her 53.9 field goal percentage (158/293) ranked third in the league. She did it all in just 23.7 minutes per game.

In addition to her big scoring numbers, Goodman also averaged 7.0 rebounds per game and was second on the Jumbos with 29 steals. Her biggest games of the season included 24 points in her collegiate debut versus Johnson & Wales on November 23, 1999; 21 points on nine of 12 field goals versus Regis on December 7; 27 points and 14 rebounds at Amherst on January 28; 22 points (8/11 FGs) and nine rebounds versus Hamilton on February 5; and 24 points at Connecticut College on February 12.

Goodman was named NESCAC Player of the Week on February 8 after averaging 25.7 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the floor in three games. She is a leading candidate for the ECAC New England Rookie of the Year as well. She helped lead Savitz's Jumbos to a 15-8 finish, the most wins by the program since the 1991-92 season. Tufts narrowly missed earning a post-season bid into the ECAC New England Playoff Tournament.

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