The pride of Somerville High School, Indira Evora now takes giant strides as a leading member of the Saint Michael’s College women’s basketball team. — Photo by Alyssa Noble

By Rebecca Danvers

Eight underclassmen, led by team captain and former Somerville High School star athlete Indira Evora, dominate a 12-woman Saint Michael’s College women’s basketball roster in 2016-17, as the youths look to buoy a squad that suffered 10 single-digit losses last winter but aims for its fourth Northeast-10 Conference Championship berth in seven seasons.

Evora is a 5-foot-7 guard and 2nd-year captain. She has played 26 games with 25 starts, making 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 steals (tied for team lead), 37.1 3pt%, 78.3 ft% (team leader).

The Purple Knights return two of top three scorers, five of top six rebounders, four of top five leaders in steals, and top two shot blockers. This is the first one-woman senior class since 2008-09. Since then, only the 2014-15 team (6) had more first-years than this season’s squad (5)

The 2015-16 team suffered 10 of its 17 losses by eight points or less, and swept a two-game series from perennial regional power Stonehill College for the first time in 25 years. Additionally, they downed eventual NCAA Tournament qualifier Saint Anselm College, 63-60, on February 13.

Saint Michael’s began its season at the Rollins (Fla.) College Tip-Off Classic, opposing the hosts on November 11 during the opener. The Purple Knights start their NE-10 slate with their initial home contest, taking on Franklin Pierce University.

A meeting with 2016 NCAA Tournament qualifier Saint Anselm occurred on November 22. The Hawks are receiving votes toward the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason national poll.

Saint Michael’s visits Bentley University, which is No. 1 in the national rankings after making a run to the 2016 NCAA Final Four, on December 7.

In one six-game stretch during the second semester, the Purple and Gold rematches Bentley and Saint Anselm in addition to facing American International College, another NCAA qualifier last winter.

The top five teams from each of the NE-10’s two divisions head into the postseason, with the NE-10 Championship beginning with first-round contests on February 24.

Saint Michael’s is a college of approximately 2,000 students studying the liberal arts and sciences on a scenic 440-acre campus just outside of Burlington, Vermont.