Former Rockland star finishes career at Brandeis

Joe Coppens and his Brandeis University basketball teammates didn’t make it to the Division 3 Final Four, but they end the year knowing that they authored the most successful season in school history. Coppens, a senior guard, led the Judges with 18 points and eight rebounds on Saturday as they bowed out of the NCAA tourney with a quarterfinal loss to Amherst College, 65-55.

Fifth-ranked Brandeis finished with a 23-6 record and the most wins in school history. Coppens, a Rockland native, closed his career with 1,098 points, which places him 21st on the Brandeis career scoring list. He was named a University Athletic Association first team selection after earning an honorable mention spot last season.

Coppens finished fourth all-time for career 3-pointers with 145, and is only the fifth person in school history to record 100 or more 3-pointers. He led the Judges in scoring with an average of 15 points per game, good for seventh in the UAA. Coppens also held top conference rankings in field-goal percentage (48.6 percent, 11th) free-throw percentage (87 percent, 2nd), and 3-point field goal percentage (43.8 percent, 5th).

Around campus

Michelle Franey of Abington is off to a hot start for the American International College women’s softball team. The sophomore second baseman earned a spot on the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll after batting .368 (7-for-19) with six runs scored and two RBIs from the leadoff spot for the Yellow Jackets. The sophomore has started all 57 games in her career at AIC, including 48 in her freshman campaign when she batted .285, striking out only 18 times in 151 at bats. She’s batting .310 on the season this year. Franey won four South Shore League titles with Abington High School