BOSTON – Days away from tip-off of the 36th season, Suffolk women's basketball coach Ed Leyden has unveiled that seniors Marissa Gudauskas and Shannon Smith will share leadership responsibilities in 2018-19 as the Rams co-captains. 

The duo looks to push the envelope for Suffolk once again this year and return to the conference championship contest and hoist the trophy for the first-time in program history. 

To reach the conference tournament for the 25th straight season and put up 20-plus wins for the second time in as many years, Gudauskas and Smith will have their work cut out to lead Leyden's young 13-player roster comprised of eight underclassmen and two transfers. 

Gudasukas looks to continue to be a threat from the outside as the 5-foot-4 guard from Bolton, Connecticut, has proved to be consistent from three-point land, shooting 30.2 percent from behind-the-arc. Last year she put up a career-best 5.2 ppg, playing 19.9 minutes per outing. 

Smith, meanwhile, will lead down low. The 5-foot-9 forward, who calls Tewksbury, Massachusetts home, pulled down a personal-best 2.5 rebounds per game as a junior a year ago in just 10.2 minutes of court time. Smith complimented her efforts on the glass by pitching in 3.0 ppg. 

For the first time since 2010-11, Ram Nation will get to watch Suffolk in its home opener as the blue-and-gold tips off its 2018-19 campaign this Saturday, Nov. 10 when it welcomes Western New England to Regan Gymnasium.