IF i WIN
I’LL BACK IT UP WITH HUMILITY.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.
East Coast Conference
Table of Contents 2021 Women’s Basketball Championship Results .......................... 3 Championship Participants ............................................................. 4-7 2022-23 Women’s
Championship Schedule First Round Wednesday, March 1 No. 5 Staten Island at No. 4 District of Columbia No. 6 Queens at No. 3 Mercy Semifinals at Daemen Saturday, March 4 No. 5 CSI/No. 4 UDC vs. No. 1 Daemen No. 6 QC/No. 3 MER vs. No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas Final at Daemen Sunday, March 5 Semifinal winners Watch all games live and on-demand on the ECC Network (www.eccsportsnetwork.com). Visit www.eccsports.org for all your Championship results and statistics.
Basketball
Staff The 2023 East Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Program was written, laid out and designed by Casey Rafferty, Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications, in Adobe InDesign 2021. Cover art work was designed by Casey Rafferty. Special thanks to the editorial assistance provided by: Bob Dranoff, Melissa Reilly, and the Sports Information Directors
Coast Conference. Robert Dranoff Commissioner rdranoff@eccsports.org 631.372.0332 Melissa Reilly Sr. Associate Commissioner mreilly@eccsports.org 631.372.1886 Casey Rafferty Associate Commissioner crafferty@eccsports.org 631.372.0886
of the East
RESOURCEFULNESS
LEARNING SERVICE PASSION SPORTSMANSHIP BALANCE
NOT JUST WORDS. WORDS TO LIVE BY.
NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
2022 ECC Women’s Basketball Championship
First Round
No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas d. No. 5 Dist. Columbia, 63-49 at Sparkill, N.Y.
No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan d. No. 5 Mercy, 70-64 at Rochester, N.Y.
Semifinals
No. 1 Daemen d. No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan, 84-62 No. 2 Molloy d. No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, 71-44 at Amherst, N.Y.
Final
No. 1 Daemen d. No. 2 Molloy, 74-67 at Amherst,N.Y.
Past Champions
All-Tournament Team
Georgia Haverlock, RWU Erin Leary, STAC
Cameron Corbett, MOL Maya Thomas, MOL Mickayla Ivy, DAE
Alahna Paige, DAE
Tournament MOP
Kaitlyn Matz, DAE
3
1991 Pace 1992 Pace 1993 Philadelphia 1994 Philadelphia 1995 St. Rose 1996 St. Rose 1997 St. Rose 1998 St. Rose 1999 St. Rose 2000 St. Rose 2001 C.W. Post 2002 Adelphi 2003 Dowling 2004 Adelphi 2005 Bridgeport 2006 New Haven 2007 New Haven 2008 Molloy 2009 Queens 2010 Molloy 2011 C.W. Post 2012 Dowling 2013 Dowling 2014 Dist. Columbia 2015 Queens 2016 Queens 2017 Molloy 2018 St. Thomas Aquinas 2019 NYIT 2020 Daemen 2021 Roberts Wesleyan 2022 Daemen SPORTSMANSHIP RESOURCEFULNESS
DAEMEN UNIVERSITY
Head Coach: Jenepher Banker (7th Season)
Assistants: Kallie Banker, Summer Hemphill
Graduate Assistant: Alec Kerdell
Quick Facts
Location: Amherst, N.Y.
Founded: 1947
Enrollment: 2,800
Nickname: Wildcats
Colors: Royal Blue, Black, White, Gray
President: Gary A. Olson
Director of Athletics: Traci Murphy
Arena: Lumsden Gymnasium
About Daemen
Did You Know?
• This marks the sixth consecutive for the Wildcats in the ECC Championship tournament. As the defending conference champions, Daemen has advanced to the final round in each of the last three seasons, and won ECC tournament titles in 2020 and 2022.
• Daemen has their sights set on a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament berth. The Wildcats advanced to the East Region championship game in 2022, and won the East Region to play in the program’s first Elite Eight in 2021.
• The Wildcats are led offensively by graduate student guard Paige Emborsky, who spent the last two seasons playing Division I basketball at Abilene Christian University. A Western New York native, Emborsky chose to come to Daemen for her final year of eligibility to play in front of her family one last time.
Daemen University is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational, comprehensive college in Amherst, New York, chartered to award both undergraduate and graduate level degrees. Located in a safe and attractive suburban setting, Daemen offers convenient access to one of the country’s most vibrant regions, spanning Buffalo-Niagara, the Great Lakes, and a cross-border corridor with Ontario, Canada, less than a two-hour drive from cosmopolitan Toronto. With a balance of liberal studies and professional programs, Daemen students acquire the skill to solve problems creatively and think critically. They will be comfortable with diversity and will recognize the importance of a global perspective. They will be able to work with others and be invigorated by environments that present challenges and demand innovation. Daemen is a full-fledged member of NCAA Division II after a three-year transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Daemen sponsors 17 varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level, 14 of which compete in the East Coast Conference.
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 1 Gabby McDuffie Jr. G 5-9 Buffalo, N.Y./Niagara County Community College 2 Maddy Stearns R-Jr. G 5-7 Clarence, N.Y./Clarence 3 Alahna Paige Jr. G 5-4 Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit 4 Kayla Campbell Fr. G 5-10 Franklin, N.Y./Franklin Central 10 Shyla Montgomery Fr. G 5-6 Brockton, Mass./Kimball Union Academy 11 Julia Hauer So. F 5-9 Binghamton, N.Y./Siena College 12 Claire Pikett Fr. G/F 6-0 Holland, N.Y./Holland 13 Kaytlyn Matz Jr. G 6-0 Johnsburg, Ill./Carmel Catholic 14 Macie Trimarchi Fr. G 5-10 Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central 15 Mickayla Ivy 5th F 5-10 Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids 20 Alina Estrella R-Jr. G 5-5 Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison 22 Paige Emborsky Gr. G 5-6 Newfane, N.Y./Abilene Christian University 24 Natalie Angeletti Jr. F 6-0 Panama, N.Y./Panama Central 32 Gina Fumerelle R-Jr. F 6-1 Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home
Sr.
Binghamton,
Catholic
55 Marina Maerkl
F 6-0
N.Y./Seton
Coach Jenepher Banker
Natalie Angeletti
Paige Emborsky
4
Alahna Paige
UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
1
3
4
5
20
Head Coach: John Nakpodia (5th Season)
Assistant Coaches: Jasmine Rich, Kiara Colston Volunteer Assistant Coach: Rodney Williams
Quick Facts
Location: Washington, D.C.
Founded: 1851
Enrollment: 5,855
Nickname: Firebirds
Colors: Burgundy and Gold
President: Ronald Mason, Jr., J.D.
Director of Athletics: Patricia Thomas
Areana (capacity): Dr. Edwin Bancroft
Henderson Sports Complex
Did You Know?
• This marks the sixth ECC Championship tournament appearance by the Firebirds since joining the conference in 2012.
• The Firebirds won the ECC Championship in 2014.
• This is the second tournament appearance by UDC under Head Coach, John Nakpodia.
About District of Columbia
Initially founded in 1851, the University of the District of Columbia has a rich history. Chartered in 1974, the University of the District of Columbia is the only fully-accredited public institution of higher education in the nation’s capital. As an urban land-grant university, it supports a broad mission of education, research and community service and offers bachelors and masters degrees in the College of Arts and Science; School of Business and Public Administration; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Studies. Also included in the university system is the David A. Clarke School of Law. UDC also offers more than 20 associate degree and certificate programs as well as over 25 Workforce Development programs to prepare students for successful careers and academic advancement. UDC attracts students of every age from the Washington, DC region, the nation, and the world—providing innovative, results-driven programs that enrich our city with educated, qualified students, ready to work and contribute to its overall prosperity and quality of life. UDC extends beyond its campus footprint, offering easy access to world-famous monuments, political intrigue and cultural attractions everywhere you look. An education here opens doors to opportunities that can only be found in the nation’s capital. UDC sponsors 10 intercollegiate athletic programs and competes in the East Coast Conference.
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School
Kensley Benjamin So. G 5-9 Calvert County Md./Winthrop University
0
Tori Williams So. F/G 6-0 Fairfield Ohio/Fairfield
Latavia Jackson Jr. G 5-7 Waldorf, Md./North Point
Destiny Ryles So. G 5-3 Windsor Mill, Md./La Salle University
Janiya Smith So. G 5-8 Newark N.J./Life Center Academy
Aiyana Ellis So. F 6-2 King George, Va./King George
Halia Ellis Jr. G 5-8 King George, Va./King George
Shanell Haskins So. G 5-8 Bowie, Md./Lafayette College
22
23
Coach John Nakpodia
Halia Ellis
Latavia Jackson
Tori Williams
5
MERCY COLLEGE
So. F 5-10 Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeastern Clinton
Head Coach: Scott Lagas (5th Season)
Assistant Coaches: Max Magee, Shahara Ingram
Quick Facts
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Founded: 1950
Enrollment: 9,403
Nickname: Mavericks
Colors: Blue and White
President: Timothy L. Hall
Director of Athletics: Matt Kilcullen, Jr.
Arena: Neild Judge Student Athlete
Center
About Mercy:
Did You Know?
• Mercy is making their third straight ECC Tournament appearance.
• The Mavericks are looking to win their first ECC Championship.
• Mercy looks to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985.
Mercy College is a New York metropolitan area college of over 9,000 students studying at five campus locations including: Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan, White Plains, Yorktown Heights. With over 90 undergraduate and graduate programs, 25 of which are offered online, Mercy College offers a quality liberal arts education within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Students may take classes during the day, evenings, weekends, and online, so that they can fit a rigorous Mercy College education into their busy lives. Mercy College also offers tremendous financial support so that the cost of college is not a barrier to success. The faculty is dedicated to the scholarship of teaching. Mercy College professors include Fulbright Scholars, published authors and national authorities in their fields.
Mercy College offers a comprehensive intercollegiate NCAA Division II program that sponsors 16 varsity sports. The main campus located on the scenic banks of the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry is just minutes from Manhattan. Mercy College students reside in the College’s on campus dormitory and within the suburban community of Dobbs Ferry. Intramural activities are also offered throughout the year for the recreational athlete. To apply to Mercy College visit www.mercy.edu or call 1-877-MERCYGO.
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 0 Kayla Halvorsen So. G 5-6 Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry 1 Taysha Bender Gr. G 5-7 Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding 2 Nya Carroll Fr. G 5-6 Ridgefield Park, N.J./Ridgefield Park 3 Katie Wall Sr. G 5-6 Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham 5 Sara Hopkins Gr. G 5-5 Mountain Top, Pa./Concordia College 10 Brianne Santos Gr. G 5-3 Elmont, N.Y./Nazareth Regional 12 Angelina Barrera Fr. F 5-11 Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic 13 Jaclyn Stanavich So. F 5-8 Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam 14 Megan Marcotte Fr. C 6-4 Enfield, Conn./Enfield 15 Maria Tedesco Jr. F/C 5-11 Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose 20 Kellie Nudd Sr. F 5-11 Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy 21 Asha Talib Sr. G 5-9 Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport 22 Kyla Nembach Fr. G 5-4 Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook 24 Briana Barnard Sr. F 5-7 Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic 41 Abrielle Racine
Coach Scott Lagas
Taysha Bender
Kellie Nudd
6
Katie Wall
QUEENS COLLEGE
Head Coach: Bet Naumovski (11th Season)
Assistant Coaches: Ashley Martin, Eddie Mehmetaj
Team
Braneyda Pierre, Eldina Dervisevic
Quick Facts
Location: Flushing, N.Y.
Founded: 1937
Enrollment: 20,000
Nickname: Knights
Colors: Navy Blue and Red
President: Frank Wu
Director of Athletics: Rob Twible
Arena: Fitzgerald Gymnasium
Did You Know?
• The Knights are returning to postseason play for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
• Graduate student Raven Pitt 119 assists has her in the top 10 in the single season program record book.
• Head Coach Bet Naumovski led the Knights to backto-back title in 2015 and 2016.
About Queens:
Queens College, located on a beautiful 77-acre campus in Flushing, New York, opened its doors in 1937 with the goal of offering a first-rate education to talented people of all backgrounds and financial means. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY) since its founding in 1961, Queens College is one of CUNY’s largest senior colleges. It enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and professional programs, and was cited in the 2012 edition of The Princeton Review’s The Best 376 Colleges for its academic excellence and generous financial aid packages. The college has 69 undergraduate and 62 graduate programs in four divisions, which offer day and evening courses: Arts and Humanities; Education; Mathematics and the Natural Sciences; and the Social Sciences. Students are taught by top scholars who are dedicated to teaching and research. Of our 641 full-time faculty, nearly 90% have the terminal degree in their fields (not all fields offer doctorates) and 65% have tenure. Over 120,000 students have graduated since the college’s first class of 1941. Our alumni include such household names as Paul Simon and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as the CEOs of major companies and leaders in the fields of medicine, education, media, the law, and politics.
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 0 Brianna Davis Fr. G 5-8 Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman 1 Farrah Pitt So. G 5-5 Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central 5 Cecilia Lapertosa Fr. F 6-1 Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro
Raven Pitt Gr. G 5-6 Valley Stream, N.Y./Wagner College
Khadija Demry Sr. G 5-7 Brooklyn, N.Y./North Carolina Central University 21 Madelyn McMath Fr. F 6-0 Carmel, N.Y./Carmel 23 Chelsea Reeves So. G 5-9 Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Jean Baptiste 24 Gianna Henriques Fr. C 6-4 Bronx, N.Y./Harry S Truman 35 Kendra McPeek Jr. F 6-1 Binghamton, N.Y./California University of Pa. 44 Graciella Gardner Fr. C 6-1 Newark Valley, N.Y./Newark Valley
11
13
Managers:
Coach Bet Naumovski
Brianna Davis
Raven Pitt
7
Chelsea Reeves
COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND
Head
Nicole
Quick Facts
Location: Staten Island, N.Y.
Founded: 1976
Enrollment: 13,000
Nickname: Dolphins
Colors: Blue, Grey, Black, & White
President: Dr. Timothy G. Lynch
Director of Athletics: Chase Licata
Arena: Sport & Recreation Center Gymnasium
Did You Know?
• The Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball programs combined to win 22 conference championships as members of the CUNYAC conference in Division III. This season is their first year of playoff eligibility in Division II.
• CSI and fellow East Coast Conference member Queens College are the only two City University of New York institutions that are NCAA Division II members.
• Jenalyse Alarcon has three games this season where she has scored at least 20 points and grabbed at least 10 rebounds (as of 2/17)
About Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of The City University of New York providing exceptional opportunities to all of its students and offering undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as certificate and continuing education programs. Completed in 1994, the 204-acre campus of CSI is set on the largest physical New York City college site. Surrounded by a park-like landscape, the campus is centrally located on Staten Island. A rural oasis in an urban setting, the campus includes 300 classrooms, laboratories and instructional spaces, study lounges, department and program offices, and faculty offices, along with extensive athletic facilities and an acclaimed Center for the Arts. The College of Staten Island
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 1 Dabby Gazemar So. G 5-7 Spring Valley, N.Y./Spring Valley 2 Ashley Lambert Jr. G 5-7 Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville 3 Noemia Massingue So. F 5-8 Matola, Maputo, Mozambique/The Masters School 4 Kaia Johnson So. G 5-7 Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evers College Prep 10 Dana Phelan Fr. G 5-7 Tappan, N.Y./Tappan Zee 11 Kyra Rose Fr. G 5-9 Jersey City, N.J./Henry Snyder 12 Brianna Moore So. C 6-1 Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial 13 Jenalyse Alarcon So. F 5-9 Troy, N.Y./Troy 14 Lizzy Lofaro So. G 5-8 Marlboro, N.Y./Marlboro Central 15 Amaya Jenkins Fr. G 5-6 Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis 22 Anisa Perry Jr. G 5-9 Brooklyn, N.Y./Bedford Academy 24 Gia Esposito Jr. G 5-7 Staten Island, N.Y./Saint Joseph by the Sea
Sarcone
Coaches: Kelsey Carey, Sam Spadaro
Coach:
(5th Season) Assistant
Coach Nicole Sarcone
Jenalyse Alarcon
Ashley Lambert
6
Lizzy Lofaro
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE
Coach
33
Head Coach: Bill Cleary (2nd Season)
Assistant
Quick Facts
Location: Sparkill, N.Y.
Founded: 1896
Enrollment: 2,200
Nickname: Spartans
Colors: Maroon and Gold
President: Kenneth D. Daly
Director of Athletics: Nicole Ryan
Arena: Aquinas Hall
About St. Thomas Aquinas
Did You Know?
• Head Coach Bill Cleary won his 300th career game on February 1 at Roberts Wesleyan University.
• The Spartans allowed 60 or less points against in 18 of 27 games this season.
• STAC makes its ninth straight appearance in the ECC Women’s Basketball Tournament.
• Sophomore Erin Leary earned three ECC Defensive Player of the Week honors and a pair of Player of the Week Selections during the 2022-23 season. Teammate Sarah Ericson took home two ECC Player of the Week honors and a Defensive Player of the Week selection.
The College’s 2,000 full and part time undergraduate students major in one of 31 programs offered in five division areas: The Humanitites; Business Administration; Social Sciences; Natrual Sciences & Mathematics; and Teacher Education. The College offers a full scholarship Honors Program which provides studens with a Summer Study experience at Oxford University in England. In addition there are several study abroud opportunities and strategic alliances designed to offer expanded opportunities for students. For example, students can major in mathematics at St. Thomas for three years and then enter a engineering program at either George Washington University or Manhattan College as part of a dual degree program.
St. Thomas Aquinas College now fields 16 NCAA Division II sports, is an active member of the NCAA and supports 200 student-athletes. Men’s sports include: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor). Women’s sports include: basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor). The Spartans’ and Lady Spartan’s teams compete in more than 300 contests annually.
No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School
Alexa Huertas Sr. G 5-6 Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland
Megan Fedor Fr. F 5-11 Elmira, N.Y./Elmira
Joline Raposo Fr. G 5-3 Tampa, Fla./Bloomingdale
Sarah Ericson So. G 5-7 Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy 11 Trinity Cheatom Fr. G 5-7 Des Moines, Iowa/Roosevelt
Karolina Jaruseviciute Jr. F 6-0 Jackson, N.J./Donovan Catholic 15 Melissa Alifano Sr. F/C 6-0 Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury 22 Julia Reggio Jr. G 5-9 White Plains, N.Y./White Plains
Kaitlyn Watrobski Jr. G 5-7 Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa
Liliana Kramer So. F 6-0 Waterford, Conn./Waterford
Angelique Holguin Jr. F 6-1 Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy
1
4
5
10
12
23
24
25
Erin Leary So. F 6-0 Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place
Coaches:
MarceAnne Dunning, Alaina Walker
Bill Cleary
Sarah Ericson
Alexa Huertas
7
Erin Leary
IF i LOSE
I’LL RESPOND WITH RESPECT.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.
