Randolph May 2022

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No. 18 Vol. 5

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May 2022

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Former Randolph Resident, Freshman Belle Pellecchia Garners Hoops Conference, National Honors at NYU

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By Jerry Del Priore ew York University (NYU) basketball player Belle Pellecchia could not have asked for a better freshman season. Pellecchia, who lived in Randolph, received the University Athletic Association’s (UAA) Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors while also being tabbed as the D3hoops.com Region 4 Rookie of the Year. Additionally, the 5-foot-9 guard drained a team-leading 13 points per game. She also paced the UAA in steals per tilt (2.7), ranked fourth in field goal percentage (48.9), fifth in assists per game (3.1), seventh in free throw percentage (75.2) and tied for seventh in scoring. The national and conference end-of-season recognition she garnered did not shock Head Coach Meg Barber, given the abilities and intangibles Pellecchia brings to the hardwood, in practice and on game day. In fact, after seeing her play live, Barber did not waste any time penciling her name in, in the starting rotation. “I’ve never seen a motor or a competitiveness of a player like her,” Barber said of Pellecchia. “She plays with such intensity. I kept an eye on her while recruiting her in high school (Rutgers Prep), and I knew she’d be a great fit with our program. From day one, she earned a starting position.” Barber went as far as saying she could play on the Division I level, but she wanted

ample playing time while attending a top academic institution. With all of the accolades Pellecchia received, she said that the honors were exciting for her, but did not fail to mention the individual honors her teammates received. She noted that the 2021-22 team was young, and will build upon its successful campaign. “I was definitely surprised, but more excited,” Pellecchia recollected of the awards. “But It was good for the team, as a lot of players won individual awards.” Moreover, Pellecchia helped the Violets to a 25-2 record and capture an UAA conference title, their first since 1997. Plus, they reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, dropping in a career-high 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against Hope College in the sectional final, which they lost, 83-64. Of course, Pellecchia said she wishes that NYU played deeper into the tournament, but is hopeful for its future due to its youth and overall talent; the 2021-22 Violets were made up of five freshmen and five sophomores. “We’re young, and we will be good for years to come,” she said. “Obviously, I hoped to have made it further. But we’ll keep improving, so we’ll make it further next year. And I think we will.” Due to her on-court aggressiveness, one would think Pellecchia might be the same off the hardwood, but Barber said she is able to

Photos courtesy of NYU Athletic Communications.

shut it off in her everyday life. However, she said she tackles her academics the same way she hits the court: intense and determined to succeed. “I think a lot of people are scared of her,” the fourth-year NYU coach quipped because of her athletic fiery, ferocity. “But she’s humble as they come, light-hearted and a nice person. But that competitiveness and drive bleeds through in her studies.” Pellecchia was a four-year soccer player in high school, and juggled both AAU hoops and club travel soccer for a long time, in addition to playing one season of volleyball. But now, Pellecchia, who was born in

Mendham and now lives in Ocean Grove, said she is not always running to a game or some sort of practice. Instead, she is using that extra time to prepare for next season while concentrating on her academics. Pellecchia said she is hard at work on improving her fitness level and basketball skill set, and hopes to study abroad one day, possibly in Madrid, Spain. She said a double major of journalism and environmental science is a possibility. “I’m truly out of season for the first time in a long time, and it’s weird for me,” Pellecchia said. “But I’m still busy with lifting and my college course load.”

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