IF i WIN I ’ L L B A C K I T U P W I T H H U M I L I T Y.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.
Table of Contents 2021 Women’s Basketball Championship Results........................... 3 Championship Participants.............................................................. 4-7
2021-22 Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule First Round
Wednesday, March 2 No. 5 Mercy at No. 4 Roberts Wesleyan No. 6 District of Columbia at No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas
Semifinals at Daemen
Saturday, March 5 No. 5 MER/No. 4 RWC vs. No. 1 Daemen No. 6 UDC/No. 3 STAC vs. No. 2 Molloy
Final at Daemen Sunday, March 6 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.
East Coast Conference Staff 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
The 2022 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 of the East Coast Conference.
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NOT JUST WORDS. WORDS TO LIVE BY.
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2021 ECC Women’s Basketball Championship Play-In Game
No. 4 Molloy d. No. 5 Mercy, 62-47 at Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Semifinals
No. 1 Daemen d. No. 4 Molloy, 52-42 at Amherst, N.Y. No. 2 Roberts Wesleyan d. No. 3 STAC, 62-56 at Rochester, N.Y.
Final
No. 2 Roberts Wesleyan d. No. 1 Daemen, 59-53 at Amherst, N.Y.
All-Tournament Team Gabriella Aspuru, MOL Victoria Kurisko, STAC Katie Titus, DAE Caroline White, DAE Dimitra Gkizani, RWC Paige McCormick, RWC
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Tournament MOP Taryn Wilson, RWC
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Past Champions
Pace Pace Philadelphia Philadelphia St. Rose St. Rose St. Rose St. Rose St. Rose St. Rose C.W. Post Adelphi Dowling Adelphi Bridgeport New Haven
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
New Haven Molloy Queens Molloy C.W. Post Dowling Dowling Dist. Columbia Queens Queens Molloy St. Thomas Aquinas NYIT Daemen Roberts Wesleyan
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DAEMEN COLLEGE No. Name 1 Tiara Filbert 2 Maddy Stearns 3 Alahna Paige 4 Sydney Hvizdzak 10 Autumn Buchsenschutz 13 Kaytlyn Matz 14 Sarah Cloutier 15 Mickayla Ivy 20 Alina Estrella 22 Molly Williams 24 Natalie Angeletti 25 Katie Titus 32 Gina Fumerelle 44 Mary Foster 55 Marina Maerkl
Yr R-Sr. R-So. So. Fr. Gr. So. Jr. Sr. R-So. R-So. So. Sr. R-So. Sr. Jr.
Pos G G G G G G G F G F F F F C F
Ht 5-9 5-7 5-4 5-9 5-4 6-0 5-9 5-10 5-6 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-0
Hometown/Previous School Batavia, N.Y./Batavia Clarence, N.Y./Clarence Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit Little Valley, N.Y./Randolph Central Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany Johnsburg, Ill./Carmel Catholic San Diego, Cal./Southeastern University Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison Waterville, N.Y./Waterville Panama, N.Y./Panama Central Penfield, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home Elmira, N.Y./New Hampshire Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic
Head Coach: Jenepher Banker (6th Season) Assistant Coaches: Kallie Banker, James Ewing Graduate Assistant Coach: Alec Kerdell
Coach Jenepher Banker
Tiara Filbert
Mickayla Ivy
Did You Know? Quick Facts • Daemen is making its fifth straight appearance in the ECC Championship Location: Amherst, N.Y. tournament. The Wildcats have advanced to the final round in each of the last two seasons and won the program’s first ECC tournament title in 2020. Founded: 1947 •Daemen has won the last three ECC regular season championships and are Enrollment: 2,800 hosting the ECC tournament semifinal and final rounds for the second consecutive season. Nickname: Wildcats •Daemen is looking to earn a third consecutive NCAA tournament berth. The Colors: Royal Blue, Black, White, Gray Wildcats are the defending East Region champions and advanced to the Elite President: Gary A. Olson Eight in 2021. •Daemen is led by ECC Player of the Year candidate Katie Titus who finished the Director of Athletics: Traci Murphy regular season as the conference’s top scorer, averaging 20.7 points per game. Arena (capacity): Lumsden Gymnasium (600) About Daemen
Katie Titus
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Daemen College 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.
UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Coach John Nakpodia
No. Name 0 Ke’Airah Massiah 1 Tori Williams 2 Destiny Ryles 3 Latavia Jackson 5 Janiya Smith 11 Kensley Benjamin 15 Ronnasia Blatch-Huggins 20 Aiyana Ellis 22 Halia Ellis 24 Kaila Pruitt
Yr Gr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr.
Pos G G/F G G G G G/F F G G/F
Ht 5-6 6-0 5-3 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-10 6-2 5-8 6-1
Hometown/Previous School Philadelphia, Pa./Clarion University Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield HS Windsor Mill, Md./La Salle University Waldorf, Md./North Point HS Newark, N.J./Life Center Academy Calvert County, Md./Winthrop University Wilmington, Del./Harcum College King George, Va./King George HS King George, Va./King George HS Owings, Md./Northern HS
Head Coach: John Nakpodia (4th Season) Assistant Coaches: Raven Gerald, Jasmine Rich
Halia Ellis
Latavia Jackson
Destiny Ryles
About District of Columbia
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): UDC Gymnasium (1,500)
Did You Know? • This marks the fifth ECC Championship tournament appearance by the Firebirds since joining the conference in 2012, with their most recent appearance back in 2016. • The Firebirds won the ECC Championship in 2014. • This is the first tournament appearance by UDC under Head Coach John Nakpodia.
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.
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MERCY COLLEGE No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 0 1 3 5 10 13 14 15 20 21 24 41 44
Kayla Halvorsen Taysha Bender Katie Wall Sara Hopkins Brianne Santos Jaclyn Stanavich Brianna Lee Maria Tedesco Kellie Nudd Asha Talib Briana Barnard Abrielle Racine Jamie Waldron
Fr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Fr. So.
G G G G G F C F F G G/F F C
5-6 5-7 5-6 5-5 5-2 5-9 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-8 5-7 5-10 6-2
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham Mountain Top, Pa./Concordia College Elmont, N.Y./Nazareth Regional Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam Elmont, N.Y./Saint Mary’s Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeastern Clinton Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury
Coach Scott Lagas
Head Coach: Scott Lagas (4th Season) Assistant Coaches: Max Magee, Shahara Ingram Team Manager: Janaii Boone
Taysha Bender
Kellie Nudd
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 (capacity): Victory Hall Sports Complex (500)
Did You Know? • Mercy is making their first appearance in the ECC Championship in which every team did not qualify since 2009 (All eligible teams made the 2021 ECC Championship) • Mercy is looking for their first-ever ECC Championship. • Mercy had their most overall wins (11) and most ECC wins (9) since the 1996-97 season.
Katie Wall
About Mercy:
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.
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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.
MOLLOY COLLEGE No. Name
Coach Joe Pellicane
2 4 5 11 13 14 15 22 30 43
Janel Moore Kathleen Doherty Morgan Staab Safiyyah Lee Cameron Corbett Giolibeth Perez Gabriella Aspuru Maya Thomas Trinity Hudson Danielle Hippner
Yr Fr. So. Jr. Gr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Gr. So. Fr.
Pos G G F F G G G G G C
Ht 5-3 5-9 6-1 5-11 5-7 5-4 6-0 5-6 6-0 6-2
Hometown/Previous School Spring Valley, N.Y./Paramus Catholic Massapequa, N.Y./ Tampa Lynbrook, N.Y./Scranton Voorhees, N.J./Georgian Court University Staten Island, N.Y./Concordia Camuy, Puerto Rico/Stony Brook Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East Freeport, N.Y./Univ. of the District of Columbia Glen Cove, N.Y./Mercy College East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow
Head Coach: Joe Pellicane, (7th Season - Second Stint with team) Associate Head Coach: Mike Krasnoff Assistant Coaches: Christine Verrelle, Ihnacinse Grady
Gabriella Aspuru
Safiyyah Lee
Maya Thomas
Quick Facts Location: Rockville Centre, N.Y. Founded: 1955 Enrollment: 3,300 Nickname: Lions Colors: Maroon and White President: Dr. James Lentini Director of Athletics: Susan Cassidy-Lyke Areana (capacity): Quealy Gymnasium (525)
Did You Know?
• Both Gabriella Aspuru and Safiyyah Lee tallied their 1,000th points this season. • This is the Lions’ third straight season in the ECC Championship. • Joe Pellicane has previously led Molloy to two NCAA East Regionals.
About Molloy:
Molloy College is an institution of the Dominican tradition which offers students a rich, multi-dimensional educational experience in an academically challenging environment. We foster critical thinking and creative exploration while preparing students to live and work in the global world of today. Money magazine recently ranked Molloy College the #1 “Value All-Star” in the nation.
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ROBERTS WESLEYAN COLLEGE No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 22 23 24 25 30
Danielle DiCintio Nyah Johnson Ashlynn McKnight Ari Carey Georgia Haverlock Kyler Langhorn Taryn Wilson Grace Dow Jamie Walker Emily Palmer Madison Clark Toni Neely-Primus Brianna Williams Dimitra Gkizani Maia Wong
So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr.
G G G G G G G F G F/C F G F C F
5-6 5-7 5-7 5-4 5-7 5-4 5-9 6-0 5-5 6-0 6-0 5-8 5-10 6-3 5-8
Somers, N.Y./Somers Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt Endwell, N.Y./Endwell Buffalo, N.Y./Clarence Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca Syracuse, N.Y. Honeoye Falls, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima Lafayette, N.Y./Lafayette Macedon, N.Y. Acton, Mass./Lexington Christian Marathon, N.Y. Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury Bronx, N.Y./Pelham Prep Athens, Greece/4th General Lyceum of Acharnes Tracy, Calif./San Joaquin Delta College
Head Coach: Kevin Clifford (4th Season) Associate Head Coach: Emily Speidel Assistant Coaches: Marissa Bunce, Anthony Bollinger
Coach Kevin Clifford
Dimitra Gkizani
Toni Neely-Primus
Quick Facts Location: Rochester, N.Y. Founded: 1866 Enrollment: 1,823 Nickname: Redhawks Colors: Red, Black, and White President: Dr. Deana L. Porterfield Director of Athletics: Bob Segave Arena (capacity): Voller Athletic Center (500)
Did You Know? • Two-time Olympic medalist (gold, silver) Jenn Suhr (pole vault) played basketball at Roberts Wesleyan. She ranks second all-time in program history with 1,819 career points. • Roberts Wesleyan is the defending ECC Champion. The Redhawks won their first-ever ECC title in 2021 by upsetting top-seed Daemen, 59-53, in the championship game.
Taryn Wilson
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About Roberts Wesleyan With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students and a tradition of excellence since 1866, Roberts Wesleyan College is a leader among liberal arts colleges with a Christian worldview. The College offers more than 50 undergraduate programs, as well as graduate programs in education, school psychology, school counseling, health administration, nursing education, nursing leadership & administration, strategic marketing, social work and strategic leadership. Roberts Wesleyan also offers innovative undergraduate degree-completion programs for working adults in health administration, nursing, organizational management, and teacher education.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE No. Name Yr Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School
Coach Bill Cleary
Sarah Ericson
0 1 2 4 5 10 11 12 13 15 20 21 22 23 25 30 33 35
Sarah Scerbak Alexa Huertas Sophie Dubreuil Stefania Georgiou Zaria Thomas Sarah Ericson Erin Bacalles Karolina Jaruseviciute Katie Bischoping Melissa Alifano Liliana Kramer Victoria Kurisko Julia Reggio Kaitlyn Watrobski Angelique Holguin Jenny Palmer Erin Leary Chanel Brodeur-Muir
RSo. Sr. So. Sr. RSr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr.
G G G G G G G F G/F F/C F G G G F G F F
5-7 5-6 5-5 5-9 5-8 5-7 5-8 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-7 6-1 5-6 6-0 6-0
Valley Cottage, N.Y./Paramus Catholic Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland Niantic, Conn./East Lyme Nicosia, Cyprus, Pascal English School Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South Jackson, N.J./Donovan Catholic Rochester, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury Waterford, Conn./Waterford Bardonia, N.Y./Clarkstown South White Plains, N.Y./White Plains Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy New City, N.Y./Clarkstown South Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place Auckland, New Zealand/Elevation Preparatory Academy
Head Coach: Bill Cleary (1st Season) Assistant Coaches: MarceAnne Dunning
Alexa Huertas
Victoria Kurisko
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 (capacity): Aquinas Hall (900)
Did You Know?
• - Bill Cleary is in his first season as Head Coach of St. Thomas Aquinas, following successful stops at Wilmington (Del.), Bloomsburg and Colgate. • Freshman Sarah Eric,son was named ECC Rookie of the Week on three separate occasions (Jan. 18, 24 & Feb. 7) during the 2021-22 regular season. • St. Thomas Aquinas has earned an ECC Women’s Basketball Tournament berth for the eighth consecutive season.
About St. Thomas Aquinas
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.
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IF i LOSE I ’ L L R E S P O N D W I T H R E S P E C T.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.