Hunter Women's Basketball & Staten Island Men's Team Headed To NCAA Tournament
Staten Island Uses Late Free Throws
To Win CUNYAC Title 59-57 Over Medgar Evers
New York, NY - The Hunter College women's basketball team has qualified
for
the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the second time in
school
history. The Hawks last advanced to the national playoffs in 1998-99,
when
this year's three seniors were rookies.
The first round of the NCAA Tournament is Wednesday, February 27.
The Hawks will travel to Reading, PA, and play a 7:00 PM game against
Alvernia
College. The Crusaders are 22-5 after beating Gwynedd-Mercy College
57-48
to win the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC).
Hunter earned its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 54-46 win
over Lehman College in the City University of New York Athletic
Conference
(CUNYAC) championship game Friday evening. Senior forward Shevon
Collins
(Brooklyn, NY / Canarsie) was named MVP after scoring 12 points,
grabbing
six rebounds, and making four steals in the title contest.
Junior guards Vana Loukissas (Flushing, NY / Cardozo) and Jen Rogers
(Brooklyn, NY / Fort Hamilton) scored 11 points each in the CUNYAC
championship game while sophomore forward Jen Agosto (Brooklyn, NY /
Midwood) added 10 points. Loukissas and junior guard Jezel Rodriguez
(Bronx, NY / DeWitt Clinton) both coralled 10 rebounds for the Hawks.
Hunter enters the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game winning streak. It is
the
squad's longest roll since collecting approximately 40 consecutive
victories over six seasons from 1952-53 through 1957-58. The 1953-54,
1954-55, 1955-56, and 1956-57 teams were undefeated.
In addition to making its second all-time NCAA Tournament appearance,
Hunter has won six CUNYAC championships (1980-81, 1987-88, 1992-93,
1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02) over the years. The Hawks have recorded
unbeaten
seasons 10 times in the program's long history.
Collins is averaging 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.4
steals
per game to lead Hunter on the floor. She and two fellow seniors,
center
Melodie Abrook (Lynbrook, NY / Malverne) and forward Shanell Sapp
(Brooklyn, NY / South Shore), are four-year letterwinners.
Agosto is the team's second-leading scorer at 11.8 points per game and
has
set a school record with 68 three-pointers. Rogers follows at 9.1
points
per contest while Rodriguez is averaging 7.8 points per game with
Loukissas
adding 5.3 points and 4.1 assists per outing.
Hunter is guided by Jackee Meadow, who is the winningest coach in
school
history. She holds a 155-86 career record and has been in charge of the
Hawks
for the last nine seasons.
The winner of Wednesday evening's game will move on to a second round
meeting against King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, on Saturday. The
Monarchs
have a 23-3 overall record.
After winning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National
Tournament
with a 59-57 win over Medgar Evers for the CUNY Athletic Conference
crown on
Friday, College of Staten Island learned on Sunday night that it would
be
sitting pretty for the upcoming NCAA's - at the Sports & Recreation
Center.
When the NCAA post-season selections were made, CSI was announced as a
team
with a first-round bye, and placed to host a game in the second round
of the
tournament. CSI was one of only 16 teams to be given a bye as they
finished
the season as the #1 team in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA, and by
the time
it faces an opponent on Saturday, the field of 50 teams would have
already
been narrowed to 32.
CSI will face the winner of Clark College (20-5) vs. Suffolk University
(17-10). Both Massachusetts schools will face off on Thursday night,
with
the winner traveling to Staten Island.
Five CUNY Teams Earn Spots In ECAC Metro Tournament
Medgar Evers, Baruch and Lehman Headline a Strong Men's Field & While
Lehman
and Staten Island Women Get Nods
Bronx, NY - Five CUNY men's and women's teams are extending their
season by
another week with their selections to the ECAC Division III Metro
postseason
tournament. CUNYAC / Con Edison Men's Tournament runners-up Medgar
Evers and
women's runner-up Lehman earned easy selections while Baruch and Lehman
men
were also chosen for the eight-team field while the Staten Island women
were
also tabbed.
The selections bring the number of CUNY basketball teams in
postseason
tournaments to seven after a very strong showing during the regular
season.
Staten Island men and Hunter women earned the conference's automatic
berths
to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
"We are very pleased with the selections of our deserving
programs," said
CUNYAC Associate Director Zak Ivkovic. "Our conference has improved
significantly in recent years and these selections reflect the quality
of
those teams."
All ECAC quarterfinal match-ups will take place on Wednesday night
at
higher seeded teams. As the #4 seed, Medgar Evers will host #5 Ramapo
at 7:00
pm, while Baruch and Lehman will travel to Montclair State and Richard
Stockton, respectively. On the women's side, #5 Lehman will travel to
face #4
Ramapo, with #7 Staten Island facing #2 Rutgers-Camden. Complete
schedule
follows:
ECAC DIVISION III METRO MEN'S TOURNAMENT
Wed., 2/27 - Opening Round (at Site of Higher Seed)
#8 Lehman (17-9) at #1 Richard Stockton (19-8)
8:00 pm
#5 Ramapo (18-8) at #4 Medgar Evers (20-8)
7:00 pm
#6 New Jersey City (16-10) at #3 Manhattanville (20-8) TBA
#7 Baruch College (18-9) at #2 Montclair State (18-8)
7:00
pm
Sat., 3/1 - Semifinals (at Site of Higher Remaining Seed)
Lehman / Stockton winner vs. Ramapo / Medgar Evers winner TBA
NJCU / Manhattanville winner vs. Baruch / Montclair St. winner TBA
Sun., 3/2 - Championship Game (at Site of Highest Remaining Seed) TBA
ECAC DIVISION III METRO WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT
Wed., 2/27 - Opening Round (at Site of Higher Seed)
#8 Old Westbury (11-10) at #1 NYU (18-7)
7:00 pm
#5 Lehman (18-10) at #4 Ramapo (15-10)
7:00 pm
#6 Stevens Tech (20-6) at #3 Stockton (17-9)
7:00
pm
#7 Staten Island (18-9) at #2 Rutgers-Camden (18-7)
7:00
pm
Sat., 3/1 - Semifinals (at Site of Higher Remaining Seed)
Stevens / Stockton winner vs. Staten Island / Rutgers-Camden winner
TBA
NYU / Old Westbury winner vs. Ramapo / Lehman winner TBA
Sun., 3/2 - Championship Game (at Site of Highest Remaining Seed) TBA
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