NYCAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEAON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

ADELPHI UNIVERSITY’S DLABOLA NAMED NYCAC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

(Sophomore Guard Earned NYCAC Rookie of the Year Honors Last Year)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Sophomore guard Jesse Dlabola (Levittown, N.Y.) of Adelphi University has been named the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, in voting done by the league’s coaches. The NYCAC Rookie of the Year last season, Dlabola averaged 12.1 ppg and 4.0 assists per game for the Panthers while also earning NCAA Division II Northeast Regional All-Tournament honors as well.

Joining Dlabola as a preseason first-team selection is junior guard Zulmary Andino-Babalonia (Puerto Rico) of Dowling College, a first-team All-NYCAC pick last year after averaging 13.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg while also dishing out 101 assists for the Golden Lions. A pair of NYCAC second-team selections from last year also earned preseason first-team honors as senior guard Josephine Alohan (Elmont, N.Y.) of St. Thomas Aquinas College and senior guard Dani Thomas (Laurel, Md.)

of Southampton College were recognized. Alohan paced the Lady Spartans with 17.1 ppg including 52 three-point field goals, while Thomas collected 13.9 ppg and 5.2 assists per game for the Lady Colonials. Rounding out the first team is junior forward/center Georgia Gordon (St. Ann, Jamaica) of New York Inst. of Technology, who averaged a double-double a year ago with 12.9 ppg and 12.6 boards per game

The second-team is comprised of a senior, two juniors and a pair of promising sophomores. The lone senior is center Cherelle Payne (Bellport, N.Y.) of LIU-C.W. Post who had a solid junior campaign for Head Coach Patrice Walker with 9.7 ppg and a team-high 10.4 rpg. The junior duo of Erin Dollard (Elmhurst, N.Y.) of Queens College and Jen Geiger (Bellmore, N.Y.) of Southampton College, meanwhile, averaged 7.8 ppg and 10.0 ppg, respectively. The final two spots belong to sophomores Thalia Jackson (Baldwin, N.Y.) of LIU-C.W. Post and Samara Speakes (Philadelphia, Pa.) of Philadelphia University.

NYCAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

First Team Second Team

Josephine Alohan, St. Thomas Aquinas College Erin Dollard, Queens College

Zulmary Andino-Babalonia, Dowling College Jen Geiger, Southampton College

Jesse Dlabola, Adelphi University Thalia Jackson, LIU-C.W. Post

Georgia Gordon, New York Inst. of Technology Cherelle Payne, LIU-C.W. Post

Dani Thomas, Southampton College Samara Speakes, Philadelphia University

NYCAC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)

1. Philadelphia University (3) 8. Queens College

2. Adelphi University (6) 9. Molloy College

3. Dowling College (2) 10. New York Institute of Technology

4. LIU-C.W. Post 11. Mercy College

5. Southampton College (1) 12. Concordia College

6. St. Thomas Aquinas College (1) 13. University of Bridgeport

7. University of New Haven