FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Le Moyne's Castelli and Bentley's Stevens Split Coach of the Year Award.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - American International senior forward Dana Watts has been named the Northeast 10 Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon, along with its other major award winners and all-conference teams.
13 of 15 schools in the NE10 had at least one player recognized on an All-Conference Team, while Bentley – the Northeast Division regular-season champion - leads the way with four selections. Le Moyne and Merrimack each had three, while five schools had at two. For a complete list of honorees, please see below.
Watts has been dominant in her final season with the Yellow Jackets, as she ranks first in the NE10 with 21.3 points per game and third in rebounds with 11.4 per contest – as well as top-15 in both categories in all of Division II. She scored in double-figures in every game this season, including a career-best 37 against Saint Rose on Feb. 20. Watts is the first AIC player to win Player of the Year in program history, helping the Yellow Jackets to the No. 4 seed in the Southwest Division for the NE10 Championship.
In addition to her Player of the Year honor, Watts earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team – along with Le Moyne’s McKayla Roberts, New Haven’s Alexandria Kerr, Saint Anselm’s Shannon Ryan, Southern Connecticut’s Kiana Steinauer and Southern New Hampshire’s Kylie Lorenzen.
Merrimack’s Denia Davis-Stewart won the NE10 Defensive Player of the Year award, as her effort on the defensive side of the ball helped the Warriors earn the No. 4 seed in the Northeast Division. Davis-Stewart led the league with 3.5 blocks per game, ranking eighth in all of Division II. Her 11 rebounds per contest was fourth-best among all NE10 players, while averaging a double-double (13.3. points per game) this season.
Stonehill’s Kayla Raymond, a nine-time NE10 Rookie of the Week this season, ran away with the Rookie of the Year award after a sensational freshman campaign that saw her average 16.1 points per game on 49.5-percent shooting. She scored a season-high 32 points against Merrimack on Feb. 20, while recording a pair of double-doubles this year. The Skyhawks enter the NE10 Championship as the Northeast’s No. 2 seed.
For the first time since the 1983-84 season, the NE10 announced Co-Coaches of the Year with Bentley’s Barbara Stevens and Le Moyne’s Gina Castelli earning the honors. Stevens has led the No. 13 Falcons to the No. 1 seed in the Northeast, tallying a remarkable 26-2 record this season. It is the 16th time she has won the award.
For Castelli, she led the Dolphins to the top seed in the Southwest, using an amazing 14-game winning streak throughout the season to put Le Moyne in prime postseason position, as well as boasting a tiebreaking win over Bentley in case the teams meet in the NE10 Championship.
Stevens had four players earn All-Conference recognition, including Amy McConnell on the Second Team and Victoria Lux on the Third Team. Castelli had three players earn distinction, including Roberts on the First Team and Jenna Zimmerman on the All-Rookie Team.
Player of the Year: Dana Watts, American International
Defensive Player of the Year: Denia Davis-Stewart, Merrimack
Rookie of the Year: Kayla Raymond, Stonehill
Coach of the Year: Barbara Stevens, Bentley/Gina Castelli, Le Moyne
All-Conference – First Team
Dana Watts, American International
McKayla Roberts, Le Moyne
Alexandria Kerr, New Haven
Shannon Ryan, Saint Anselm
Kiana Steinauer, So. Connecticut
Kylie Lorenzen, So. New Hampshire
All-Conference – Second Team
Niajah Morgan, Adelphi
Morgan O’Donnell, Assumption
Amy McConnell, Bentley
Denia Davis-Stewart, Merrimack
Kayla Raymond, Stonehill
All-Conference – Third Team
Leonie Edringer, Adelphi
Alyssa Guyon, American International
Victoria Lux, Bentley
Lindsay Werner, Merrimack
Peyton Steinman, Saint Anselm
Honorable Mention
Megan Lewis, Bentley
Katie Meriggioli, Bentley
Corinne Poitevien, Le Moyne
Lauren Schetter, Pace
Amanda Pfohl, So. Connecticut
All-Rookie Team
Izzy Lipinski, Franklin Pierce
Jenna Zimmerman, Le Moyne
Kate Mager, Merrimack
Camryn DeBose, New Haven
Kayla Raymond, Stonehill
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.