Empire 8 Women's Basketball Quick Facts
HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 26, 2014) – The Empire 8 Conference released its yearly awards this afternoon and freshman guard
Erica Guketlov (Spotswood, N.J.) of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team was named Rookie of the Year.
Guketlov, a four-time Empire 8 Rookie of the Week, has played in all 25 contests this season with 17 starts for the 17-8 Ducks. She currently averages 7.4 points per outing, along with 2.4 assists and rebounds per game. The Spotswood, N.J. native leads Stevens in three-point percentage (36.5) and made three-pointers (42).
She netted a career-high 17 points in a 72-50 win at Centenary College on November 26. In that game, Guketlov shot a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc and was 6-for-9 overall for Stevens. Over the 25 contests played, she eclipsed double-digits nine times.
Guketlov is the first Stevens women's basketball player to be named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year since joining the conference. She is also the first women's basketball freshman to receive this honor since 2001 when
Aracely Cruz was recognized by the Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Senior forward
Avis Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.), a second-team selection a year ago, found a spot in this season's first-team. Benjamin started and played in all 25 games, and leads the Ducks in scoring with 12.4 points per game and rebounding at 5.9 per contest. Her 51.5 field-goal percentage was also tops for Stevens this season.
Benjamin became the 10th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points with a 20-point outing against St. John Fisher College on January 31 in a 73-61 win. She currently ranks eighth all-time with 1,057 points heading into the Empire 8 Championship this weekend. Against Alfred University on January 18, Benjamin poured in a season-high 25 points in 19 minutes played.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2013-14 Women's Basketball Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Sophomore guard/forward
Dylan Krause (Atlanta, Ga.) was Stevens' selection for Sportswoman of the Year. Krause averages 6.7 points and 5.8 boards per game in 25 contests played.
The Ducks travel to Ithaca College as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tournament on Friday and Saturday. Stevens will take on second-seeded Hartwick College at 8 p.m., and if victorious, will play at 4 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of No. 1 Ithaca and No. 4 St. John Fisher. Friday night's semifinal is available via
live stats and
webcast.
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Empire 8 2013-14 Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards |
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Player of the Year: Jessica Zoltowski, Elmira College |
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Rookie of the Year: Erica Guketlov, Stevens Institute of Technology |
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Coach of the Year: Missy West, Hartwick College |
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First Team |
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Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
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Jessica Zoltowski |
Elmira |
G |
Sr. |
Erie, PA/Harbor Creek |
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Brittney Dumas |
Hartwick |
G/F |
So. |
Easton, CT/Joel Barlow |
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Maria Foglia |
Hartwick |
G |
Sr. |
Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central |
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Mary Kate Tierney |
Ithaca |
G |
Sr. |
Rochester, NY/Our Lady of Mercy |
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Avis Benjamin |
Stevens |
F |
Sr. |
Queens, NY/Mary Louis Academy |
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Second Team |
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Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
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Kristen Moose |
Houghton |
G |
Sr. |
Swain, NY/Canaseraga |
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Kathryn Campbell |
Ithaca |
G |
Sr. |
Wall, NJ/Wall |
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Jenn Escobido |
Ithaca |
F |
Sr. |
Lisbon, CT/Norwich Free Academy |
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Lindsey Kelly |
Nazareth |
C |
So. |
Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East |
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Camaryn Buckner |
St. John Fisher |
F |
Sr. |
Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima |
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Mary Kate Cusack |
St. John Fisher |
G |
So. |
Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa |
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Honorable Mention (minimum two votes) |
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Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
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Portia Velasco |
St. John Fisher |
G |
Jr. |
Vallejo, CA/Carondelet |
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Mary Miceli |
Utica |
G |
So. |
New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle |
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Sportswoman of the Year |
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Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Hometown/High School |
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Sarah Federico |
Alfred |
F |
Sr. |
Buffalo, NY/Holy Angels |
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Liz Forrest |
Elmira |
G/F |
Sr. |
North Walpole, NH/Fall Mountain |
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Jessica Bellai |
Hartwick |
G |
So. |
Schenectady, NY/Schalmont |
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Kristen Moose |
Houghton |
G |
Sr. |
Swain, NY/Canaseraga |
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Elisabeth Wentlent |
Ithaca |
G |
Sr. |
Greene, NY/Greene |
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Veronica Peck |
Nazareth |
G |
So. |
Hauppauge, NY/St. John the Baptist |
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McKenzie Bezon |
St. John Fisher |
G |
Fr. |
Elba, NY/Elba |
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Dylan Krause |
Stevens |
F |
So. |
Atlanta, GA/St. Pius X Catholic |
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Bridget Greenwald |
Utica |
F |
Sr. |
Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills |
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