MAAC Announces 2014-2015 Women's Basketball All-MAAC First Team
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announces the 2014-2015 All-MAAC Women's Basketball Teams, selected by the MAAC's 11 head coaches.
The first team is made up of Joy Adams and Damika Martinez of Iona College, Madeline Blais and Tori Jarosz of Marist College and Quinnipiac University's Samantha Guastella. Damika Martinez earns her third consecutive First Team selection, while Joy Adams earns her second consecutive selection. Madeline Blais, earns her inaugural First Team selection after landing on the 2013-14 All-MAAC Second Team. These five players are now eligible to be named the 2014-15 MAAC Player of the Year, also selected by the leagues 11 head coaches. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 6 at 5:00 p.m. at the Postseason Awards Show located at Swyer Theater at The Egg in Albany, N.Y. The show will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Adams, a 5-foot-11, junior forward from Orlando, Fla., finished the regular season fourth nationally with 12.9 rebounds per game which led the MAAC, while finishing tied for 10th nationally in double-doubles with 17 which also led the MAAC. Adams currently sits second nationally among active rebound leaders with 1,167 boards to date, which ranks third All-Time in the MAAC. The 2012-2013 MAAC Rookie of the Year and 2014-15 All-MAAC First Team selection also ranks fourth in the conference in scoring tallying 14.3 points per outing and ranks second in the league in steals averaging 2.3 per game. Adams earned MAAC Player of the Week honors one time this season.
Martinez, a 5-foot-7, senior guard from Meriden, Conn., has had another outstanding season for the Gaels, while being a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team in 2015 for the third consecutive season. Martinez made history in 2015 as she became the MAAC’s All-Time leading scorer on February 20 after recording her 2,468th point. She is also the MAAC’s All-Time career leader in three-point field goals made with 309. The 2013 & 2014 MAAC Player of the Year finishes the regular season leading the conference and ranking third nationally in scoring averaging 24.2 points per game and currently holds 2,569 career points, ranking first among active leaders in the nation. A 2014 AP All-American Honorable Mention and All-Met Player of the Year selection, Martinez leads the MAAC in made free throws registering 117 points from the charity stripe this season. Martinez has been named MAAC Player of the Week a league best four times this season. Additionally, Martinez has been named a finalist for the 2015 Nancy Lieberman Award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation’s top point guard in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
Blais, a 6-foot-1, junior forward from Exeter, N.H., helped guide Marist College to the number two seed of the 2015 MAAC Basketball Championships. Blais finished the regular season ranking fourth in the nation in free throw percentage shooting 92.2 percent from the stripe and ranked fifth in in the nation in three point field goal percentage, shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc leading the MAAC in each category respectively. She also ranks third in the league in scoring with 16.2 points per game and averaged 5.6 rebounds per contest. Blais has started all 29 games for the Red Foxes this season.
Jarosz, a 6-foot-3, senior center from Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., earned a spot on the All-MAAC First Team as a unanimous selection for the first time in her career. She is second in the MAAC in scoring averaging 17.5 points per game, and second in rebounding with 9.1 boards per contest while playing in just 23 games. She ranked third in the league in field goal percentage shooting a .507 clip from the paint. The two-time MAAC Player of the Week selection recorded 10 double-doubles this season, which is good for second in the conference. Jarosz also led the MAAC in blocked shots this season averaging 2.8 per game.
Guastella, a 6-foot-1, senior forward from Red Bank, N.J., helped guide Quinnipiac University to an undefeated conference record and undefeated record playing at home this season, while claiming the number one seed in the 2015 MAAC Basketball Championships. Guastella finished the regular season averaging 13 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, three point field goals made with 90 and added 1.9 blocks per game while averaging just 24.8 minutes per game. She shot 46.2 percent from the field and shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. Guastella was named MAAC Player of the Week once this season.
This season's 2014-2015 All-MAAC Second Team is also a very strong unit. The Second Team is made up of Canisius College senior guard Kayla Hoohuli, Niagara University guard Meghan McGuinness and forward Victoria Rampado, Quinnipiac University graduate forward Val Driscoll and Siena College senior guard Tehresa Coles.
The 2014-2015 All-MAAC Third Team unit is also a formidable group. The Third Team consists of Fairfield University junior guard Kristin Schatzlein and first year redshirt sophomore forward Casey Smith, Marist senior guard Sydney Coffey, Quinnipiac University senior guard Gillian Abshire and senior forward Nikoline Ostergaard and Siena College freshman forward Margot Hetzke.
FIRST TEAM ALL-MAAC
|
Player
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Joy Adams, Iona#
|
Jr.
|
F
|
5-11
|
Orlando, Fla.
|
14.3
|
12.9 RPG
|
|
Damika Martinez, Iona#*
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-7
|
Meriden, Conn.
|
24.2
|
84.8 FT %
|
|
Madeline Blais, Marist
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Exeter, N.H.
|
16.2
|
92.2 FT%
|
|
Tori Jarosz, Marist*
|
Sr.
|
C
|
6-3
|
Courtlandt Manor, N.Y.
|
17.5
|
9.1 RPG
|
|
Samantha Guastella, Quinnipiac
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Red Bank, N.J.
|
13.0
|
42.3 3-PT FG %
|
SECOND TEAM ALL-MAAC
|
Player
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Kayla Hoohuli, Canisius
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-7
|
St. Mary’s, Pa.
|
13.1
|
43.8 3-PT FG%
|
|
Meghan McGuiness, Niagara
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-10
|
Lincroft, N.J.
|
12.6
|
43.1 3-PT FG%
|
|
Victoria Rampado, Niagara
|
So.
|
F
|
6-2
|
Niagara Falls, Ont.
|
12.9
|
6.1 RPG
|
|
Val Driscoll, Quinnipiac
|
Gr.
|
F
|
6-4
|
Stoughton, Mass.
|
13.2
|
8.0 RPG
|
|
Tehresa Coles, Siena
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-9
|
Loudonville, N.Y.
|
13.5
|
3.1 SPG
|
THIRD TEAM ALL-MAAC
|
Player
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
PPG
|
Other
|
|
Kristin Schatzlein, Fairfield
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Tolland, Conn.
|
11.8
|
33.7 3-PT FG%
|
|
Casey Smith, Fairfield
|
RSo.
|
F
|
6-2
|
Danbury, Conn.
|
12.2
|
45.3 FG%
|
|
Sydney Coffey, Marist
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Hopkins, Minn.
|
11.8
|
75.9 FT%
|
|
Gillian Abshire, Quinnipiac
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-9
|
Washington, D.C.
|
5.8
|
6.1 APG
|
|
Nikoline Ostergaard, Quinnipiac
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-0
|
Vedbaek, Den.
|
9.2
|
49.0 FG%
|
|
Margot Hetzke, Siena
|
Fr.
|
F
|
5-11
|
Penfield, N.Y.
|
13.8
|
7.3 RPG
|
# Repeat First Team All-MAAC choice
* Denotes Unanimous Selection
The 2014-15 season culminates with the MAAC Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. March 5-9. Tickets can be purchased here.
The MAAC will host the NCAA Women's Basketball Sweet Sixteen Albany Regional at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. Tickets can be purchased here.
For the full women’s basketball schedule, visits maacsports.com and remember to follow the conversation on twitter using #MAACHoops and #MAACHoops15.