Central Islip, N.Y. - C.W. Post senior guard
Janea Aiken and St. Thomas Aquinas junior forward Briana Sloper
have been selected as the 2010-2011 Women’s Basketball
Co-Players of the Year, as voted on by the league’s
coaches. St. Thomas Aquinas’ Bianca Kowgios was named
the ECC Defensive Player of the Year while Dowling’s Julia
Koppl has been tabbed the ECC Rookie of the Year for her
outstanding freshman campaign.
The defending ECC Player of the Year, Aiken has led the Pioneers in
scoring in 16 of their 24 games. Averaging 17.0 points per
game, she is fourth on the ECC charts in scoring and is ranked
sixth in assists (3.15) and ninth in steal (1.85). On
eight different occasions this season, Aiken has scored twenty-plus
points and has scored in the double-digits in 21 of 24 games this
season.
Four-time Player of the Week Sloper had an outstanding season in
leading the Lady Spartans to the ECC regular season championship.
Currently she ranks second in the conference in scoring with 17.7
points per game after scoring in double figures in all but two
games on the season. Sloper has also been a force on the glass,
grabbing 7.7 rebounds per game, good for sixth in the ECC.
The Golden Lions’ Koppl has been a standout for Dowling,
averaging 10.0 points per game this season. The seven-time
ECC Rookie of the Week scored in double figures 15 times, while
recording five double doubles on the year. Koppl also ranks sixth
in the conference in blocked shots and three pointers made.
Kowgios of St. Thomas Aquinas takes home the first ever ECC
Defensive Player of the Year honor. Kowgios, who usually marks the
opposing team’s best guard, ranks sixth in the conference in
steals at 2.29 per game.
Head Coach Kim Lusk of St. Thomas Aquinas has been selected the
2011 ECC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. Lusk led
her squad to a 21-7 regular season record with a 17-4 mark in
conference play to secure the No. 1 seed in the ECC Tournament.
Aiken and Sloper are joined by Cierra Baker (Jr., G/F, NYIT),
Amanda Bartlett (Jr., G, Queens), Kelly Keil (Sr., C, Bridgeport),
and Connie Simmons (So., G, Dowling) on the ECC All-Conference
First Team.
Second Team recipients include: Elinor Avny (Sr., G,
Bridgeport), Felicia Joyner (Jr., G, C.W. Post), Julia Koppl (Fr.,
F, Dowling), Bianca Kowgios (So., G, St. Thomas Aquinas), and Sarah
Schicher (Jr., F, Dowling).
The ECC All-Rookie Team is made up of Demitra Apergis (G, NYIT),
Riley Harrington (G, St. Thomas Aquinas), Caitlin Hopkins (C,
Queens), Julia Koppl (F, Dowling), and Kenyatta Sears (G, C.W.
Post).
2010-2011 ECC
Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Janea Aiken (Sr., G, C.W. Post)
Cierra Baker (Jr., G/F, NYIT)
Amanda Bartlett (Jr., G, Queens)
Kelly Keil (Sr., C, Bridgeport)
Connie Simmons (So., G, Dowling)
Briana Sloper (Jr., F, St. Thomas Aquinas)
Second Team
Elinor Avny (Sr., G, Bridgeport)
Felicia Joyner (Jr., G, C.W. Post)
Julia Koppl (Fr., F, Dowling)
Bianca Kowgios (So., G, St. Thomas Aquinas)
Sarah Schicher (Jr., F, Dowling)
All-Rookie Team
Demitra Apergis (G, NYIT)
Riley Harrington (G, St. Thomas Aquinas)
Caitlin Hopkins (C, Queens)
Julia Koppl (F, Dowling)
Kenyatta Sears (G, C.W. Post)
Co-Players of the Year: Janea Aiken (Jr., G, C.W.
Post) & Briana Sloper (Jr., F, St. Thomas Aquinas)
Rookie of the Year: Julia Koppl (F, Dowling)
Defensive Player of the Year: Bianca Kowgios (So.,
G, St. Thomas Aquinas)
Coach of the Year: Kim Lusk (St. Thomas
Aquinas)
