Central Islip, N.Y. - NYIT senior forward Dina Ragab (Cairo, Egypt) has been selected by the league's coaches as the 2015-16 East Coast Conference Player of the Year. Senior forward Samantha Courtney (Marathon, N.Y.) of Roberts Wesleyan has earned the Defensive Player of the Year honor and Bridgeport freshman guard Kadijah Dickson (Queens, N.Y.) of Bridgeport wraps up the conference's major honors, taking home the Rookie of the Year award.
Ragab, a three-time All-Conference First Team honoree and NYIT's all-time leading scorer and shot blocker, earns the first ECC major award with an outstanding final season at NYIT. She ranks among the conference leader board in numerous statistical categories, including fourth with 16.6 points per game. In addition she is also in the top five in the league with 193 field goals made, a 46.3 field goal percentage, 251 total rebounds, and 40 blocks. She also comes in at number six in the league with 49 steals.
Courtney was a force in the paint for the Redhawks. Heading in to the conference tournament, Courtney ranked fourth in the ECC with 11.0 rebounds per game. She also is among the national leaders in blocks. Her 72 total blocks and 2.5 blocks per game rank second in the ECC and her per game total is 13th nationally. Courtney contributed 23 steals on the season, as well.
Dickson, a five-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, was the top freshman scorer in the ECC, pouring in 12.8 points per game. A guard, Dickson stuffed the stat sheet with 7.1 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. She was also among the conference leaders, ranking seventh with 48 steals.
Anthony Crocitto of NYIT has been tabbed Coach of the Year by his peers. The Bears won a school-record 24 games under his guidance. Crocitto also guided NYIT to an 18-2 mark in conference play to earn the program's first-ever ECC Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the upcoming ECC Women's Basketball Championship.
The ECC also announces the Women's Basketball All-Conference teams. First Team members include: Courtney, Ragab, Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (Sr., G, Dist. Columbia), MacKenzie Rowland (Sr., C, Queens), Madison Rowland (Jr., G, Queens), and Sarah Saba (So., G, Daemen).
The ECC All-Conference Second Team members are: Shannon Duer (Jr., G/F, NYIT), Jenna Erickson (So., G, St. Thomas Aquinas), Brooke Fields (So., G, Roberts Wesleyan), Krstina Surlan (Sr., G, Dowling), and Nina Vukosavljevic (So., G, NYIT).
ECC Third Team selections are Deasia Goodson (Sr., F, Mercy), Kimani Jackson (Sr., G, Molloy), Ally Leftridge (Sr., F, Molloy), Kristen Korzevinski (Sr., G, Queens), and Iman Scott (Sr., F, Dist. Columbia).
2015-2016 ECC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore, Dist. Columbia (Sr., G, Newport News, Va.)
Samantha Courtney, Roberts Wesleyan (Sr., F, Marathon, N.Y.)
Dina Ragab, NYIT (Sr., F, Cairo, Egypt)
MacKenzie Rowland, Queens (Sr., C, Albany, N.Y.)
Madison Rowland, Queens (Sr., G, Albany, N.Y.)
Sarah Saba, Daemen (So., G, Lancaster, N.Y.)
Second Team
Shannon Duer, NYIT (Jr., G/F, Islip, N.Y.)
Jenna Erickson, St. Thomas Aquinas (So., G, Melrose, N.Y.)
Brooke Fields, Roberts Wesleyan (So., G, Owings Mills, Md.)
Krstina Surlan, Dowling (Sr., G, Novi Grad, Bosnia)
Nina Vukosavljevic, NYIT (So., G, Belgrade, Serbia)
Third Team
Deasia Goodson, Mercy (Sr., F, Freeport, N.Y.)
Kimani Jackson, Molloy (Sr., G, Dix Hills, N.Y.)
Ally Leftridge, Molloy (Sr., F, Melville, N.Y.)
Kristen Korzevinski, Queens (Sr., G, New Hyde Park, N.Y.)
Iman Scott, Dist. Columbia (Sr., F, Hagerstown, Md.)
Player of the Year: Dina Ragab, NYIT
Defensive Player of the Year: Samantha Courtney, Roberts Wesleyan
Rookie of the Year: Kadijah Dickson, Bridgeport
Coach of the Year: Anthony Crocitto, NYIT
