Philadelphia, Pa. - Three East Coast Conference women's basketball standouts have been named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-East Region Team. Dina Ragab of NYIT and Madison Rowland of Queens earned a spot on the First Team, while Samantha Courtney of Roberts Wesleyan College was a Second Team selection.
Ragab, the ECC Player of the Year, helped NYIT to a program record 26 wins, an ECC Regular Season Championship, and a spot in the NCAA East Region Championship Game. In 35 games, Ragab poured in 16.8 points per game, good for third in the ECC. She also ranked in the top 10 in the conference with a 46.7 field goal percentage, 8.3 rebounds per game, 54 steals, and 45 blocks.
Rowland earns a spot on the First Team for the second straight season, after leading Queens to an ECC Championship for the second year in a row. Rowland led the ECC in scoring with 20.8 points per game and in steals per game with 4.4. She also pulled down 9.6 rebounds per contest and dished out 94 assists.
As First Team selections, both Ragab and Rowland now move on to the national ballot for D2CCA All-America consideration.
Courtney, the ECC Defensive Player of the Year, earns the first All-Region recognition of her career after being named to the ECC All-Conference First Team in addition to being named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Courtney was a force in the paint for the Redhawks, averaging a double-double of 16.1 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game to date (Roberts Wesleyan's season is not complete, with the Redhawks still competing in the NCCAA Championship). She also leads the conference with 85 blocks, moving her into the top-five in ECC history for blocks in a career.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
2015-16 Division II Conference Commissioners Association Women's Basketball All-East Region
First Team
Jen Gemma, Jr., Bentley (Milton, Mass.)
Dina Ragab, Sr., NYIT (Cairo, Egypt)
Madison Rowland, Jr., Queens (Albany, N.Y.)
Tianna Smith, Jr., Bloomfield (Spring Valley, N.Y.)
Bria Young, Sr., Philadelphia U. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Second Team
Tori Arnao, Sr., Philadelphia U. (Newtown, Pa.)
Jackie Beathea, Sr., Southern Connecticut St. (Annandale, Va.)
Briana Bradford, Sr., New Haven (Waterbury, Conn.)
Kara Charette, Sr., Franklin Pierce (Fairhaven, Mass.)
Samantha Courtney, Sr., Roberts Wesleyan (Marathon, N.Y.)
East Region Player of the Year: Jen Gemma, Bentley
