Central Islip, N.Y. - Queens senior Madison Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) has been named the East Coast Conference Player of the Year for the second time in her record-breaking career in a vote by the league's coaches. MacKenzie Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) makes it two ECC major awards for the Rowland family, earning the Defensive Player of the Year honor. NYIT freshman forward Margaret Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) wraps up the conference's major honors, taking home the Rookie of the Year award.
Rowland wrapped up her four years at Queens by earning the ECC's top honor. The four-time All-Conference First Team honoree also earned the award after her sophomore season in 2014-15. This season, Rowland leads the conference and ranks fifth in Division II by scoring 21.3 points per game on . She has been a double-double machine, ranking 10th in the country with 15 on the season after averaging 10.3 rebounds per game. She also stuffs the stat sheet with 3.1 assists per game, and 4.6 steals per game. Rowland's steals per game total is tops in the nation, putting her on pace to lead Division II for the fourth straight year. In addition, Rowland broke numerous milestones this season. Through the course of the year, she became Queens' all-time leading scores and the ECC's all-time leader in points, field goals made, and steals. She also became a member of the 2,000 point-1,000 rebound club and is believed to need only 11 assists during postseason play to become the first player in NCAA history across all three Divisions to compile 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, 400 steals, and 100 rebounds in a career.*
(* - Some NCAA records are incomplete. Women's basketball legend Cheryl Miller accomplished the feat during her career at the University of Southern California prior to the NCAA adopting steals and blocks as official statistics.)
MacKenzie Rowland was a force in the paint for the Knights. Heading in to the conference tournament, she leads the ECC with 204 defensive rebounds and 10.8 rebounds per game, which is also good for 16th in the country. Rowland also ranked third in the conference with 1.9 blocks per game and sixth with 1.7 steals per game. Like her sister, Rowland will also have her name in the ECC record book as she currently is seventh in rebounds and fourth in blocked shots for a career in conference history.
Knollmeyer had an impressive debut season for the Bears. A five-time recipient of the conference's Rookie of the Week honor. Knollmeyer averaged a double-double of 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She has compiled 15 double-doubles on the year, good for 10th in all of Division II. Knollmeyer's rebounding total was good for third in the conference and she also finished sixth with a 48.9 field goal percentage, as well.
Bet Naumovski of Queens has been tabbed Coach of the Year by her peers after leading Queens to their first ECC Regular Season Championship since 2009. The Knights have won a school-record tying 24 games and risen to the No. 1 spot in the NCAA East Region poll under her guidance. Queens has also been ranked nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 poll, climbing as high as No. 10.
The ECC also announces the Women's Basketball All-Conference teams. First Team members include: Jenna Erickson (Jr., G, St. Thomas Aquinas), MacKenzie Rowland (R-Sr., F/C, Queens), Madison Rowland (Sr., G/F, Queens), Sarah Saba (Jr., G, Daemen), Kamala Thompson (Gr., G, Molloy), and Nina Vukosavljevic (Jr., G, NYIT)
The ECC All-Conference Second Team members are: Brooke Fields (Jr., G, Roberts Wesleyan), Aliyah McDonald (Sr., G, Molloy), Leah McDonell (Sr., G, Daemen), Camera Miley (Sr., G, Bridgeport), and Mikaiya Moore (Fr., F, LIU Post).
ECC Third Team selections are Shanice Allen (Sr., G, NYIT), Taya Andrews (Fr., G, Roberts Wesleyan), Adiya Henderson (Jr., F, St. Thomas Aquinas), Margaret Knollmeyer (Fr., F, Hampton, N.H.), Shantrel Oliver (Sr., G, Dist. Columbia) and Samnell Vonleh (So., C, Bridgeport).
2016-2017 ECC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Jenna Erickson, St. Thomas Aquinas (Jr., G, Melrose, N.Y.)
MacKenzie Rowland, Queens (R-Sr., F/C, Albany, N.Y.)
Madison Rowland, Queens (Sr., G/F, Albany, N.Y.)
Sarah Saba, Daemen (Jr., G, Lancaster, N.Y.)
Kamala Thompson, Molloy (Gr., G, Selden, N.Y.)
Nina Vukosavljevic, NYIT (Jr., G, Belgrade, Serbia)
Second Team
Brooke Fields, Roberts Wesleyan (Jr., G, Owings Mills, Md.)
Aliyah McDonald, Molloy (Sr., G, Hempstead, N.Y.)
Leah McDonnell, Daemen (Sr., G, North Tonawanda, N.Y.)
Camera Miley, Bridgeport (Sr., G, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Mikaiya Moore, LIU Post (Fr., F, Amityville, N.Y.)
Third Team *
Shanice Allen, NYIT (Sr., G, Riverhead, N.Y.)
Taya Andrews, Roberts Wesleyan (Fr., G, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Adiya Henderson, St. Thomas Aquinas (Jr., F, Troy, N.Y.)
Margaret Knollmeyer, NYIT (Fr., F, Hampton, N.H.)
Shantrel Oliver, Dist. Columbia (Sr., G, Columbia, Md.)
Samnell Vonleh, Bridgeport (So., C, Swampscott, Mass.)
* - Six players on the Third Team due to a tie in the voting
Player of the Year: Madison Rowland, Queens
Defensive Player of the Year: MacKenzie Rowland, Queens
Rookie of the Year: Margaret Knollmeyer, NYIT
Coach of the Year: Bet Naumovski, Queens
