West Babylon, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams were released on Friday evening with LIU Post graduate forward Sasha Patterson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) headlining the selections as the league's Player of the Year. Bridgeport's Samnell Vonleh (Swampscott, Mass.) and Daemen's Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) also earn top billing as the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.
Patterson closes out her career with the league's top honor after being a double-double machine. On the season she averaged a double-double of 15.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game after compiling an ECC-leading 16 double-doubles on the year. Her double-double total also ranks 16th in all of Division II. In addition, Patterson's name is littered throughout the conference leader board. She leads the league in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game (5.0), and field goal percentage (56.2), while coming in at No. 3 in points per game. Her name can be found among Division II leaders as well, as she ranks third in the country in offensive rebounds per game and 20th in field goal percentage.
Vonleh was a force in the paint to earn the Defensive Player of the Year award. She pulled down 9.2 rebounds per game, good for third in the league. She was also the league's top shot blocker, swatting away an ECC-high 72 on the season. Vonleh's 2.57 blocks per game mark led the ECC and comes in at No. 20 in all of Division II.
After a slow start to the season, Titus emerged as one of the top players in the conference to propel Daemen to its best season since entering the ECC and also earn her the league's Rookie of the Year award. On the year, Titus compiled marks of 12.4 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 1.3 blocks per game a 44.3 field goal percentage, and a 35.6 three point field goal percentage, each of which ranked in the top-12 in the ECC. As the schedule turned to conference play, Titus' and Daemen's season turned the corner as she improved all those marks to 15.6 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 1.5 blocks per game, a 47.6 field goal percentage, and a 38.5 three point field goal percentage. She ranked in the top-five in the conference in all but one of those categories during ECC play.
Kim Lusk was selected as the Coach of the Year by her peers after guiding the Spartans to their first ECC Regular Season Championship since 2011. Despite losing the ECC's reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year to graduation, Lusk has guided the Spartans to a 26-3 record and a nearly unblemished 17-1 mark during ECC play. Lusk also has St. Thomas Aquinas ranked No. 5 in the NCAA East Region Rankings, bringing the Spartans on the cusp of another NCAA Tournament appearance.
The ECC also announced the Women's Basketball All-Conference teams. First Team members include: Meg Knollmeyer (So., F, NYIT), Emily Miller (Jr., F, Roberts Wesleyan), Sasha Patterson (Gr., F, LIU Post), Emily Preston (So., F, St. Thomas Aquinas), Katie Titus (Fr., F, Daemen), and Samnell Vonleh (Sr., C, Bridgeport).
The ECC All-Conference Second Team members are: Ruth Adams (Jr., G, St. Thomas Aquinas), Amber Brown (So., F, Mercy), Tiara Filbert (So., G, Daemen), Shalie Frierson (So., G, NYIT), and Ihnacinse Grady (Sr., G, Molloy).
ECC Third Team selections are: Erin Egan (Sr., F, Daemen), Taylah Hudson (Jr., G, LIU Post), Mia-Alexis Lloyd (Sr., G, Dist. Columbia), Kaitlyn Mahon (Sr., G, Queens), and Natasha Roy (Sr., G, Dist. Columbia).
2018-2019 ECC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Meg Knollmeyer, NYIT
Emily Miller, Roberts Wesleyan
Sasha Patterson, LIU Post
Emily Preston, St. Thomas Aquinas
Katie Titus, Daemen
Samnell Vonleh, Bridgeport
Second Team
Ruth Adams, St. Thomas Aquinas
Amber Brown, Mercy
Tiara Filbert, Daemen
Shalie Frierson, NYIT
Ihnacinse Grady, Molloy
Third Team
Erin Egan, Daemen
Taylah Hudson, LIU Post
Mia-Alexis Lloyd, Dist. Columbia
Kaitlyn Mahon, Queens
Natasha Roy, Dist. Columbia
Player of the Year: Sasha Patterson, LIU Post
Defensive Player of the Year: Samnell Vonleh, Bridgeport
Rookie of the Year: Katie Titus, Daemen
Coach of the Year: Kim Lusk, St. Thomas Aquinas
