FIORE SELECTED TO ECAC UPSTATE SECOND TEAM
Utica, NY (3/29/12)- Junior Meghan Fiore of the Utica College women's basketball team was named to the ECAC Division III Upstate All-star Second-Team on Wednesday.
The Epping, NH native was a first team all-conference selection for the second consecutive season. She finished second in the conference in scoring (17.1 Avg/G) and field goal percentage (49.7%), while finishing third in rebounding (8.9 Avg/G). Fiore had nine 20+ point performances, six double-doubles, and had a career-high 35-point outing against Elmira on Feb. 11.
She also became just the 10th player in program history to record over 1,000 points in a career. This was the third time in as many years that a Pioneer has joined the 1,000-point club, as 2011 graduates Jessica Berry and Devon Croll also achieved the honor.
The Pioneers finished the season with an overall record of 10-15 and a 5-9 mark in conference play. They lose just two players to graduation and look to make in back to the conference tournament in 2012-13.
NEVINS NAMED EMPIRE 8 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR-FIORE-MCGEE-KARST MAKE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Empire 8 All-Conference Release
UTICA, NY (2/23/12) – Freshman point guard Aaron Nevins (Buffalo, N.Y.) and junior forward Jeff Ward (Ossining, N.Y.) of the Utica College men's basketball team garnered post-season recognition from the Empire 8 Conference on Thursday.
Nevins was named the Conference's Rookie of the Year after an outstanding first year, while Ward garnered all-conference honorable mention for the first time in his career. Senior swingman Reggie German (New Hartford, N.Y.) was named the College's representative on the Sportsman of the Year Team.
Nevins, a Buffalo, NY native, is the first player since All-American Ray Bryant '07 to earn one of the conference's two major post season awards (Rookie of the Year/Player of the Year).
Nevins, who was a three-time conference rookie of the week selection, started 24 of 25 games and poured in 224 points, good for an average of 9.0 per game. He also finished in the top-5 in three key Empire 8 statistical categories; assists, assists/turnover ratio, and steals. Nevins totaled a team-best 91 assists and just 61 turnovers on the year, amounting to a 1.5 ratio, all while averaging 1.3 steals per contest.
6-foot-7 junior forward Jeff Ward (Ossining, NY) earned honorable mention status after averaging 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. The big man brought down a sizeable number of rebounds this year, both offensively and defensively, with 207. Sixth in the Empire 8 in rebounding, Ward tore down more offensive rebounds than any other player in the E8 with 102, including 15 more than the conference's overall rebounding leader.
Ward made a presence in the paint for the Pioneers, effectively positioning himself as a dangerous outlet on offense, totaling 367 points. He finished the season only trailing seven others in the conference in total points scored, one of which was teammate Matt Baldwin. Ward also shot an impressive 59.7% from the floor, the third best percentage in the conference.
Senior swingman Reggie German (New Hartford, NY) was named to the 2012 Men's Basketball Sportsman of the Year Team, an honor received by one member of each E8 team who epitomizes "Competing with Honor and Integrity." These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
German brought down 134 rebounds, while averaging 11.1 points per contest in 25 games played this season.
The Pioneers wrapped up their 2011-12 season with an 8-15 overall record and a 4-8 mark in the E8. Utica will graduate three seniors including German, George Schultz (Ridgefield, NJ), and Marlon Davidson (Jamaica, NY).
Fiore, McGee & Karst Named to Empire 8 Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams
Empire 8 All-Conference Release
Utica, NY (2-23-12) – Seniors Katie McGee and Justine Karst, along with junior Meghan Fiore, of the Utica College women's basketball team, were named to the 2012 Empire 8 All-Conference Team on Thursday.
Fiore was named first team all-conference for the second consecutive season after wrapping up a stellar junior campaign. She finished second in the conference in scoring (17.1 Avg/G) and field goal percentage (49.7%), while closing out the year third in rebounding (8.9 Avg/G).
The Epping, NH native recorded nine 20+ point performances as well as six double-doubles and a career-high 35 point outing on Feb. 11. Fiore became the 10th player in program-history to record over 1,000 points in a career this past season. She was the third player in three years to join the 1,000 point club, following in the footsteps of 2011 graduates Jessica Berry and Devon Croll.
McGee is also making her second appearance on the all-conference team, as she earned honorable mention status. The Philadelphia, PA native wrapped up her collegiate career as the conference's leader in assists (4.9 Avg/G) and minutes (37 Avg/G).
She was also third in 3-point percentage (38.3%), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.9 ratio), fifth in free throw percentage (79%), eighth in steals (2.2 Avg/g), 12th in scoring (12.8 Avg/g) and 16th in rebounding (5.1 Avg/g). She concluded her four year tenure with 394 assists, good for third all-time in the College's record books. She is also fifth all-time in 3-pointers made (100) and sixth in free throws made (297).
Karst was selected as the College's repsresentative on the Sportswoman of the Year team for the third time in four years. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
She started in all 25 games this season averaging a career-best 5.8 points and 6.1 boards. In her career, she played in 106 total games as a Pioneer. A native of Olean, NY, Karst finished eighth in rebounding (6.4 Avg/G) and 12th in steals (1.5 Avg/G) in the Empire 8.
The Pioneers wrapped up their 2011-12 campaign with a 10-15 overall record, including a 5-9 mark in conference play.
