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Somerset, NJ - Four of the five Northeast Conference women’s basketball major individual awards are heading to the Keystone State and three belong to Saint Francis U.
SFU junior Jessica Kovatch, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer, became the first Red Flash recipient of the NEC Player of the Year award since 2011 and the sixth different woman in program history to earn the conference’s top individual athletic honor.
Red Flash graduate student Ace Harrison repeated as the NEC Defensive Player of the Year. The former Maryland transfer is one of six two-time winners in league history, a group that includes SFU alumna Tonjee Ward (2003, 2004).
Saint Francis U redshirt freshman Caitlyn Kroll captured the NEC Rookie of the Year award, an honor that Kovatch earned back in 2016. Kroll is the sixth woman in SFU history to secure the accolade.
Robert Morris head coach Charlie Buscaglia captured the Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year award for the second straight season. He is the first person to win the accolade in back-to-back seasons since former Sacred Heart coach Ed Swanson.
Mount St. Mary’s junior Juliette Lawless secured the Most Improved Player Award, an honor that was established during the 2015-16 season.
The four aforementioned student-athletes all earned a spots on one of the three All-NEC Teams that were unveiled, along with an All-Rookie squad, prior to Wednesday’s quarterfinal round contests.
Saint Francis U led the way with its players claiming three of the 15 all-NEC accolades. Robert Morris, LIU Brooklyn and St. Francis Brooklyn placed two athletes apiece on the all-league squads. Of the 15 women to garner all-NEC status, three are international student-athletes (2 Australia, 1 Canada).
Kovatch, who averaged more than 20.0 points per contest during her first two collegiate campaigns, has spent her junior season scoring at an unprecedented pace. Spearheading the top offensive attack on the circuit, the 5-foot-9 guard averages 24.0 points per contest and has already eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for her career. Heading into the NEC Tournament, she has 2,046 points to her credit and is fewer than 300 points shy of former WNBA draft pick Jess Zinobile’s career conference record (2,338). While she is working toward that mark, Kovatch will look to add to a NEC record that she already owns. In early February, the long-distance shooting extraordinaire surpassed former SFU star Alexa Hayward (300) for first place on the league’s all-time list for three-point field goals made. Kovatch, whose 4.03 three-pointers per game rank second on the NCAA Division I season leader board, has made 329 attempts from downtown since landing in Loretto.
Kovatch has hit the 30-point mark in eight games this season, including both meetings with defending NEC champion Robert Morris. The Garden State product started conference play on a tear this season. Beginning on January 2, the Nancy Lieberman Award finalist won at least a share of the NEC Player of the Week award for six straight weeks. She also earned the NEC’s top weekly honor on December 4 after pouring in 31 points at CAA member William & Mary. Kovatch, who was on the 2015-16 All-NEC Second Team after leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring that season, enjoys her second straight selection to the First Team.
Harrison competes for the NEC’s highest-scoring team, but her staple during her two years in Loretto has been defensive intensity. The 6-foot-2 forward possesses the length and athleticism to defend nearly every position on the floor. She started all 30 games in her second season with the Flash after transferring from Big Ten member Maryland. Harrison ranks second on the circuit in steals (2.7 spg) while her 34 blocked shots are tied for sixth most amongst NEC leaders. Harrison, who finished second in rebounding last year, continued to be a force on the glass by ranking sixth amongst conference leaders with 7.4 caroms per contest. At 11.3 points per outing, the two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year was the team’s third-leading scorer.
Kroll’s rookie campaign started one year late due to an injury, but it has turned out to be worth the wait. The multi-talented guard ranks amongst the conference top-10 leaders in scoring (13.7 ppg – 7th), assists (3.1 apg – 7th) and steals (1.7 spg – 10th). Kroll, who scored no fewer than 12 points in each of the season’s last five games, leads the NEC in free throw percentage (.822). The 5-foot-10 Ohio product is lone the rookie to hit the 30-point mark in a game this season. She poured in 30 points in only 21 minutes of floor time during a 101-71 triumph over LIU Brooklyn on January 8. She closed the regular season by snagging her sixth NEC Rookie of the Week award after shooting 54 percent from the field in wins over Mount St. Mary’s and Wagner.
Lawless, who made only one start as a sophomore, blossomed into a reliable floor general for Mount’s first-year head coach Maria Marchesano. The 5-foot-9 junior scored 11.2 points per contest while ranking amongst the top-10 league leaders in both assists and rebounds. Starting all 29 games, Lawless averaged 6.4 boards (9th in NEC) and 3.5 assists (5th) per outing. She eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time in her career with 21 in a win over Wagner on January 27. The Empire State product was a driving force behind Marchesano’s first win as Mount head coach, victimizing Patriot League member Loyola for 18 points and nine rebounds in the annual Maryland Catholic Clash on December 2. Lawless finished the season strong, scoring at least 12 points in four of her last five NEC games. As a sophomore, Lawless averaged 4.4 points and 1.9 rebounds while logging 17.0 minutes per appearance. Her shooting percentage went from .387 last season to a team-leading .457 this year.
Only the third person in NEC history to win back-to-back Coach of the Year awards, Buscaglia guided the Colonials to a second straight 20-win campaign during his second season at the helm.