W&J S GIBSON AND HAYS SELECTED TO ECAC SOUTH ALL-STAR TEAM (4/3) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) and junior forward Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg C.C.) were selected to the ECAC Division III Women s Basketball South All-Star Team on Thursday. Hays, who was also a D3hoops.com First Team All-Great Lakes Region honoree, earned firstteam ECAC All-Star honors, while Gibson, who was a Second Team D3hoops.com selection, received second-team ECAC All-Star laurels. The 2008/09 Presidents (24-5) finished the year with the most victories in school history, while Hays and the senior class ended their careers as the most successful class in school history with 89 wins. The Presidents season came to a close on March 6th in Holland, Michigan after W&J was defeated by Hope College, 87-64, in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Women s Tournament. Hays-ECACHays {left} led the Presidents in points (15.9 ppg), blocks (20) and field goal percentage (.524, 173-of-330). The 6-foot-0 forward also shot 73 percent from the free throw line (115-of-157). She ranked 35th in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage. With 461 points during her senior year, Hays became the newest member of the 1,000 point club at W&J, and sits eighth alltime with 1,147 career points. The 2009 Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Year finished her career first in school history for career games played with 111. Hays also recorded a pair of regular-season tournament MVP honors during her senior season, garnering the honors at the 2008 W&J Holiday Inn Meadowlands Invitational in the opening week of the season and again claiming the award at the Ohio Wesleyan Hoops For Hope Bishop Women s Classic on December 30th in Delaware, Ohio. After being placed in the starting lineup during her sophomore season, Hays shot 51 percent (455-of-896) from the field during her four years and 61 percent (237-of-388) from the free throw stripe. Hays also amassed 537 rebounds and 57 blocks. Gibson ESPNGibson {left}, who also received first team All-PAC honors, was the team s leading rebounder with 299 boards and closed out the season averaging just shy of a doubledouble (9.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg). She finished the season as the team s second-best shooter at 51 percent (112-of-219) and also recorded 20 blocks. She ranked 51st in NCAA Division III in rebounds per game in a year in which she became just the third player in W&J history to amass 800 career boards. She currently is third all-time with 855 career rebounds and is on pace to become the first women s player in W&J history to eclipse both the 1,000 career point and 1,000 career rebound marks.
In three season at W&J, Gibson has scored 859 points, shooting 56 percent (336-of-601) from the field and 57 percent (187-of-328) from the free throw line. She has also dished out 141 assists and blocked 41 shots in 88 career games with the Presidents. LeighAnn Burke (DeSales), Megan Kopecki (Scranton), Lauren Boyle (Muhlenberg) and Kathryn Stockbower (Swarthmore) rounded out the ECAC First Team All-Stars. Burke was also named the ECAC South Player of the Year. Kim Vennera (Delaware Valley), Claudia McDowell (Juniata), Kristen Camuso (Centenary) and Kim Ratick (DeSales) joined Gibson on the second team. Muhlenberg guard Alexandra Chili was named the ECAC Division III South Rookie of the Year. #15 Emily HaysW&J WOMEN S HOOPS DUO SELECTED TO ALL-REGION TEAM (3/18) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) {right} and junior forward Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) {below} have been selected to the D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region Team. Hays was a first-team choice, while Gibson landed on the second team. Hays becomes the first President on the all-region first team since Leigh Sulkowski in 2006. Hays capped her career by being named the Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She posted the fifth-highest, single-season scoring total (451 points) in W&J history and averaged 15.9 points per contest. She also ranked 35th in NCAA Division III by shooting 52.4 percent (173-of-330) from the floor. Hays, who finished eighth all-time at W&J in career scoring with 1,147 points, also averaged 6.3 rebounds during her senior season. She owns the school record for career games played (111) and was a career 51 percent field goal shooter (455-of-896). Hays also collected 537 rebounds, 80 steals, 70 assists and 57 blocks. She helped guide her teams to a pair of NCAA Division III Tournament appearances and the 2007-08 Presidents claimed the ECAC Division III South Tournament championship. #33 M. GibsonGibson continued her rise as one of the nation s top rebounders. She nearly averaged a double-double for the season with 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She ranked 44th in the nation in rebounding and her 299 boards were the third-highest total in school history. Gibson is on pace to become the first women s player in Washington & Jefferson history to amass 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. In 88 career games, she has totaled 859 points and 855 rebounds, while adding 141 assists, 98 steals and 41 blocks. Gibson can pass Heather Dawkins for the career rebounding record with 88 next season.
The PAC had five selections on the three regional teams. Thomas More s Jayme Thiem and Nicole Dickman joined Hays on the first team, while Grove City s Christine Slater earned thirdteam accolades. 2009 PAC Coach of the Year Sarah Harris was also chosen as the Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. W&J (24-5) concluded another record-breaking year with a program-best 24 victories. The Presidents finished as the PAC regular-season and tournament runner-up and dropped an 87-64 decision at Hope (Mich.) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Hope s season ended in the NCAA quarterfinals. #33 Gibson, MaggieW&J S MAGGIE GIBSON NAMED YWCA SPORTSWOMAN OF YEAR (3/6) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College junior women s basketball standout Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg C.C.) has been selected as the 2009 YWCA of Westmoreland County Sportswoman of the Year. Gibson will receive her award on Tuesday, March 31st at the YWCA Awards Banquet at the Four Points Sheraton in Greensburg. The YWCA Sportswomen of the Year Award recognizes a female athlete based on athletic achievements. Award winners exemplify the highest standards of sportsmanship and ethical conduct, and have made a significant contribution to the sport. Among considerations for the award are athletic accomplishments, promotion of their sport, and providing opportunities for women to increase their abilities in the sport. Demonstrated leadership qualities and community service activities are also considered. The award, which is designed for women at least 18 years of age or a high school graduate, is chosen by The Westmoreland Sportswomen of the Year Awards Selection Committee which consists of a cross-section of community members representing the education, business, civic and media sectors. Gibson has led Washington & Jefferson College to its most victories in school history with a 24-4 record. She helped W&J earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The 24th-ranked Presidents open postseason play tonight (Friday) when taking on second-ranked Hope in Holland, Mich., at 7:30 pm. Gibson was a First Team All-Presidents Athletic Conference honoree for the second consecutive season. As a freshman, the 6-foot-1 forward earned second-team, all-conference accolades. She is the only player in the conference to average a double-double with 10.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Gibson is shooting 51 percent from the field (110-of-214) and has added 47
assists, 31 steals and 19 blocks. She has eight double-doubles in 2008-09 and 27 throughout her career. In 87 career contests, Gibson has scored 855 points (9.8 ppg) and grabbed 852 rebounds (9.8 rpg). She is a career 56 percent field goal shooter and is already third in the W&J record books for career rebounds. She can become the all-time rebound leader with 91 more. Gibson can also become the 12th player in school history to score 1,000 points with 145. If she collects four rebounds in the NCAA Tournament, Gibson will become just the third player in school history to amass 300 for one season. Gibson also excels in the classroom with a 3.61 grade-point average as a business administration major. She is a two-time ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selection. 2009 NCAA Women's BasketballW&J TO BATTLE HOPE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT (3/2) Complete Bracket WASHINGTON, Pa. The 24th-ranked Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team will travel to Hope for the first round of the NCAA Division III Women s Basketball Tournament on Friday evening at DeVos Fieldhouse. The Presidents will face the second-ranked Hope College Flying Dutch at 7:30 pm. Hope (25-1), located in Holland, Mich., enters the tournament as the champions of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Flying Dutch were the No. 1 ranked team in the Great Lakes Region in the latest regional rankings and have won 17 consecutive games. Hope posted a 15-1 record in MIAA play and notched victories over Olivet (74-57), Albion (79-52) and Saint Mary s (77-47) in the MIAA Tournament this past weekend. The lone Flying Dutch loss occurred on January 3rd as Saint Mary s earned a 91-84 victory. The Flying Dutch have been led all season by 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Carrie Snikkers, who is averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while 6-foot-2 senior center Courtney Knox is also a force in the paint for Hope, averaging 9.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Presidents (24-4), who are making their sixth-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, dropped the Presidents Athletic Conference Championship contest on Saturday after falling to top-seeded Thomas More, 59-49, in the title game. W&J is led by senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman), who earned the 2009 Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Year award on Friday night. Hays is the team s leading scorer as she averages 15.9 points per contest.
Baldwin-Wallace (21-7) will play Pitt-Greensburg (24-2) in the other first round game at Hope on Friday evening at 5:15 pm. Baldwin-Wallace is making its 11th NCAA appearance in the last 14 years, while Pitt-Greensburg is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance. Baldwin- Wallace has advanced to the Elite 8 of the tournament three times with its most recent trip coming in the 2006 season. Friday s first-round winners will meet on Saturday evening for the second round contest (7:00 pm). W&J and Hope met in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament in Washington, Pa. The Flying Dutch entered that game with a perfect 29-0 record and defeated the Presidents by a 71-60 margin at the Henry Memorial Center. W&J earned a first-round bye that season and owned a 23-1 record prior to the contest. Hays vs. Bethany W&J S HAYS NAMED PAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR (3/2) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) {right} was named the 2009 Presidents Athletic Conference Women s Basketball Player of the Year, while juniors Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg C.C.) and Kennan Killeen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) were also recognized as All-PAC performers. Hays is currently averaging 15.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. She was also named the PAC Player of the Week in the opening week of the season after being named as the MVP of the W&J Holiday Inn Meadowlands Invitational. She was also the MVP of the Ohio Wesleyan Hoops for Hope Bishop Women s Basketball Classic on December 30th. Hays collected 15 points and nine rebounds in W&J s 78-62 PAC semifinal victory over Bethany on Friday evening and 14 points and seven rebounds in the Presidents 59-49 loss against topseeded Thomas More in the PAC Championship contest on Saturday afternoon in the Connor Convocation Center. Hays, who was a three-year starter for the Presidents, has played in a school-best 110 games, making 77 starts. She has scored 1,132 points for the Red & Black and sits in eighth place on the all-time scoring list. On top of her numerous individual accomplishments at W&J, Hays and her two fellow senior teammates, Lindsey Hyre (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and Veronica Kust (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview), continue to leave their mark on the women s basketball program at W&J. With 88 total wins, the trio has amassed more wins than any other class to come through the program. She was also instrumental in helping the 2008-09 Presidents cement their spot in the school record book as the most successful team in school history with 24 wins to date. Hays was also a
key member of the 2007-08 squad who previously held the top spot in the wins column after finishing the season with an overall record of 23-7 and an ECAC South Division Championship. Gibson earned first-team laurels after finishing the regular-season as the lone player in the PAC to average a double-double throughout the entire campaign. She averaged 10.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Gibson, who was twice named as the PAC Player of the Week, currently has a team-high eight double-doubles. After pulling down eight rebounds in the Presidents 75-68 victory over Saint Vincent on February 14th, Gibson became just the third player in W&J history to collect 800 career rebounds. In three seasons at W&J, she has scored 855 points and pulled down 852 total rebounds. She is a career 56 percent shooter, connecting on 334 of 596 field goal attempts. Her 852 rebounds currently rank third on the all-time rebounding list at W&J and has her on pace to become the all-time leading rebounder in school history at some point during her senior campaign. Killeen garnered second-team honors, posting 10.1 points and 4.0 assists per game for the Presidents. She scored a season-high 21 points in the Presidents PAC semifinal victory against Bethany and dished out a season-best 12 assists in W&J s 75-68 victory against Saint Vincent on February 14th. She has started in 83 of 84 career games for the Red & Black, scoring 839 total points and dishing out 340 assists. She averages 10.0 points and 4.0 assists per contest in her first three years at W&J. The 21st-ranked Presidents currently hold an overall record of 24-4 and finished conference play with mark of 12-2 in the PAC. W&J reached as high as 18th in the poll on February 10th after defeating Westminster (60-41) and Thiel (71-41). The Red & Black also received national recognition in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll, reaching as high as 22nd in the final poll of the season released on February 25th. W&J received an at-large bid into the 2009 NCAA Tournament and travels to Hope on Friday evening to take on the Flying Dutch. Hope, who was ranked third nationally this past week, improved its record to 25-1 after defeating Saint Mary s 77-47 in the Championship contest of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association s Women s Tournament. The Presidents will make their first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since the 2005-06 season when they dropped an opening round contest against Medaille at Rochester. W&J GAINS ONE SPOT IN USA TODAY/ESPN TOP 25 POLL (2/25) WASHINGTON, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team elevated one position and now ranks 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll released on February 24th. W&J remains 21st in the other Division III poll tabulated by D3Hoops.com.
The USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll is voted on by a board made up of 11 head coaches at NCAA Division III institutions The NCAA women s basketball committee also released the third 2009 regional poll on Wednesday afternoon. The Presidents currently sit fourth in the Great Lakes Region, while Hope, PAC-rival Thomas More and DePauw round out the top four. Transylvania and Capital hold down the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. The Presidents defeated Westminster, 70-57, on Tuesday evening in the opening round of the Presidents Athletic Conference Tournament. The Presidents travel to Crestview Hills, Ky., on Friday evening to take on the third-seeded Bethany Bison at 6:00 pm at Thomas More s Connor Convocation Center. The top-seeded Saints, who rank ninth in the USA Today/ESPN poll, will take on the fifth-seed Thiel Tomcats in the other semifinal contest. The winner of the two semifinal contests will meet at 2:00 pm on Saturday afternoon in the Connor Convocation Center for the 2009 PAC Championship. The winner of the championship game receives an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division III Women s Tournament. W&J S GIBSON NAMED PAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (2/23)Gibson vs. Westminster WASHINGTON, Pa. For the second time this season, Washington & Jefferson College junior forward Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg C.C.) {right} has been named the Presidents Athletic Conference Women s Basketball Player of the Week by the conference office. Gibson helped lead the 21st-ranked W&J women (22-3, 12-2 PAC) to back-to-back Presidents Athletic Conference wins over rivals last week, Waynesburg (51-37) and Bethany (93-77). She scored 28 combined points in the two games, including 17 points and a team-high 16 rebounds during Saturday s 16-point victory against Bethany. Gibson added 11 points and 11 rebounds against Waynesburg. She ended the regular season with a team-best eight doubledoubles. Gibson concluded the regular season as the only player in the PAC to average a double-double, finishing with 10.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Gibson has scored 832 career points, while shooting 56 percent from the field in 84 games. She has also pulled down 823 rebounds and blocked 38 shots for the Red & Black. She is now just two boards shy of third place on the career rebounds list at W&J and with 24 more boards can become only the third player in W&J history to pull down 300 rebounds in a season.
W&J will open the 2009 PAC Tournament at home on Tuesday evening as the No. 2 seed, hosting the seventh-seeded Westminster Lady Titans at 6:00 pm in the Henry Memorial Center. W&J FALLS THREE SPOTS, RANKS 21ST IN D3HOOPS.COM POLL (2/17)W&J Presidents Basketball WASHINGTON, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team dropped three spots from No. 18 to No. 21 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 weekly poll. In addition, W&J was dropped one spot in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll and is now ranked 23rd. The Presidents slipped in the rankings after splitting a pair of Presidents Athletic Conference matchups last week, falling at Thomas More (56-45) and defeating Saint Vincent (75-68). The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country. W&J (20-3, 10-2 PAC) will be the No. 2 seed for next week s PAC Tournament and will host the seventh-seeded squad on Tuesday at 6:00 pm in a PAC Quarterfinal contest. Thomas More (21-2, 12-1 PAC) has secured the No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament and will open with the No. 8 seed Tuesday night. The highest remaining seed will host the PAC Final Four Friday and Saturday. The Presidents will conclude their regular season schedule this week, hosting a pair of PAC rivals at the Henry Memorial Center. W&J will entertain Waynesburg on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm and Bethany on Saturday at 2:00 pm on Senior Day. W&J EARNS NO. 3 SPOT IN FIRST NCAA WOMEN S BASKETBALL REGIONAL RANKINGS (2/11) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team is ranked third in the first Great Lakes Region poll of the 2008-2009 season which was released Wednesday by the NCAA Division III regional ranking committee. The Presidents (19-2, 10-1 PAC), who have won 16 of their past 17 games, trail DePauw (19-3) and Hope (18-1) in the regional poll. W&J s Wednesday night opponent, Thomas More (19-2), is fourth in the regional poll followed by Capital (15-4) and Baldwin-Wallace (16-5).
Washington & Jefferson enters the Great Lakes Region poll for the first time since the 2004-2005 season. The 2002-2003 Presidents reached the top spot during that year s regional rankings. York (Pa.) is the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, while Illinois Wesleyan is on top in the Central Region. Rochester (East), Messiah (Mid-Atlantic), Amherst (Northeast), Oglethorpe (South) and George Fox (West) are the No. 1 teams in the remaining NCAA recognized regions. W&J is ranked 18th nationally in the D3hoops.com Top 25 national poll and 22nd by the WBCA s USA Today/ESPN poll. W&J and Thomas More are set to tip off this evening at 5:30 pm in Crestview Hills, Ky. The Presidents won the first matchup between the two schools in Washington, Pa., by a 68-62 margin on Jan. 10th. Jamie McKitrickW&J MOVES TO 18TH IN D3HOOPS.COM POLL (2/10) WASHINGTON, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team has moved up three spots to No. 18 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 weekly poll. In addition, W&J returned to the USA Today/ESPN Division III Top 25 as the poll's No. 22 squad. The Presidents elevated in the rankings after dismantling a pair of Presidents Athletic Conference members last week: Westminster (60-41) and Thiel (71-41). The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country. W&J (19-2, 10-1 PAC) trails league-leading and 11th-ranked Thomas More (19-2, 11-1 PAC) by a half a game in the PAC women s standings. TMC is listed 13th by the USA Today/ESPN Division III Top 25 poll. The two squads are set to meet in Crestview Hills, Ky., Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm. The winner of the contest will take a big step in becoming the PAC regular-season champion and the No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament. Gibson vs. TMCW&J PLACES TWO ON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM (2/5) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson College juniors Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) {left} and Kennan Killeen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon)
{below} were named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District College Division Women s Basketball Team on Thursday afternoon. Gibson, who was a third-team selection last season, earned second-team honors this year, while Killeen garnered third team-recognition. Gibson has established herself into one of the premiere post players in the nation, averaging 10.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. She is currently the only player in the Presidents Athletic Conference to average a double-double. In all, she has recorded six total double-doubles this season. Gibson, who holds a 3.61 GPA, currently ranks 28th in NCAA Division III in rebounding and has added 32 assists, 21 steals and 15 blocks for the red and black. She has started 77-of-79 games over the past three seasons, scoring 781 points and grabbing 782 rebounds. Gibson majors in business administration. Kennan vs. TMCHer 297 rebounds last season marked the third-highest, single-season total in school history. With 226 so far this season, Gibson should come close to surpassing that mark by season s end. Killeen, who carries a 3.48 GPA at W&J, is once again the floor leader for the 2008-09 Presidents. She is averaging 10.5 points and 3.7 assists per game and is an English major. She ranks second in the PAC in free throw shooting, hitting 86 percent (54-of-63) of her attempts. For her career, she has started in 75-of-76 games for the Presidents, compiling 764 points and dishing out 302 assists. She is also a career 88 percent shooter from the free throw line. The Presidents Athletic Conference had one other player honored on the squad. Bethany senior guard Kaitlyn McCormick received third team honors with a 3.86 GPA. Kust vs. TMCW&J RETURNS TO D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 (2/3) WASHINGTON, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team has retunred to the weekly D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, currently sitting 21st in the nation. After entering the poll for the first time on January 13, the Presidents dropped out of the Top 25 last week following a heart breaking 66-61 loss against Presidents Athletic Conference rival Bethany in West Virginia. The Presidents resurfaced in the poll after routing a pair of PAC foes last week: Geneva (84-47) and Grove City (83-56).
The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country. W&J (17-2, 8-1 PAC) trails league-leading Thomas More (17-2, 9-1 PAC) by a half a game in the PAC women s standings. The two squads are set to meet for a pivotal conference showdown on February 11 in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Presidents travel to PAC-member Westminster on Wednesday evening for a 6:00 pm tip-off from the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium #12 Vanessa RiveraW&J MOVES UP FIVE SPOTS IN D3HOOPS.COM POLL (1/20) WASHINGTON, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team jumped five positions and is now ranked 20th in the current D3hoops.com Top 25 weekly poll. In addition, W&J was listed as the No. 24 team in the USA Today ESPN DIII Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Presidents advanced in the rankings after defeating Saint Vincent (79-68) and Waynesburg (66-56) last week. The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. W&J (14-1, 6-0 PAC) remains in first place in the Presidents Athletic Conference women s standings, leading No. 14 Thomas More (13-2, 6-1 PAC) by a half a game. The Presidents travel to PAC-rival Bethany on Wednesday evening for a 6:00 pm tip-off. W&J CRACKS D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 POLL (1/13) WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College women s basketball team cracked the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll for the first time this season. The Presidents currently sit as the No. 25 team in the nation. The Presidents catapulted into the rankings following their 68-62 victory over then No. 9 Thomas More on Saturday afternoon at the Henry Memorial Center. Thomas More dropped down to the No. 16 slot in this week s poll, receiving 233 total points. Rochester, who received 19 first-place votes, is the nation s top ranked team for the fourth consecutive week.w&j 68, TMC 62 This is a great recognition for our program, both now and in the future, said fifth-year head coach Jina DeRubbo. It is great for our incoming recruits to see the heights that this program
has reached, but more importantly it exemplifies the time and effort that our current players have put in to get us to this point. The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. The 2005-06 Presidents were the last women s squad to crack the Top 25 poll, reaching as high as 21st in the rankings. W&J (12-1, 5-0 PAC) also sits atop the Presidents Athletic Conference women s basketball standings and has gained an early edge over Thomas More for the coveted No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament. The Presidents will host Saint Vincent on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm, but the game will not count towards their PAC record due to SVC s provisional standing in NCAA Division III. W&J SWEEPS PAC WEEKLY BASKETBALL AWARDS (1/12) WASHINGTON, Pa. Washington & Jefferson senior basketball players Josip Lucic-Jozak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and Veronica Kust (Oakmont, Pa./Riverview) were named the Presidents Athletic Conference Men s and Women s Basketball Players of the Week on Monday afternoon by the conference office. Lucic-Jozak led the Presidents (9-5, 2-2 PAC) to a pair of conference wins last week over Thiel (77-62) and Thomas More (91-67). He averaged 25.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 75 percent (18-of-25) from the field and 88 percent (14-of-16) from the free throw line. On Wednesday, Lucic-Jozak fired in a career-high 30 points. He followed that performance up with 20 points and eight rebounds Saturday, while becoming the 12th player in W&J history to score 1,200 career points. Kust also helped W&J (12-1, 5-0 PAC) to back-to-back PAC wins over the Tomcats (82-46) and ninth-ranked Thomas More (68-62). She set a career high with 13 points at Thiel and then equaled that mark with 13 more against the Saints on Saturday. Kust also excelled on the defensive end as she guarded two of the PAC s top scorers, Thiel s Amber Bodrick and TMC s Jayme Thiem, and held the duo to a combined 21 points on 7-of-27 shooting. On the season, Lucic-Jozak is fifth in the conference in scoring (14.5 ppg) and tied for second in rebounding (7.4 rpg). He is also the league s second-best field goal shooter at 58 percent (76-of- 131). The 6-foot-8 center has played in 91 career games for the Presidents and has dropped in 1,208 career points. He has also amassed 645 rebounds and 67 blocks. Lucic-Jozak shoots 57 percent (468-of-821) from the field and 70 percent (272-of-378) from the free throw line.
Kust is having her best season in a W&J uniform with an average of 6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals per contest. She is shooting 47 percent (14-of-30) from three-point range, including 5-of-6 accuracy from beyond the arc this past week. The 5-foot-9 guard has made 91 career appearances for Washington & Jefferson, including 70 starts. She has notched 362 points, 238 rebounds, 149 assists and 69 steals, while serving as the Presidents top perimeter defender. Both W&J squads return to the Henry Memorial Center on Wednesday for a PAC doubleheader with Saint Vincent. The women tip off at 6:00 pm with the men s contest following 25 minutes after. W&J S GIBSON NAMED PAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (1/5) WASHINGTON, Pa. Washington & Jefferson College junior forward Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg C.C.)was named the Presidents Athletic Conference Women s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday afternoon by the conference office. Gibson helped lead the W&J women (10-1, 3-0 PAC) to its second tournament championship of the season, winning the Ohio Wesleyan Hoops for Hope Classic in Delaware, Ohio. The Presidents defeated Northwestern (Ohio), 70-58, in the opening round and than beat OWU in the championship game, 62-50. Gibson along with teammates senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) and junior guard Kennan Killeen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) were named to the All-Tournament team. Hays received her second-straight MVP honor.#33 Gibson scored 22 combined points over the two-day, including a team-high 14 in the championship game. Gibson's 27 total rebounds set a tournament record, breaking the mark of 26 set by Caitlin Hubach of John Carroll during the 2005-06 season. The Presidents followed up their showing at OWU by opening up the new year with a 30-point PAC victory (79-49) over Westminster last Saturday. Gibson continued her fine play, scoring a game-high 20 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor. She also added six rebounds in the victory. For the season, she is one of only two players in the PAC to average a double-double, with 12.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Geneva s Michawn Rich (15.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg) is the other. Gibson has scored 709 career points, while shooting 56 percent (275-of-470) from the field in 70 games. She has also pulled down 677 rebounds and blocked 26 shots for the red and black. W&J will return to action on Wednesday evening when they travel to Greenville, Pa., for a 6:00 pm contest with the Tomcats of Thiel College.
W&J S HAYS AND VARACALLO NAMED PAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (11/25) WASHINGTON, Pa. Washington & Jefferson College senior forward Emily Hays (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) {left} and junior guard Albert Varacallo (Dubois, Pa./Dubois Central Catholic) were named the Presidents Athletic Conference Women s and Men s Basketball Players of the Week on Monday afternoon by the conference office. Hays led the W&J women (2-0) to the 2008 Holiday INN Meadowlands Classic championship, with wins over Kenyon (67-44) and Rowan (81-65). The senior forward was also awarded the tournament MVP. She led the Presidents over the two-day event with 38 combined points, including a career-high 23 in the opening round against Kenyon. Hays was also a threat on the boards for the Presidents as she pulled down 14 total rebounds. Hays has scored 724 points, while shooting 51 percent (298-of-593) from the field in 84 career games. She has also pulled down 368 rebounds and blocked 37 shots for the red and black. Throughout her career W&J has posted an overall record of 67-21, which includes a mark of 31-7 in Presidents Athletic Conference play. The W&J women return to action tonight, hosting Allegheny at 6:00 pm in the Henry Memorial Center. Varacallo helped W&J (3-1) win the 2008 Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic, defeating a pair of top 25 squads in No. 14 Randolph-Macon and No. 21 Wooster. The tournament championship was the first regular-season crown for the men s program in 14 years. The 6-foot-5 guard was named as the tournament s MVP after scoring 11 points against Wooster and adding 18 against Randolph-Macon. For the tournament, he shot 57 percent (12-of-21) from the floor and grabbed six total rebounds. For his career, he has appeared and started in 32 games for W&J, averaging 12.3 points per game. He has scored 394 career points, while shooting 41 percent (128-of-314) from the floor. Varacallo is a career 81 percent (90-of-111) free throw shooter, and a mark of 32 percent (49-of- 152) from three point range. Varacallo and the Presidents will look to extend their current win streak when they host Kenyon at the Henry Memorial Center tonight at 8:00 pm. 2008 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON SEASON PREVIEW
The 2008-2009 edition of the Washington and Jefferson women s basketball team will feature many of the same faces that helped the Presidents claim the 2008 ECAC Division III Southern Tournament Championship and tie a school-record for victories in a season after finishing 23-7 overall. The Presidents will be looking for bigger and better prizes this season, focusing much of their attention on winning the PAC Championship and getting back to the NCAA Tournament. W&J last qualified for NCAA play in the 2005-2006 season. I think the ECAC Championship definitely put us over the hump, said fifth year Head Coach Jina DeRubbo. The coaching staff reminds our players every day what it felt like ending the season with a victory. We enjoyed cutting the nets down and we hope to carry that momentum into this year. Last season proved to be a milestone year for DeRubbo as she recorded her 200th career victory on December 8th versus Grove City. Her career record to date stands at 217-85 (.719), which ranks her 29th amongst active NCAA Division III coaches and 33rd all-time based on winning percentage. We have been fortunate to have good players every year I ve been here, she added. We run a team-oriented program. However, until we do something on a national level, these numbers really don t mean too much to me. We need to get back that PAC trophy and find success in the NCAA Tournament. First team All-PAC selection forward Maggie Gibson and second-team honoree point guard Kennan Killeen return to the starting lineup for their junior season. Gibson posted 297 rebounds last season, which ranks her third all-time in W&J s record books, and added a team-high 11.6 points per contest. She led the conference in field goal percentage (.621) and was the secondleading rebounder (9.9 rpg). Gibson was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District College Division Women s Basketball Team as a third-team choice. Killeen, last year s ECAC Tournament MVP, assumes the quarterback role in the Presidents offense, as she has become one of the most reliable point guards not only in the conference, but the entire nation. She led the conference in assists with 104 and free throw percentage (.903), which also ranked fifth in NCAA Division III. Kennan has been fantastic early on, noted DeRubbo. She is coming off a foot injury, but after last year s postseason, she is playing with great confidence. She is our leader. Maggie has made huge strides since her freshman year. She works incredibly hard and if she improves her consistency on offense, she is going to be a fabulous player. Senior Emily Hays will again be counted on to be a mainstay in the Presidents frontcourt, which finished last season ranked 11th in the country in rebounding average (+10.5). Hays averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest, while ranking 11th in the PAC in scoring with 332 points.
Senior guards Lindsey Hyre and Veronica Kust will provide veteran leadership both on and off the court for this year s squad. Kust is a two-year starter, who will again look to secure a spot in the starting five for the Presidents after starting all 30 games a year ago. Last year, she averaged 4.2 points and 1.9 assists per game. Hyre has been a key reserve guard off the bench throughout her career and will continue to contribute in a similar fashion this season. She averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 assists per game last season. The seniors have made three-straight postseason appearances, including the Presidents last NCAA appearance in 2006. These seniors know what it takes to win a PAC Championship and we expect them to step up and lead us every day, said DeRubbo. We need them to be mentally tough. They know they have great players surrounding them so they don t have to carry the load on a nightly basis, but we need them to be steady." Junior guard Stephanie Smith returns as the squad s leading threat from beyond the arc, as she ranked third in the PAC in three point percentage (.379). Smith tied a school record in the first round of last season s ECAC tournament against Moravian, knocking down eight three-point field goals. Junior forwards Kayla Curtiss and Ada Hennigan have also shown improvement and will add to the Presidents depth. DeRubbo will also look to sophomores guard Catlyn Kriston and forwards Jamie McKitrick and Alyssa Young to provide key minutes. DeRubbo has put together a solid recruiting class to surround the already established nucleus of returning veterans. The class is highlighted by a pair of guards, Blair Cotton (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Vanessa Rivera (Reading, Pa.), and also includes swing player Kayla Strimel (Morgantown, W.Va.). One strength that I have noticed early on is how many good players we will have coming off the bench, added DeRubbo. Our main area of focus right now is becoming better defenders. We have the potential to put a lot of points on the scoreboard, but our defense must get better to become a great team. Washington & Jefferson has won 20 or more games for six consecutive seasons. The program is as strong as it s ever been, but two-straight years without a PAC title and the continuing quest of the school s elusive first NCAA Tournament victory is what motivates this year s roster. We definitely have a competitive non-conference schedule with games against perennial regional powers Baldwin-Wallace, Otterbein and Case Western Reserve, she concluded. It s important for our players to be challenged early in the season. Hopefully, we can win a few of those games early on to give us confidence heading into the conference portion of our schedule. We have the experience and talent. We just need to work hard and play with confidence.
Presidents' Athletic ConferenceW&J WOMEN CHOSEN SECOND IN ANNUAL PAC PRESEASON POLL (10/23) PITTSBURGH, Pa. The Washington & Jefferson College men s basketball team was predicted to win the Presidents Athletic Conference Championship according to the preseason poll which was released on Thursday at the 2008-09 PAC Basketball Media Day held at the Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. The W&J women were selected second in the preseason poll behind defending PAC champion Thomas More. Voters in the poll included head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media present at the league s media day. Six of the seven men s teams received at least one first-place vote in the poll led by W&J s 11. The Presidents, who have played in back-to-back PAC Tournament Championship Games, garnered 159 points in the poll to edge Bethany (153, seven first-place votes) for the top spot. Grove City received four first-place votes and 133 points to place third followed by Thomas More (120-one first-place vote), Thiel (96-4), Westminster (87-1) and Waynesburg (36). Bethany won last year s conference championship after defeating W&J, 90-76, on March 1st in West Virginia. The Bison finished with a 17-11 overall record, while the Presidents posted their second-straight 14-14 season. W&J is the preseason men s favorite for the first time in history. Third-year Head Coach Glenn Gutierrez will look to the senior frontcourt duo of Wahab Owolabi (Bronx, N.Y./Randolph Macon Academy) and Josip Lucic-Jozak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) to lead Washington & Jefferson this winter. Owolabi contributed 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season, while Lucic-Jozak averaged team-highs of 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. Lucic-Jozak enters his senior year with 1,005 career points. Thomas More accumulated 27 of a possible 31 first-place votes on the women s side and led the poll with 244 points. The Saints won their first 29 games last season before falling in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. W&J, last year s ECAC Division III Southern Tournament champions, earned 216 points and three first-place votes in the poll. Bethany (175) was selected third, while Westminster (151), Chatham (106), Grove City (94), Thiel (86-one first-place vote) and Waynesburg (44) rounded out the preseason predictions. Head Coach Jina DeRubbo returns all five starters from last year s squad which recorded a school-record tying 23 victories. Leading the way will be All-PAC juniors point guard Kennan Killeen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and forward Maggie Gibson (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic). Killeen averaged 9.4 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game a year ago, while Gibson pulled down 297 rebounds (3rd in W&J history) and scored a team-high 11.6 points per contest.
The W&J men open the season on Saturday, Nov. 15th, at the Stevens (N.J.) Tournament when taking on Manhattanville in the opening round at 5:00 pm. The Presidents women open a week later by hosting Kenyon (8:00 pm) in the first round of the Holiday Inn Classic at the Henry Memorial Center. Aliased Page: [Not Defined]