University of Albany Women’s Basketball Falls To Texas A&M, 69-47, In First-Ever NCAA Tournament - UAlbany Sports 2012

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information College Station, Texas - Despite 14 points and nine rebounds from junior Ebone Henry, UAlbany fell to Texas A&M, 69-47, in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday evening at Reed Arena. In their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Great Danes outrebounded the defending National Champions, 48-33. UAlbany got on the board first with a basket by Julie Forster. Texas A&M responded, getting a conventional three-point play from Tyra White, but a layup by Henry kept the Great Danes on top. Adaora Elonu then recorded a steal on the Great Danes and hit a jumper in the paint to give the Aggies a 5-4 lead at the first media timeout. The teams exchanged baskets to alternate the lead again, before Texas A&M got two free throws from Adrienne Pratcher to extend the lead to 9-6. The two defensive-minded teams continued to battle through the first half, and a steal by Adrienne Jones and basket by Sarah Royals pulled UAlbany to within 15-13 with just over seven minutes left to play. A basket by Forster in the paint tied the game at 17-17 with just over five minutes on the clock. However, a basket by White and two free throws by Skylar Collins put the Aggies back on top by four. UAlbany's Tabatha Makopondo grabbed a rebound and hit a jumper, and Forster went 1-of-2 from the free throw line, cutting the lead to 20-21, but A&M got a 3-pointer by Kristi Bellock just before the shot clock expired to put the Aggies up by four at the four-minute media timeout. With just under two minutes left to play in the first, Henry hit back-to-back baskets, taking an assist from Cassandra Callaway to drain a long three from the right side of the arc, tying the game at 25-25 with 1:41 on the clock. However, White, who finished with 12 points in the half, hit a jumper and a 3-pointer, while Makopondo was only able to hit 1-of-2 free throws, as the team hit the locker rooms with Texas A&M on top, 30-26. A quick basket by the Aggies gave A&M a six-point lead to start the second half, but UAlbany got six straight points to tie the game back up at 32-all. Texas A&M fired back and forced the Great Danes into two turnovers, getting a layup by Elonu and a 3-pointer from the right corner from Carter to take a 37-32 lead and prompt UAlbany to take a time out. The Aggies continued on a 12-2 run, getting up by ten, 44-34, with just over 14 minutes left to play. Texas A&M continued to roll, as Alexia Standish nailed a 3-pointer to put the Aggies up by 13, 49-36. Henry and Forster both hit jump shots to try to spark a UAlbany rally, but Karla Gilbert sank a bucket to keep A&M on top. Standish nailed another long-range shot to put the Aggies up, 57-41, at the eight-minute media timeout. UAlbany refused to fold, and continued its relentless defense against the bigger, more experienced Aggies. A&M built up a 19-point lead, 64-45, on a fourth 3-pointer by Standish as the clock wound down under three minutes. The Aggies, who shot 46.6 percent (27-58) from the floor in the game, continued their hot shooting, and extended their lead out to 22 points before the final buzzer. White led the Aggies with 18 points, while Elonu and Standish totaled 13 and 12 points, respectively. Texas A&M (23-10), forced UAlbany into 24 turnovers and shot 58.3 percent (7-12) from 3-point range. Freshman Megan Craig totaled nine points and seven rebounds, while also recording all three of UAlbany's blocks in the game. Forster finished with eight points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. The Great Danes shot 31.7 percent (19-60) from the floor and recorded eight steals, led by Henry with three. Henry played all 40 minutes for UAlbany.

Newman's Own Awards UAlbany’s (R.A.C.E.) A $10,000 Grant For Their Community Partner, Big Brothers Big Sisters

NEWMAN’S OWN FOUNDATION UNVEILS CAMPUS COMMUNITY SERVICE CHALLENGE GRANT RECIPIENTS
Over $100,000 Awarded in Innovative Student-Engagement Initiative

Westport, Connecticut ─ Yesterday, during the America East Conference Basketball Championship, Newman’s Own Foundation unveiled the top grant recipients of its third-annual Campus Community Service Challenge.

Engineers Without Borders, in partnership with University at Maine, received the top grant of $25,000. Earth Day Southern Tier working with Binghamton University’s SUNY VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments) received $15,000. Two student group/non-profit partnerships tied for the third-place grant. Both Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, who partnered with University of Albany’s Reclassifying All Children Equally (R.A.C.E.), and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports who partnered with University of Vermont’s Adaptive Sports, will receive a $10,000 grant from Newman’s Own Foundation. In total, over $100,000 was awarded to nonprofits throughout the tournament.

The Newman’s Own Foundation Campus Community Service Challenge was developed to encourage the practice of philanthropy among younger generations, specifically on college campuses. One student group, chosen from each of the America East’s nine member universities, nominated and partnered with a local nonprofit for a Newman’s Own Foundation grant.

“A priority of the Foundation is to encourage the practice of philanthropy among as broad a population as possible,” said Bob Forrester, president of Newman’s Own Foundation. “These student volunteers represent the next generation of leadership. We are inspired by their work and proud to support them through the Campus Community Service Challenge.”

Grant recommendations were based on the student groups’ involvement with their chosen nonprofit, and the impact of the partnership on those served by the nonprofit as well as on the students themselves.

The Newman’s Own Foundation also presented “charity stripe shootouts” throughout the tournament. University students, selected from the crowd, played to win $1,000 for a local charity of choice. In total, $7,000 was awarded to nonprofits per the recommendations of these students.

To learn more about the challenge and the nine student group/non-profit partnerships, please visit http://newmansownfoundation.org/competition/.

Newman’s Own Foundation (www.newmansownfoundation.org)

Paul Newman was committed to helping make the world a better place. To carry on his philanthropic legacy, Newman’s Own Foundation turns all net royalties and profits from the sale of Newman’s Own products into charitable donations. To date, Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation have given over $340 million to thousands of charities around the world.

About America East (www.americaeast.com)

Since its beginning as a men’s basketball conference in 1979, America East has evolved into one of the most comprehensive NCAA Division I conferences with 20 championship sports serving more than 3,400 student-athletes. Supporting the missions of its nine member institutions – Albany, Binghamton, Boston University, Hartford, Maine, UMBC, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont – America East is committed to developing champions in academics, athletics and leadership.

Maggie Carril
Sunshine Sachs
carril@sunshinesachs.com
212-691-2800 phone
781-424-9223 cell

Tickets to Go On Sale For America East Women’s Basketball Championship Today

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. - Tickets for the America East Conference Women's Basketball Championship game will go on sale tomorrow at 12 noon, through the UAlbany ticket office. The game, which tips off at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening, will feature the UAlbany Great Danes, taking on the UMBC Retrievers. The winner of the game will earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

UAlbany season ticket holders will have the opportunity to reserve and pay for their seats prior to opening sales to the public. Ticket prices are $30 for chairback seating and $25 for reserved seating. Students, with an America East school ID are $10, while youth tickets (18 and under) will be available for $5. Due to press table arrangements for America East Championships, there will not be courtside seating for the championship game.

Please call the UAlbany ticket office at 518-442-4683 to reserve your seats and cheer on the Great Danes in their first-ever America East Women's Basketball Championship! Visit www.ualbanysports.com for more information.

Seven Great Danes Make 2011 NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad - UAlbany Sports 2012

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. - Seven University at Albany field hockey student-athletes were represented by the 2011 Gladiator by SGI/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Academic Squad as announced Monday, March 5.
Kristi Troch, Taylor Luke and Brianna Schwoyer are making their third straight appearance on the list. Nina Walters, Daphne Voormolen, Chantae Miller and Karlijn van Dijsseldonk join the group as well for the first time.

The National Academic Squad recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher through the first semester of the 2011-12 academic year. Seventy-seven division one institutions had student-athletes recognized on the academic list.

The entire field hockey program was recognized as well for accumulating a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. UAlbany were among 65 division one schools to receive this honor. The National Academic Squad recognized teams with a minimum 3.0 GPA during the first semester of the 2011-12 academic year.

UAlbany Posts 58-50 Win Over Binghamton; Will Host America East Women’s Basketball Championship - UAlbany Sports 2012

Courtesy: UAlbany Athletics

West Hartford, Conn. - Nineteen points from Defensive Player of the Year Ebone Henry led UAlbany to a 58-50 victory over Binghamton in the America East Conference Women's Basketball quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon at Chase Family Arena. With the win over the Bearcats, UAlbany advances to the program's first-ever America East Conference Championship game. The Great Danes will host fifth-seeded UMBC on Saturday at 8 p.m. at SEFCU Arena.

UAlbany jumped out to a 13-6 lead seven minutes into the game on a 3-pointer by Henry. Binghamton cut the advantage to three, 13-10, with back-to-back jumpers by Mallory Lawes and Andrea Holmes. A bucket from Viive Rebane pulled the Bearcats to within one, with just over 10 minutes to play, but UAlbany went on an 8-0 run to take a 20-12 lead on a layup by Cassandra Callaway. Binghamton responded, continuing the trend of runs in the first half, and closed the gap back to five, 23-18, on another Rebane jumper. The Bearcat senior would add one final bucket just before time expired, cutting the UAlbany advantage to three, 23-20, as the teams hit the locker room.

Henry led the Great Danes out of halftime and scored the first five points, putting UAlbany up by eight, 28-20, at 18:41. Holmes ended the run for Binghamton, but UAlbany's offense remained hot, as the Great Danes pulled ahead, 38-27, on a trey by Callaway with just under 15 minutes to play. Lindsey Lowrie sank a long range shot next, while a conventional three-point play by Henry gave UAlbany its largest lead of the game, 44-27, with 11:35 left to play.

Binghamton rallied back to cut the deficit to single digits, as Holmes was fouled on a good jumper and hit the ensuing free throw, pulling to within 50-41 with 5:40 left to play. The teams exchanged baskets and free throws, as UAlbany clung to a nine-point lead with under two minutes to go. Orla O'Reilly would not let the Bearcats fade, however, nailing a 3-pointer, before Holmes hit two free throws to pull Binghamton to within four, 54-50, with just a minute to go. UAlbany was not about to let the victory and ensuing championship game slip away, as Adrienne Jones converted a fast-break layup and Henry dropped in two free throws to seal up the win.

Holmes led Binghamton (13-18) with 17 points, while Rebane posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Jasbriell Swain also finished with a double-double for the Bearcts, totaling 12 points and 11 boards.

Lowrie finished with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, while Julie Forster controlled the boards, pulling down 11 rebounds while chipping in with seven points, three assists, two steals and a block. UAlbany forced Binghamton into 22 turnovers, including 13 steals, led by Henry's four thefts.

"Will power. The team had will power and determination today," said head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who has orchestrated an incredible turnaround in just two seasons with the UAlbany program. "We focus on one game at a time. That's been our motto all season. We are very excited, but also very humble that we are in this position. We have a tough opponent ahead."

UAlbany (21-9) will host UMBC at 8 p.m. on Saturday for the America East Championship and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The game will also be available on ESPN3.

"Phil [Stern] is a great coach and he's going to chess-match this game and come prepared, so are we," said Abrahamson-Henderson, whose team swept UMBC in the regular season. "And they've got some great seniors and players that don't want to go home just yet. We're not going to think about that right now. We're going to enjoy this, go to the men's game and cheer them on like crazy, and then take a nice day off. We are going to enjoy this journey and then we'll get back to business."

Pat McNish Topples Long Jump School Record Again @ ECAC Indoor Track & Field Championships - UAlbany Sports 2012

Boston, Mass. - Pat McNish soars in the long jump to trump the school's record for the third time this season at day one of the ECAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center.

After the first day of competition and four scored events, the Great Danes are placed 8th among 28 scoring teams. Six schools are tied for second place with six points and Cornell leads all teams with 12 points.

McNish recorded a 19 foot and 9.50 inch long jump to place second overall. Kathryn Fanning ran in the 1,000 meter run preliminary round to finish at 2:52.23. The time qualifies Fanning for tomorrow's final event.

The Great Danes are set to compete in the distance medley, 3,000 meter, 1,000 meter and triple jump events in the final day of the ECAC Championships.

One the men's side, after the first day of IC4A Men's Indoor Track & Field Championships at Boston University, the squad sits in a three-way tie for 12th spot amongst 22 scoring teams. Four events were completed in the first day of competition.

Kadeem Howell finished third in the long jump event with a leap of 23' 9.75" collecting six points for the Great Danes. Kareem Morris, also competing in the long jump, finished 11th overall. UAlbany is set to compete in the high jump event tomorrow.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

Men's Basketball Soars Past New Hampshire, 63-45, In America East Quarterfinals - UAlbany Sports 2012

West Hartford, Conn.- Gerardo Suero's 24-point, nine-rebound and four-assist performance led UAlbany over New Hampshire, 63-45, in the America East Conference Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 3 at Chase Family Arena. Along with Suero's 21st 20-plus point performance, Mike Black scored 11 points in the contest which put him at 1,000 points for his career at UAlbany. The Great Danes move on to the semifinals to face the No. 1 seed Stony Brook on Sunday, March 4 at Chase Family Arena with the tip-off set for 5:02 p.m.

Suero had a game-high 24 points and was one rebound shy of his third career double-double, shooting 8-for-24 from the floor. Black was the only other Great Dane with double-figures, 11, and added four assists and four rebounds. Blake Metcalf, Jayson Guerrier and Sam Rowley each tallied at least seven rebounds with Metcalf leading the group with nine, five of which were offensive.

New Hampshire's Patrick Konan had a team-high 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting and six rebounds. Brian Benson had a game-high 13 rebounds, seven of which were offensive and five points.

A slow start to the first half as both teams mustered up only 11 points each through the first eight minutes of play. Gerardo Suero led UAlbany with six points on 3-of-9 shooting. The Great Danes would grab a seven-point lead, 23-16, with a 12-5 run that was capped by a Mike Black layup.

New Hampshire would look to cut the deficit with consecutive baskets by Ferg Myrick but Suero would add onto the UAlbany lead with two free throws then followed by an up-and-under play by Sam Rowley to grab the game's largest lead of ten, 30-20, with 1:46 remaining in the half. Jordon Bronner would get fouled with 2.3 seconds left and would make one-of-two to end the half at a nine-point deficit, 30-21.

UAlbany would extend its lead to 17 points to open the second half, 52-35, with 7:14. Black led the Great Danes with seven points and a key steal and assist to teammate Tanner Gibson to spark 12-6 run during the 12 minute stretch.

New Hampshire would cut the deficit down to 11 with a 6-0 run , 52-41, with 4:11 remaining forcing UAlbany head coach Will Brown to call a timeout. The run was capped by a steal and layup by Ferg Myrick who finished the game with 11 points and three rebounds.

But the Great Danes would hold onto the lead for the final four minutes, going four-for-four from the free-throw line and topped the game off with a Gibson three pointer with nine seconds remaining to put the game up 18 points.

UAlbany held New Hampshire under 30.0 percent shooting from the floor (28.1%) and from three-point land (26.3%) while out rebounding UNH as well, 47-35. The Great Danes shot 36.2 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from behind the arc.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

Royals Tabs 21 Points To Lead Women's Basketball Past Vermont, 74-61; AEast Semifinals On Sunday - UAlbany Sports 2012

West Hartford, Conn. - Sarah Royals recorded a career high 21 points, hitting 14 of 18 free throw shots, to lead University at Albany to the America East semifinal round with a 74-61 victory over Vermont in Friday's quarterfinal match.
Royals ties an America East tourament record with free throws made (14) and sets a new record for free throw attempts (18). Julie Forster recorded her eighth double-double of 18 rebounds and 13 points, while Lindsey Lowrie led the Great Danes in the first half with 14 points.

This quarterfinal match featured multiple lead changes and did not reach a scoring margin larger than ten points until the final minute.

With 2:13 remaining, the Great Danes held a 63-61 lead. Making it to the free throw line twelve times to finish the game, UAlbany missed only one shot. Forster and Ebone Henry each knocked in two, while Royals went 7-for-8 en route to the victory.

Vermont came out of the mid-game break with a 5- 0 run to cut a UAlbany lead down to 36-34. Over the next several minutes both teams played close and it wasn't until after the second media timeout that UAlbany began to widen the scoring margin. The Catamounts would come within three points twice in the final minutes, but with less than two minutes to play, the Great Danes hit the foul line to pull away.

Going into the locker room, UAlbany led 36-29. Lowrie finished the half with 14 points, tied with Vermont's Niki Taylor, who lead the Catamounts in the first half.

Vermont (10-20) began the game with first possession and a 4-0 run. Going into the first media timeout, UAlbany had committed four turnovers and was shooting 25 percent from the floor. Lowrie finished off two treys in a minute to collect the Great Danes' first lead of the night at 12-9 with 14:32 on the clock. Vermont regained momentum to produce their biggest lead of the half at 18-12 just a few minutes later before Adrienne Jones swiped a steal at mid-court to make the lay-up at 8:46, to start a 16-4 run in a three minute span for UAlbany. The Great Danes managed a ten-point lead with 1:22 left in the half.

Taylor played a key role in the Catamounts efforts to stay in the game as she tallied a career-high 22 points to lead her team. Kayla Burchill and Ashley Hoyt each chipped in 15 points in the losing effort. Shanai Heber led on the boards as she grabbed ten.

UAlbany (21-9) will play in the second semifinal game Sunday afternoon against the Hartford/Binghamton.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

Suero, Black and Aronhalt Honored With 2011-12 America East Conference Men's Basketball Accolades - UAlbany Sports 2012

Cambridge, Mass.- UAlbany Men's Basketball had three players honored for 2011-12 America East Conference regular-season accolades. Junior guards Gerardo Suero (1st team), Mike Black (2nd team), and Logan Aronhalt (3rd team) all received America East honors with Aronhalt making the All-Academic team for the second year in a row. The three junior guards and the rest of the Great Danes will prepare to play New Hampshire in the America East Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 3 at 2:15 p.m.

Gerardo Suero, a Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native, was one of the top America East players, leading all scorers with 21.7 points per game and scored a league-high 20-plus points 20 times. The junior guard was America East Player of the Week four times this season for his outstanding performances in a week. Of Suero's 630 points this season, 201 of them came at the free-throw line which put him third all-time in America East history for made free throws.

Mike Black, who was a 2011 America East Third team selection, improved his game play from last season , averaging 13.5 points (12.3 last season), 4.2 assists (2.8 last season) and 2.8 rebounds (1.9 last season) this season. He has gone over 20 points four times this season, having only surpassed 20 points once last season. The Chicago, Ill. native was named America East Co-Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 9 through Jan.15, having tallied nine rebounds twice in a week for a point guard.

Logan Aronhalt, repeating as America East third team and all-academic team selection, even with an ailing knee throughout the season still performed well. Aronhalt surpassed the 1,000 point mark against Vermont and is currently ranked 25th all-time at UAlbany with 1,089 points. The Zanesville, Ohio native went 74 straight games that he started, which started back in 2010 against New Hampshire before ending the streak against Maine this season. He currently is in graduate school having graduated earlier this season with a 3.78 GPA and was honored on the 2012 CoSIDA All-America Academic Second team.

First Team
Name Yr. Pos. School Hometown/High School/Previous School
*Gerardo Suero Jr. G Albany Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Our Savior New American
*Darryl Partin (1) Sr. G Boston University Seattle, Wash./Charis Prep/La Salle
Tommy Brenton (2) Jr. F Stony Brook Columbia, Md./River Hill/Hargrave
Bryan Dougher (3) Sr. G Stony Brook Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Matt Glass Sr. F Vermont Underhill Center, Vt./Mt. Mansfi eld/UMass

Second Team
Mike Black (4) Jr. G Albany Chicago, Ill./Oak Park Fenwick
D.J. Irving So. G Boston University Chester, Pa./Archbishop Carroll
Gerald McLemore (5) Sr. G Maine San Diego, Calif./Worcester Academy
Chase Plummer So. F UMBC Plainfi eld, N.J./St. Patrick
Alvin Abreu (2) Sr. G New Hampshire Lynn, Mass./Boys to Men Academy (Ill.)

Third Team
Logan Aronhalt (4) Jr. G Albany Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville
Andres Torres Sr. G Hartford Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Colegio
Alasdair Fraser So. F Maine Falkirk, Scotland/Falkirk Clark Eriksson Fury
Dallis Joyner Sr. F Stony Brook Norfolk, Va./Granby
Brian Voelkel So. F Vermont Pleasantville, N.Y./Iona Prep

All-Rookie
Ben Dickinson Fr. F Binghamton Alexandria, Va./Gonzaga (D.C.)
Mark Nwakamma Fr. F Hartford Leander, Texas/Leander
Nate Sikma Fr. F Hartford Bellvue, Wash/Bellvue
*Justin Edwards Fr. G Maine Whitby, Ontario/Anderson CVI
*Four McGlynn Fr. G Vermont York, Pa./Dallastown

All-Defensive
*Patrick Hazel (6) Sr. F Boston University Jamaica, N.Y./Blair Academy (N.J.)/Marquette
Mike Allison Jr. F Maine Lynden, Ontario/National Elite Development Acad.
Chandler Rhoads (6) Jr. G New Hampshire Berryville, Va./Air Force Prep
Tommy Brenton (7) Jr. F Stony Brook Columbia, Md./River Hill/Hargrave
Brian Voelkel So. F Vermont Pleasantville, N.Y./Iona Prep

All-Academic Team
Name Yr. School Major GPA Hometown/High School

*Logan Aronhalt (8) Jr. Albany human biology 3.78 Zanesville, Ohio/Zanesville
Andrew Rogers (9) Sr. Maine kinesiology/physical eduction 3.86 Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan
Brian Benson (9) Sr. New Hampshire kinesiology/pedagogy 3.48 Rochester, N.Y./Greece-Athena
Luke Apfeld So. Vermont English 3.82 Wolfeboro, N.H./Brewster Academy
Sandro Carissimo So. Vermont business 3.42 Sleepy Hollow, N.Y./Iona Prep

Rookie of the Year
Four McGlynn, Vermont

Defensive Player of the Year
Tommy Brenton, Stony Brook

Kevin Roberson Player of the Year
Darryl Partin, Boston University

Coach of the Year
Steve Pikiell, Stony Brook (10)

* Unanimous Selection
(1) First-Team - 2011
(2) Second Team - 2010
(3) Second Team - 2010, 2011
(4) Third Team - 2011
(5) First Team - 2010, Second Team - 2011
(6) All-Defensive - 2011
(7) All-Defensive - 2010
(8) All-Academic - 2011
(9) All-Academic - 2010, 2011
(10) Coach of the Year - 2010

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson Named America East Women’s Basketball Coach Of The Year - UAlbany Sports 2012

West Hartford, Conn. - UAlbany head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson was named the America East Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, announced at the 2012 awards reception held on the University of Hartford campus on Thursday. Junior guard/forward Ebone Henry was also named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, for the second straight season. Junior forward Julie Forster was also an All-Conference Second Team selection.

Abrahamson-Henderson, in just her second year at the helm of the UAlbany program, led the Great Danes to a 20-9 record and the second seed in the conference tournament. It is the first time in Division I history, and the first time since the 1991-92 season, that UAlbany has reached the 20-win plateau. Abrahamson-Henderson took over a squad that went 11-19 in 2009-10, and guided them to the program's first winning season in 2010-11 with a 16-14 record. Under her guidance, the Great Danes continued to show a remarkable improvement this season, going undefeated on the road during the league slate to post a 14-2 conference record.

Henry, an All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team selection, has blossomed under Abrahamson-Henderson's tutelage, and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Henry, the first player to earn the award for UAlbany, was also an All-Conference First Team selection this year, after leading the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game. She was also first in the league in steals, recording 2.7 thefts per game. Henry, a native of San Diego, Calif., scored her 1,000th career point this season. She has reached double-figure scoring totals in 22 games, including the last six straight, and has also recorded seven double-doubles on the season while averaging 7.2 rebounds per game.

Forster moves up to the All-Conference Second Team after a third-team appearance last year, and was also named to the All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive season. Forster, who is currently second on UAlbany's all-time career rebound chart with 836 caroms in three seasons, led the conference in rebounding for the third straight season. A native of Huntington, N.Y., Forster averaged 9.8 boards per game during the regular season, pulling down double-figure totals in 16 games. She is also averaging 8.8 points per game and leads the Great Danes with 30 blocks.

Forster, who holds a 3.97 cumulative grade point average in business administration, was also named to the All-Academic Team, for the second year in a row.

UAlbany will kick off the conference tournament on Friday evening, taking on the seventh-seeded Vermont Catamounts at 6:05 p.m.

-agate-

2012 America East Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards

First Team: Ebone Henry, Jr., UAlbany; Chantell Alford, Jr., Boston U.; Mo Moran, Jr., Boston U.; Erin Brown, Sr., UMBC; Denise Beliveau, Sr., New Hampshire.

Second Team: Julie Forster, Jr., UAlbany; Andrea Holmes, Sr., Binghamton; Ruthanne Doherty, Jr., Hartford; Michelle Kurowski, Sr., UMBC; Morgan Frame, Jr., New Hampshire.

Third Team: Viive Rebane, Sr., Binghamton; Rashidat Agboola, So., Boston U.; Daphne Elliott, Jr., Hartford; Nikkia Smith, Jr., Hartford; Samantha Baranowski, Sr., Maine.

All-Defensive Team: Ebone Henry, Jr., UAlbany; Julie Forster, Jr., UAlbany; Rashidat Agboola, So., New Hampshire; Denise Beliveau, Sr., New Hampshire; Shanai Heber, Jr., Vermont.

All-Rookie Team: Amber Bepko, Hartford; Danielle Walczak, Maine; Lauren Chase, UMBC; Tierra Shumpert, Vermont; Niki Taylor, Vermont.

All-Academic Team: Denise Beliveau, Sr., New Hampshire; Erin Brown, Sr., UMBC; Julie Forster, Jr., UAlbany; Alex Hall, Jr., Hartford; Michelle Kurowski, Sr., UMBC; Viive Rebane, Sr., Binghamton.

Coach of the Year: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, UAlbany

Rookie of the Year: Lauren Chase, UMBC

Defensive Player of the Year: Ebone Henry, UAlbany

Player of the Year: Chantell Alford, Boston U.

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports