Northeast-10 Women's Basketball All-Conference Release

South Easton, Mass. - Women's basketball sophomore Jessica Kitrys earned Northeast-10 All-Conference Third Team honors and freshman Kelly Mannix landed on the All-Rookie Team for the 2011-12 season, it was announced on Thursday. The accolades mark the first time women's basketball has had two All-Conference representatives since joining the NE-10, and the first multiple All-Conference nods since Gianna Smith and Serita Lee made East Coast All-Conference squads in 2008.

Kitrys, a seven-time NE-10 Weekly Honor Roll pick this season and 2010-11 All-Rookie Team honoree, finished seventh in the league in scoring with 15.8 points per game and fourth in field goal percentage by shooting 55.6 percent from the field. Adelphi's main inside presence, Kitrys scored in double figures in 23 of 25 games and posted 20-plus points seven times. She finished the season with four straight 20-point games including a career-high 23 points against Assumption, averaging 21.5 points over that span.

Mannix was tabbed the NE-10 Rookie of the Week three times this season, second only to NE-10 Rookie of the Year Bria Moore of New Haven. Mannix led all Adelphi first-years and finished fourth on the team with 8.8 points per game, and ranked second on the squad in rebounds per game (6.1), 3-pointers made (34) and steals (44). Her four double-doubles tied for most on the team with Kitrys, and a 24-point performance at Le Moyne shattered her previous career-high of 17.

Bentley University sophomore forward Lauren Battista was named the 2011-2012 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year by the conference's head coaches. Battista, who was a member of the NE-10 All-Rookie Team and a Third Team All-Conference selection last year, helped lead the Falcons to the Northeast-10 regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming conference championship. The sophomore was among the league leaders in a number of different statistical categories, and led Bentley in many categories as well.

Battista is currently averaging 16.9 points per game (fifth-best in the NE-10), 7.3 rebounds per game (14th-best), and shot 54.1percent from the floor (sixth-best). All three of those averages led the sixth-ranked Falcons overall. She also led the team in free throw percentage (80.4 percent), was second in assists per game (2.8), and was third on the team with 1.2 steals per game.

The ultra-consistent Battista has scored in double figures in 26 of Bentley's 27 games so far this season and was also a unanimous selection to the Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team.

The University of New Haven's Bria Moore was tabbed the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year, as the first-year forward averaged 12.6 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Her numbers in those two categories put her second on the team in scoring and first in rebounds. She also made 32 3-pointers, and shot 40-percent from three point range, fifth-best in the Northeast-10. Moore's 17 blocked shots were also good for second best on the New Haven roster.

The first-year forward scored in double figures 18 times, and had four games during her freshman campaign where she scored 20 or more points. Moore was also named to the Conference's All-Rookie Team.

Franklin Pierce University's Marielle Giroud was named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Giroud helped lead the Ravens to an 18-8 mark, as they held their opponents to just under 61 points per game. The senior was sixth in the NE-10 in steals per game with 2.2 takeaways per contest, and her 56 steals overall placed her sixth in the league. Giroud also had 15 blocked shots, second-most on her team.

Coach of the Year honors went to Southern Connecticut State University's Meghan Brown. Brown, honored by her peers for this award for the first time, is currently in the mdist of her fifth year as the head coach of the Owls. She has led the team to a mark of 22-4 overall, including 19-3 in the Northeast-10 Conference.

So. Connecticut earned the #2 seed in the upcoming conference championship, far surpassing the preseason expectations of the conference's head coaches who placed the Owls 13th in the Coaches' Poll. The 22-win season marks an improvement of eleven wins by Brown's team, and her 19-league wins is twelve more then the team registered last year.

2011-12 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams

First Team Year Position School Hometown
Kelly Meredith Senior Forward Assumption Franklin, Mass.
Lauren Battista Sophomore Forward Bentley North Easton, Mass.
Jewel White Senior Center Franklin Pierce Worcester, Mass.
Brittany Shields Senior Forward Pace Cold Spring, N.Y.
Ashley Rath Senior Guard Saint Rose Victor, N.Y.

Second Team Year Position School Hometown
Courtney Finn Junior Guard Bentley Winthrop, Mass.
Marielle Giroud Senior Forward Franklin Pierce Martigny, Switzerland
Bianca Simmons Junior Guard UMass Lowell Middletown, Conn.
Sylvonya Moore Senior Guard So. Connecticut Stockton, Calif.
Sloane Sorrell Junior Forward So. New Hampshire Berwick, Maine

Third Team Year Position School Hometown
Jessica Kitrys Sophomore Forward Adelphi Parlin, N.J.
Gabrielle Gibson Junior Guard Assumption Amityville, N.Y.
Jacqui Brugliera Sophomore Forward Bentley Fitchburg, Mass.
Gennifer Roy Senior Guard Merrimack Granby, Mass.
Camille Fantini Junior Guard So. Connecticut Andover, Mass.
Christine Duffy Senior Guard So. New Hampshire South Boston, Mass.
Mary Louise Dixon Sophomore Guard Stonehill Wellesley, Mass.

All-Rookie Team Position School Hometown
Kelly Mannix Guard Adelphi Barrington, R.I.
Alyssa Roach Guard American Int'l New Bedford, Mass.
Bria Moore Forward New Haven West Haven, Conn.
Gabie Polce Guard Saint Rose Chelmsford, Mass.
Tori Faieta Forward Stonehill Lynn, Mass.

Player of the Year: Lauren Battista, Bentley
Rookie of the Year: Bria Moore, New Haven
Defensive Player of the Year: Marielle Giroud, Franklin Pierce
Coach of the Year: Meghan Brown, So. Connecticut

Portions of this release courtesy of the Northeast-10 Conference