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2016-17 Award Winners/All-Region Selections
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Pickering named NEWBA Player of the Year, Rose collects NEWBA Rookie of the Year honors
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 14, 2017) – The New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) has announced its award winners and All-Region selections for the 2016-17 season.
Babson College senior guard Giovanna Pickering (Hull, Mass.) has been named the NEWBA Player of the Year, while Fitchburg State University freshman guard Kyra Rose (Rockland, Mass.) earns NEWBA Rookie of the Year honors and Husson University head coach Kissy Walker garners NEWBA Coach of the Year recognition.
Nominations for NEWBA awards and All-Region were submitted by both coaches and sports information directors in the region, and selections were made based on a vote of the coaches. More information on all honorees can be found below.
Player of the Year
Giovanna Pickering • Babson College (Senior, Guard, Hull, Mass.)
Pickering, who was also named NEWMAC Player of the Year, averaged career-highs across the board with 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game for the Beavers, who claimed the NEWMAC crown and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. A three-time All-Conference first team selection, Pickering topped the 20-point mark 12 times in 2016-17.
Rookie of the Year
Kyra Rose • Fitchburg State (Freshman, Guard, Rockland, Mass.)
Rose started all 24 of the games that she appeared in during her first season with the Falcons and averaged 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Rose, who was also recognized as the D3hoops.com Northeast Region Rookie of the Year, ECAC New England Rookie of the Year, and MASCAC Rookie of the Year, scored in double figures in all but two games this season while totaling 30+ points on five occasions.
Coach of the Year
Kissy Walker • Husson University (26th Season)
Walker, who completed her 26th season at Husson this past winter, earned NAC Coach of the Year accolades for the sixth time in her career after guiding the Eagles to a 20-4 regular season record, including a 16-2 record in league play. Under Walker’s leadership, Husson went on to capture its second straight NAC title before winning the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament contest.
Pickering |
Rose |
Walker |
First Team All-Region
Giovanna Pickering • Babson College (Senior, Guard, Hull, Mass.)
Pickering was named the 2016-17 NEWBA Player of the Year. See above for more information.
Jill Valley • Westfield State (Senior, Guard, Orange, Mass.)
One of the most prolific scorers in the nation during the 2016-17 season, Valley earns NEWBA All-Region first team accolades after landing on the second team as a junior last winter. Valley, who was named MASCAC Player of the Year for the second straight year, led the conference in both points per game (22.5), steals per game (4.6) and free throw percentage (81%).
Nakira Examond • UMass Dartmouth (Sophomore, Forward, New Bedford, Mass.)
Examond enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign for the Corsairs, averaging a double-double with 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game on her way to LEC Player of the Year honors. The New Bedford, Mass. native played a key role in UMass Dartmouth’s historic run to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where the Corsairs fell to No. 1 ranked Amherst.
Alicia Brown • University of New England (Senior, Forward, Greenland, N.H.)
Brown, a 2016-17 All-CCC first team selection, averaged 15.0 points on 48% shooting and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Nor’easters, who earned their fifth consecutive conference title. The senior, who is the lone repeat NEWBA All-Region first team selection from a year ago, was also recognized as a D3hoop.com All-Northeast Region third team honoree.
Ama Biney • Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Junior, Guard, Worcester, Mass.)
Biney collected NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year honors to go with her second straight first team All-Conference nod after averaging 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.3 assists per game for the Engineers. Biney posted double-figure scoring efforts in 24 of WPI’s 28 games this season.
Pickering |
Valley |
Examond |
Brown |
Biney |
Second Team All-Region
Bridget Quilty • Roger Williams (Senior, Center, Duxbury, Mass.)
Quilty, the 2016-17 CCC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Hawks, who earned the No. 2 seed in the CCC Tournament. The senior ranked second in the CCC with 2.5 blocks per game while also averaging one steal per contest.
Brittany Stone • Regis (Junior, Forward, West Bridgewater, Mass.)
Stone earned NECC Player of the Year honors after averaging just under a double-double with 18.7 points per game on 64.9% shooting to go with 9.9 rebounds per game. Stone helped lead the Pride to their fifth straight NECC title this season, earning Tournament MVP accolades in the process.
Chandler Guerrette • Husson (Senior, Guard, Presque Isle, Maine)
Guerrette averaged 14.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for the Eagles en route to garnering NAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year accolades. The senior led Husson to its second straight NAC crown and first ever NCAA Tournament victory in 2016-17.
Kelsi McNamara • Saint Joseph’s (Maine) (Sophomore, Guard, West Newbury, Mass.)
McNamara became the first Saint Joseph’s player to earn conference Player of the Year honors since 2002 after averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game for the Monks. The sophomore scored 24 points in the GNAC championship game as Saint Joseph’s repeated as conference champion.
Jordyn Nappi • Eastern Connecticut (Senior, Guard, Southington, Conn.)
An All-LEC first team selection, Nappi ranked third in the conference with 15.0 points per game this season while also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The senior guard posted double figure scoring efforts in 24 of Eastern Connecticut’s 29 contests as the Warriors earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Quilty |
Stone |
Guerrette |
McNamara |
Nappi |
