D2 East Women's All-Decade Team and Review

Division II Women’s East Region All-Decade Review (2010-2019)

by Stephen Zerdelian 

Welcome to the unveiling of the D2 East Hoops All-Decade women’s basketball team for the 2010’s. Most of the time this website (at least when it comes to the daily women’s reports) tries to be objective and thorough in covering the teams and players in Division II’s East Region. For this exercise, though, I will be speaking in my own voice. Selecting an All-Decade team from the region, covering the years 2009-’10 through 2018-’19, was not easy but it was an educational endeavor. Among so many terrific players and big moments, it became clear that there is no ‘right’ choice, only informed opinion. With considerable background research and feedback from the region, this is what emerged. Without question, there are omissions that were very difficult but at some point, I had to draw the line. Let the debate begin.

The process to pick the players takes into account a variety of factors, including individual accomplishments, statistics and team success but it also includes the indefinable qualities that made a player special. You will not see a list that is purely numbers-based, although those do tend to skew towards the more decorated players. I’ve tried to do my best to include players who toiled for teams that didn’t have eye-popping team success or players that participated in only part of the decade for whatever reason. For those players in the latter category, their importance to their team and achievements were carefully weighed, and indeed, some did make the list. In the end, I opted for a Player of the Decade, a 10-player first team, a 10-player second team and an honorable mention list that could have been as long as my sleeve. I hope that it is at least adequate and imparts a representative recap of the era.

East Region Player of the Decade

Lauren Battista, Bentley, ’14

Battista is the ultimate winner, having been a part of four Bentley teams that went 124-11, won four straight Northeast10 Conference regular season and playoff crowns and claimed three regional titles. Her 2014 team, our Team of the Decade (spoiler alert!), was only the second outfit in Division II to post an undefeated record (35-0) and the second from the NE10 to win it all. Individually, Battista won a raft of awards, including the 2014 WBCA Player of the Year and the Honda Division II Woman of the Year, and tallied 2,112 career points (#2 on the all-time Falcon list). The 6-foot forward had all the skills anyone could want, constantly made the right decision on the floor and was a quiet and consistent leader. Add the whole package together and it is not hard to see why Battista is the player of the decade in the region.

East Region All-Region First Team 

Catherine Carr, Holy Family, ’11

Although Carr only played half of her career in the decade in question, she was an easy entry onto the 1^st team list. She was a prototype wing who could mix it up inside the paint and put the ball to the deck, as well. Carr, the 2009 Central Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, earned All-America status as a senior and left Holy Family with 1,995 points, topping their all-time scoring list. The team had plenty of success during her tenure there, posting a 112-15 record, including an insane 73-1 mark in CACC play. The only gap in the resume was the lack of a regional crown but that had more to do with the quality of the opposition than any Tiger team shortcomings. Carr, along with every 1^st team choice, is a player that would have flourished in any era.

Jen Gemma, Bentley, ’17

The traditional post player has evolved over the years and Bentley’s Jen Gemma was a great example of that gradual change. Her ability in the paint with either hand was complemented by increased range over her four years and, as a rebounder and defender, Gemma was outstanding. At the offensive end of the floor, she was the most productive player in program history (2,151 points), which is saying something. Gemma was a freshman on the 2014 national title team, working her way into the rotation, and then was the key piece of the rebuilt Falcon unit that claimed a regional title in 2016. She picked up plenty of hardware, including two NE10 Player of the Year awards and an All-American slot as a senior. There may have been flashier players than Gemma but there were few with as much consistency, productivity and dependability.

Jessica Kaminski, Jefferson, ’19

Philadelphia is a basketball city and its progeny display certain traits, including desire and intelligence. Kaminski is about as classic an embodiment of the Philly product as the region has had in a while and her career fulfilled her promise. The perimeter player was well-decorated (various CACC and regional honors) and ended her career in the top 10 in numerous Rams categories such as scoring (1,497 points), rebounds (891 boards), steals (227) and assists (437), showcasing her extraordinary versatility. Kaminski helped her team to the NCAA tournament in her last two seasons, the latter of which also featured a program-record 29 wins and a CACC championship (where she sank the winning free throw in an overtime classic). She did everything on the floor, did it a high level and was a winner, all that any basketball fan (Philly or otherwise) could ask for and is more than worthy to deserve a spot.

Johannah Leedham, Franklin Pierce, ’10

Ok, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way – Johannah Leedham is the best player the region has every had and quite possibly the best Division II has ever known. The fact that the native of England is the all-time D2 scorer with 3,050 points and led Franklin Pierce to three regional championships says it all and anyone that had the pleasure of watching her in action knows all about her brilliance. But Leedham, who has played professionally since graduating from Franklin Pierce, was part of just one season in the window, which is why she is not Player of the Decade. Yet on her senior season alone (the Ravens went 32-2 en route to the Final Four and she notched 915 points), she merits inclusion on the 1^st team. Leedham had the astonishing ability to totally take over games at the drop of a hat and did so on a regular basis, seemingly for fun. We were lucky to have her in the region, since there will never be another like her. If there is, I hope I am alive to see it.

Erin Mann, Holy Family, ’13

Sometimes players of high quality get overlooked, despite shining in clear view. I think that was the case with Holy Family center Erin Mann, who was a marvelous mixture of skill, determination and moxie in her years as a Tiger. The numbers were there, for sure, as Mann still stands in the top five at HFU in scoring (1,881 points), rebounds (916 boards) and blocked shots (247 rejections) and she was recognized by both the CACC (Player of the Year) and by various national outlets for her accomplishments. The Tigers were very successful in her tenure, reaching the NCAA tournament all four seasons and earning pair of conference titles. Stylistically, Mann showed the ability to score in the paint and mid-range and was a pillar at both ends of the floor for two different coaches. Yet, somehow, I always got the feeling that she was not totally appreciated. Time to change that. Mann is fully deserving of being a 1^st team selection.

Kelly Martin, Stonehill, ’18

Despite a career pocked by two different serious injuries, Kelly Martin persisted and came out at the end as the leader in Stonehill’s first regional championship run in more than two decades. To call Martin just a point guard undersells her game. Not only did she direct traffic, she scored in every possible manner (1,486 points), defended with vigor and made big plays regularly. She missed much of her freshman season with a foot injury and saw it end with a deflating loss in the regional final, where she missed a 35-footer to finish the game, and sat out all of what would have been her senior season with another foot injury. But after a redshirt year, Martin returned to gain NE10 Player of the Year and All-America honors in 2018 and was the fulcrum in Stonehill’s regional title success. The resume is excellent but the eye test told you so much more. Martin, when healthy, was a relentless force of nature and a joy to watch.

Dina Ragab, NYIT, ’16

Foreign players have been a feature in the region for years and in recent seasons there has been a notable rise in both their numbers and quality. As one of two foreign-born players on this 1^st team, Dina Ragab proves that great players can hail from anywhere. Although it took a little time for her to grow into the American game, the Bears stuck with the native of Cairo, Egypt and ended up with the best player in their history. Ragab, a springy, athletic and fiery forward, collected the appropriate numbers (topping the NYIT all-time list with 1,565 points and 134 blocks) and was the centerpiece in leading the team to the 2016 regional title game, where she netted 29 points in a gallant loss. Seeing Ragab develop over the years was a particular pleasure, as she constantly added to her repertoire and developed into a whirlwind of a player.  

Madison Rowland, Queens, ’17

If watching an all-around player in action is your thing, you must have loved Queens’ Madison Rowland. The perimeter gem literally did it all for the Knights and led them to a regional crown as a senior, a fitting culmination to a career that started with a flourish and never wavered. Her numbers were incredible, illustrated by the fact that she is the only women's player in NCAA history to amass at least 2,000 points (2,375), 1,000 rebounds, 400 steals (507!), 400 assists, and 100 blocks (Cheryl Miller did it at USC before steals and blocks were official stats) and she’s all over the East Coast Conference record book. Rowland’s game featured power, speed and eerie anticipation, making her a constant threat from baseline to baseline. Queens has a wonderful history in women’s basketball but much of it is stuck in the early days of the sport. Rowland, though, brought the spotlight back to the program and proved to be the best ever to don Knights duds.

Dana Watts, AIC, ’19

Big, mobile post players are difficult to come by at any level and that bromide is no different in the D2 ranks. American International College has been blessed with a number of them over the years (Juana Garcia and Sharmion Selman are perfect examples) and Dana Watts stacks up very nicely with all of them. The 6-2 Rochester, New York product was a pivotal option from Day 1 for the Yellow Jackets and never wavered in her consistency and productivity. While toiling for good but not great teams (73 wins and one NCAA tournament appearance in her tenure, as a freshman), Watts rang up totals of 2,202 points (tops on the all-time Yellow Jacket list) and 1,175 rebounds while shooting 49% from the floor and 84% at the line. She was also ultra-dependable, netting double digits in 87 of 89 games in her final three seasons. Her ability to get the job done despite having relatively minimal support gets lost in the mists of time but in retrospect, it is no small feat. Watts surely would have shined in any era and deserves full recognition in this one.

Danielle Wilson, Dowling, ’13

One-year players were difficult to evaluate in compiling this list but it is impossible to ignore Danielle Wilson’s impact at Dowling during the 2012-’13 season. The 6-3 pivot played three years at Baylor, scoring 1,050 points and looking perfectly at home at the highest level. But injury and personal situations meant Wilson did not play her final year at Baylor and she had one season of eligibility left upon returning home to New York. She joined the Golden Lions at the perfect time, as the team was an NCAA tournament entry the previous season and needed one more piece to take the next step. Say hello to that piece. Wilson (who scored 581 points at DC and won ECC Player of the Year honors) helped the team advance all the way to the Division II national championship game with her mix of scoring, shot-blocking and rebounding prowess. And while the college is now just a memory, anyone who saw that team in action with Wilson patrolling the middle like a pterodactyl understands how much she mattered and just how worthy she is to be on this list.

East Region All-Region Second Team 

Sarah Abbonizio, University of the Sciences, ’18

The do-it-all guard was the key element in taking the Devils to the 2018 regional final. She could score (1,299 points), distribute and defend in equal measure and always sparkled in big moments.

Kim Brennan, Bentley, ’11

Helped the Falcons end a seven-year regional title drought as a senior, capping regional championship game with an incredible sequence to prevail. Tough, dependable and highly efficient four-year backcourt player.

Kara Charette, Franklin Pierce, ’16

Versatile, skilled forward who stretched defenses and ran the floor well. Charette could score (1,945 points, #3 at FPU) and was an excellent rebounder who helped the Ravens reach multiple NCAA tournaments.

Kristen Drogsler, Caldwell, ’18

The focal point of the first Caldwell team to reach the NCAA tournament, Drogsler was an explosive and dangerous scorer (1,742 points). Underrated as an athlete and resilient, possibly the best in program annals.

Jenna Erickson, St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘18

Outstanding shooter and leader, Erickson played a critical role as the Spartans jumped into the ECC upper echelon to stay. The talented guard provided tangible production and intangibles galore for STAC.

Gabrielle Gibson, Assumption, ’13

A quick, strong and explosive guard, Gibson was the driving force that led the Greyhounds to a pair of NCAA tournaments (including their last victory). Holds the #2 spot on the AC scoring list (1,627 points).

Jessica Kitrys, Adelphi, ’14

Prototype wing who possessed the ability to score in bunches (1,727 points, #1 at AU) from all over the floor. Kitrys was more than capable inside, outside and in transition and possessed an all-around skill set.

MacKenzie Rowland, Queens, ‘17

Although sometimes lost in her sister’s shadow, MacKenzie Rowland was an immensely talented post player for the Knights. Scored inside and outside and an exceptional rebounder (1K/1K points and boards).

Brittany Shields, Pace, ’13

Still in the top five at Pace in scoring (1,757) and rebounds (1,006), Shields was a terror in the paint. An old school inside force, Shields was vital in helping the Setters return to prominence and to a regional final.

Christine Wooding, Philadelphia, ‘12

Wooding was a highly decorated player for the Rams (before they became Jefferson) who supplied whatever her team required. The six-footer could score, board and defend, evolving from role player to star.

East Region All-Region Honorable Mention*

* One proviso – active players were not eligible for either first or second team selection, as their

careers are still unfolding. Nothing scientific, just a factor I did not want to deal with.

East Region Team of the Decade 

This is an easy one to select – the 2013-’14 Bentley Falcons were the only national champion from the region in the decade and just the second Division II team to boast an undefeated, national title campaign. In terms of detailing the rest of the teams, winning the region took precedent over anything else. After all, that’s the goal. There were a number of 30-win teams that had the misfortune to come along during the same season as another excellent team which won the regional. Apples and oranges, for sure – it really is daunting to compare teams from different seasons to each other. They all deserve recognition, though, so the accompanying chart at least notes those special teams that did not advance to the Elite Eight.

Bentley Falcons, 2013-‘14

Barbara Stevens’ team ran roughshod over the region, winning their first 17 games by double digits and blowing out the competition in the NE10 tournament (three wins by an average of 22 points). NCAA East Regional wins over Bloomfield, Stonehill and C.W. Post (by an average of 17 points) sent the Falcons into the Elite Eight, where they beat Drury and Cal Poly Pomona to advance to the national title game. An epic comeback against West Texas A&M yielded a 73-65 victory and perfection. The pillars of the team were frontcourt stars Lauren Battista and Jacqui Brugliera but guards Courtney Finn and Christiana Baklolas were superb, too. A deep bench was a factor for Bentley, as well, since they not only overwhelmed foes with talent but also wore them down with depth. Alongside fellow regional national champions New Haven (’87) and Southern Connecticut (’07), Bentley stands above the historical pack by posting a 35-0 record. 

Honorable Mention

Dowling Lions, 2012-‘13

Joe Pellicane had a strong team in 2011-’12 with the likes of Christine Verrelle, Connie Simmons, Seja Gamble and Julia Koppl around but the group added star center Danielle Wilson and took off in ’12-’13.  The Golden Lions won 30 games and stunned Bentley in the East Regional final in Waltham, 53-51, with Wilson’s put-back in the waning seconds the killer blow. As the first ECC team to win a regional, Dowling kept on chugging and beat Colorado Mesa and Augustana (SD) to reach the championship game. Only a great Ashland (Ohio) unit stopped them but it barely dimmed the sheen on the season. A brilliant defensive unit, Dowling smothered foes and had plenty of firepower to hurt them at the other end. Sadly, the school closed their doors only a few years later yet the memories and legacy of this team will endure.

Franklin Pierce Ravens, 2009-‘10

A trip to the Final Four in superstar Johannah Leedham’s last season as a Raven made this club a lock for recognition. Add in the only East Regional final to date that went to overtime (a high-level thriller against a great Holy Family team) and 32 wins and you have a season to savor. Leedham won virtually every award possible but she had excellent teammates around her like frontcourt stalwarts Jewel White and Marielle Giroud and guard Cynthia Gaudet. Under the direction of Steve Hancock, Franklin Pierce went 28-1 in the regular season and eliminated Nyack and Molloy in the NCAA’s before coming up against HFU. Leedham had 34 points in the 82-79 OT victory, in the process surpassing the 3,000-point plateau. The Ravens beat Arkansas Tech before falling to Fort Lewis (CO) in the national semifinals, ending a magnificent career and an era but don’t mistake this for a one-woman show – Franklin Pierce was something special in ’09-’10.

Bentley Falcons, 2011-‘12

This team can get a little lost in a trip down memory lane but 31 wins and a visit to the Final Four makes this Falcons unit one to remember. Two years before the magical undefeated season, a team full of young talent corralled their abilities and defeated AIC, Franklin Pierce (in double OT) and Southern Connecticut to earn the NE10 crown and blew out District of Columbia prior to winning tight games via second half rallies against Franklin Pierce and Holy Family to earn the East Regional crown. Maybe the biggest challenge of the season awaited in the Elite Eight but Bentley proved up to it and edged #1 Wayne State (NE) to move into the Final Four. Ashland ended the campaign but not before the young crew of Battista, Brugliera, Finn, Bakolas and Caleigh Crowell came of age. It was a valuable stepping-stone to the championship season but it also merits acknowledgement as a stand-alone achievement.

Bentley Falcons, 2015-‘16

Two seasons after the perfect campaign (and right after a rare losing season), this particular Bentley crew nailed down 29 wins and was the last one to advance past the Elite Eight from the region in the decade. Jen Gemma and Jane White were the only cogs from the ’14 team to be a part of this Barbara Stevens iteration and a young roster including Megan Lewis, Macchi Smith, Lauren Green and Victoria Lux supported them. They won the NE10 tourney by a combined 15 points in three games and turned back St. Anselm and Queens in the East Regional before taking a hard-earned 79-74 win over surging NYIT in the title game. Bentley had clearly matured quickly and showed their moxie with a crafty Elite Eight win over Virginia Union before undefeated (and eventual champion) Lubbock Christian ended their run. This Falcons team was a textbook example of winning with grit and leaving it all on the floor while making major improvement every time out.

Stonehill Skyhawks, 2017-‘18

Trisha Brown’s quest to win a regional title finally bore fruit with this team, a mixture of skill, character and resilience. Star guard Kelly Martin was the glue but her backcourt mate Courtney Walsh and forwards Samantha Hyslip and Elizabeth Grip filled central roles. The Skyhawks showed their capabilities by beating Division I Maine in a pre-season road encounter and dropped Adelphi and Le Moyne (the latter just barely) to reach the NE10 title game. Once there Stonehill lost an overtime classic to Bentley but they recovered to host the East Regional and knocked out Southern Connecticut and St. Thomas Aquinas to reach the same stage they stumbled on three previous times in Brown’s tenure. This time they got past the University of the Sciences, 71-61, to qualify for the Elite Eight for the first time in 23 years. A hotly contested defeat to Indiana (PA) on the national stage ended a superb season for Stonehill but it did not diminish the quality of their accomplishments nor dim the memories of a joyous run.

Division II East - 2010’s at a Glance

Regional Champions

NCAA Tournament Appearances

Conference Players of the Year

All-America 1^st Team Selections