No fancy description needed to relay my excitement. Collegiate games are underway! Official games at the Division I & II levels began Friday, November 10. Nearly a dozen former EST summer league participants have tipped off their seasons with D1/D2 programs to date, either in their freshman or sophomore campaigns. A quick list:
- Danielle Migliore, the lone D1 sophomore on this list, has produced the most notable performance of the first two days. The inaugural EST girls' league MVP, now starting at the wing for St. Bonaventure, played 32 minutes & dropped a game high 21 points on 8/13 from the field and 5/9 from behind the arc. She added 5 rebounds, and her Bonnies rode a huge 3rd quarter into a 76-58 W over visiting Niagara.
- Former EST 1st teamers Julia Kelner, Saeeda Abdul-Aziz, and CeCe Mayo all had solid collegiate debuts at the Division I level, showing that they have the potential to be instant impact players for their teams. Kelner got the starting nod for Bryant in their opener, and she was a bright spot against a high-major opponent with solid play in the post. Kelner finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 22 minutes of action, but they fell at Boston College, 65-42. Abdul-Aziz saw solid rotational minutes off the bench for Davidson and was productive with her time in a competitive victory. She finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in a 70-57 victory over Western Carolina. Mayo's Albany squad ran into the same fate as Kelner's group, as they ran into a #15 Maryland buzzsaw and fell 91-58, but she'll be someone that may prove important for the Great Danes as the year goes on. She contributed 3 points & 5 rebounds in 14 minutes of action off the bench in her debut.
- Former EST teammates and Foothills Council rivals Lucy Tougas and Nina Fedullo had their collegiate debuts on Saturday for Queens and Saint Rose, respectively, and both had solid performances while receiving good minutes off the bench. Tougas knocked down both of her shot attempts and registered 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block in 16 minutes - Queens lost their opener to Jefferson, the artist formerly known as Phila U, 60-54. St. Rose started off their '17-'18 campaign with a 61-43 victory over Concordia; Nina saw 22 minutes of action, one of four players to receive 20 or more minutes. She went 3/6 from the field and finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal. Good individual starts to their collegiate careers!
- Nerea Brajac also had her collegiate debut Saturday for Georgian Court. The Cohoes grad saw 12 minutes off the bench, which would've likely been more if not for bumping into some foul trouble. She finished with 2 points and a rebound in their 78-60 defeat at the hands of Merrimack.
- Dominican (Samira Sangare), Florida Southern (Tara Sager), and Le Moyne (Liz Millea) all had their season openers as well. Dominican fell to 0-2 with losses to Mercy and St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida Southern split a pair on Friday and Saturday, and Le Moyne also split a pair with a victory over Goldey-Beacom and a loss to USciences.
Sunday's action:
- Queens (Lucy Tougas) vs. Chestnut Hill @ Jefferson - 12:00
- Bryant (Julia Kelner, Brooke Bjelko) @ Brown - 1:00
- St. Bonaventure (Danielle Migliore) @ Siena - 2:00
- Davidson (Saeeda Abdul-Aziz) @ NC State - 2:00
- St. Rose (Nina Fedullo) @ Georgian Court (Nerea Brajac) - 3:00
Best of luck to all - you can catch me at Siena in the afternoon!
No comments:
Post a Comment