St. Francis Brooklyn Women’s Basketball – 2018-19 Year in Review

2018-19 Record:
Overall Record: 18-13 (Home Record: 10-5 | Away Record: 7-7 | Neutral Court: 1-1).
 
Conference Record: 12-6 (Home Record: 7-2; Away Record: 5-4); finished in third-place in the Northeast Conference (NEC) standings, capturing the third seed for the conference tournament.
 
Most Impressive Wins: +7 at Morehead State in the Vinewood Farm Classic; +5 in three overtime periods at Loyola (MD); nine double-digit victories during the season, with three of those coming on the road.
 
Interesting Fact #1: With 12 wins in NEC play, the Terriers set the program record for conference wins in a season.
 
Interesting Fact #2: Whenever the Terriers were leading opponents at halftime, they were able to close out most of these contests with a victory, winning 12 of 14.
 
Interesting Fact #3: 2018-19 was the second-straight season in the program's history, where multiple Terrier teammates garnered NEC postseason honors in the same year. 
 
Statistical Review:
The Terriers won five more games, including three more conference games, then they had in 2017-18 (a record of 13-17, 9-9 NEC). Their scoring as a team increased by over 12 points per game (75.1 compared to 62.9 in 2017-18), while improving their field goal percentage (from 40.2% to 44.4%), three-point field goal percentage (36.5% to 38.5%), and free-throw percentage (67.9% to 75.5%). Their rebounding saw a spike, as well: from 36.3 to 40.8 per game. Defensively, St. Francis proved to be a bit quicker to the ball, improving their blocked shots from 54 to 73 attempts swatted away this year.
 
But it was in the team's assists category where the Terriers truly showed progress, recording over 100 more helpers than in 2017-18 (from 13.9 to 16.9 per game), a testament to their ability to quickly and effectively move the ball in wide-open attack mode.
 
When compared to their opponents' stats this year, the Terriers did very well, as you would expect from a team which captured 18 games. St. Francis beat their opposition in overall field goal accuracy (44.4% to 41.9%), three-point field goal accuracy (38.5% to 31.9%), free-throw accuracy (74.8% to 66.2%), rebounds (40.8 to 35.6 per game), and assists (16.9 to 14.6 per game).
 
The Terriers finished in either first or second in an impressive 13 of the NEC's 21 statistical categories. They led the Conference in Scoring Offense, Field Goal Percentage, Three-Point Field Goal Percentage, Free-Throw Percentage, Assists, Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.0), Rebounding Margin (+5.3), and Defensive Rebounds (28.2 per game). In addition, they finished second among their NEC peers in Scoring Margin (+4.5), in both Rebounding Offense and Rebounding Defense, and in Offensive Rebounding Percentage (35.3%), and Defensive Rebounding Percentage (69.6%).  
 
Personnel Review:
Players winning NEC Honors in 2018-19 (3):
Amy O'Neill, All-Northeast Conference First Team
Jade Johnson, All-Northeast Conference, Second Team
Ebony Horton, Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team
 
Terriers returning for 2019-20:
Jade Johnson, 5-9 Jr. G, 30 games, 30 starts (19.9 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, 1.4 assists per game, 25 steals); Ally Lassen 6-1 So. F, 31 games, 13 starts (10.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 10 blocks, 17 steals); Abby Anderson, 5-11 So. F, 31 games (3.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 10 steals). 

Season Assessment:
When St. Francis head coach Linda Cimino took over the helm of the program in the Spring of 2018, she promised an exciting, up-tempo brand of basketball on Remsen Street. The Terriers provided their fans with just that in 2018-19 as the senior-laden group bought in almost immediately and they were off to the races.
 
"It was an exciting first year. I was proud of the way these young women responded to change. I am appreciative of coach Thurston for recruiting such talented student-athletes and instilling a solid foundation that we can continue to build on in the future. I thought we got the most out of each person as individuals which helped us build as a program. Ultimately, every coach wants to win more games, but I thought by breaking the program's conference record for wins, that was a positive and it's something we can build on," said coach Cimino.
 
Before 2018-19, the Brooklyn Heights program had never racked up 100 points in a game. But, under coach Cimino, the Terriers put up 100 points in three of their first five contests. Two of those 100-plus outings came on the road in the Vinewood Farms Classic against Morehead State and Chicago State respectively.
 
St. Francis started the season by winning four of its first five games, before finishing the non-conference portion of their schedule at 6-7. The Terriers then won 12 of 18 NEC contests, while finishing again in third-place and hosting a conference quarterfinal home game at the Pope Physical Education Center for the first time in program history. Despite coming into that game on a three-game winning streak, the Terriers fell to Mount St. Mary's by six points, ending what must be viewed as a successful year.
 
One of the most impressive wins by St. Francis in this or any season had to be a seven-point victory over a talented Morehead State team, which hosted the Vinewood Farms Classic. The Eagles finished second in a very competitive Ohio Valley Conference, concluding their year with a postseason invitation to the prestigious Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) and a 24-11 record.  
 
The 18 wins St. Francis posted this past season were the most victories since the Terriers' 19 wins back in 2013-14. The 12 Conference wins were also the highest NEC total ever recorded by the St. Francis women's program. Coach Cimino's squad won the most home games (10) since the 12 wins were captured at the Pope in 2013-14. In addition, St. Francis qualified for the NEC playoffs for the third season in a row.
 
"It was also nice to see some of the young ladies achieve personal accolades and accomplishments. They obviously can't do that without their teammates and without team success, that's always something you can build on as well. I'm excited about the future and moving forward, while being able to recruit from all over the world because we're located in New York City. Being located in New York City our location to everything has afforded us the opportunity to recruit both domestically and internationally. I appreciate the support we received from not only the athletics community, but from the entire SFC community. It's nice to see how many opportunities the student-athletes are afford on campus. I think we have a lot of potential to build here and the Northeast Conference is a great league to be a part of," added coach Cimino.
 
There were also plenty of individual achievements by this Terrier team for which they received well-deserved recognition, both during the season and in the postseason. However, few players have had a more memorable year than senior Amy O'Neill, who many regard as one of the finest point guards to ever wear a St. Francis uniform.
 
O'Neill finished among the NEC leaders in Assists (1^st), Assist/Turnover Ratio (1^st), Minutes Played (1^st), Steals (2^nd), Defensive Rebounds (4^th), Rebounding (7^th), Free-Throw Percentage (10^th), Field Goal Percentage (11^th), and Scoring (16^th). During the season, she recorded a rare statistical triple-double not once, but twice. O'Neill made her mark nationally as well, leading the entire NCAA Division I in 2018-19 in Assists Per Game (8.6 per game) and finishing third in Total Assists (268). Her incredible assist total broke both the NEC and the St. Francis record for Assists in a single-season. The tireless Australian accomplished all this by playing almost 38 minutes a game.   
 
"The first day I met Amy I named her a captain. She was always team-first and handled herself like a professional. Not only was she a coach on the court, but she was a coach in practice. She was a tremendous player, person, captain, and leader. I can't say enough good things about her and I will miss her terribly," said coach Cimino.
 
The team MVP was named to the All-Conference First Team as a result of her history-making season. Other accolades included her selection to the Division I Athletic Directors Association (ADA) Scholar-Athlete Team, the All-Met Second Team, and the All-ECAC Honorable Mention List. The Accounting major topped off her collegiate career on Remsen Street by being named St. Francis' Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award by virtue of her outstanding 3.86 GPA.
 
Fellow Aussie Jade Johnson, who hails from Adelaide, had her own note-worthy season. One of the premier scorers in the Conference, the 5-foot-9 guard made the All-NEC Second Team for her second year in a row, earned the Battle of Brooklyn MVP honor.
 
Johnson led the Terrier squad in Scoring, while putting her name into the St. Francis record books by scoring her 1,000^th point during 2018-19 and setting a new St. Francis standard for most points scored in a single-season (598). Her 100 three-pointers this year also shattered the existing Terrier record and she's listed among the best players in St. Francis history for both Field Goals and Free-Throws Made in a Season, as well as Career Three-Point Field Goals Made.  
 
"Jade Johnson is a game changer. She plays the game with such a level of confidence and composer. She hits big shots in big moments. She's a great young woman, a good leader, and plays the game the right way. She has a serious sense of purpose and is another person that carries herself like a professional on and off the court," noted coach Cimino.
 
She cemented her All-NEC status by finishing among the Conference leaders in Free-Throw Percentage (1^st), Scoring (2^nd), Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (2^nd), and Three-Point Field Goals Made (2^nd), while the Junior's name featured prominently in the Defensive Rebounds category. She was also listed in the NCAA Division I national rankings in Free-Throw Percentage (6^th), Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (15^th), and Three-Point Field Goals Made Per Game (T12^th). And, just like her teammate, Johnson was almost as tireless, finishing second in the NEC to O'Neill in Minutes Played (36.9 per game).
 
While O'Neill and Johnson seemed to be on the court almost every minute, Terrier fans couldn't help but see the obvious strides being made by Sophomore front-courter Ally Lassen from Point Pleasant, NJ. Her scoring increased by 10 points per game and her work on the glass spiked by almost five rebounds from her first campaign in Brooklyn Heights. Lassen's remarkable improvement earned her The Coaches' Award for her efforts. Terrier fans felt that she was a strong candidate for the Conference's Most Improved Player honor, as she finished her season among the NEC's leaders in Scoring (15^th), Rebounding (15^th), Field Goal Percentage (1^st), and Offensive Rebounds (7^th). Lassen hit on almost 57% of her field goal attempts.
 
"Ally is one of the most improved players I've ever coached from start to finish. When we got her in here in July, we worked on her hands. Ally is a really good student, she wants to get better, and wants to learn. The number one thing about her is that she's receptive and willing. As a staff, we drilled things with her, we gave her two or three moves to use, and she really perfected them. I think she was the most improved player in the league. She became a rim-runner and got out in transition and was able to catch and finish. Amy, obviously helped by creating and dumping into her. I believe Ally has a huge future ahead of her," commented coach Cimino.
 
The Terriers were a very experienced group this season, with timely contributions made again and again by upperclassmen. And that most certainly included 5-10 senior Maria Palarino.
 
The Irwin, PA native left her mark on the program, playing multiple positions as a Terrier and joining Johnson in the school's 1,000-point club. You'll also find the versatile Palarino's name listed among St. Francis' career leaders in rebounding. She finished fourth on the Terriers in scoring this year, and second in both rebounds and assists, while working her way into several of the Conference's statistical leader boards: Scoring, Rebounds, Free-Throw Percentage, and Offensive and Defensive Rebounds. Palarino finished second only to teammate Lassen in NEC Field Goal Percentage (.522).
 
Other key players for coach Cimino in 2018-19 included graduate student Dominique Ward, red-shirt junior Mia Ehling, sophomore Abby Anderson, and freshman Ebony Horton. All saw substantial playing time, averaging between 10 to 20 minutes per game this past season.
 
Ward, a 5-11 guard from Trenton, New Jersey, and a transfer from Rhode Island, started 22 games for the Red & Blue, averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, while her quickness allowed her to lead the team in Blocks with 30. Horton's 8.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game earned the 5-10 guard 23 starts and Conference All-Rookie honors. Holmdel, NJ native Ehling contributed four starts at guard for coach Cimino, registering 4.2 points per game and shooting an incredible 45.5 percent from beyond the three-point line. The 5-8 Garden Stater's percentage led the entire NEC. Anderson played in all 31 Terrier contests. The 5-11 forward from Scranton, PA again showed a well-rounded game and produced 3.4 points per game and 2.4 rebounds from the bench.
 
"As a new coaching staff, this senior led group made it easier for us. We were fortunate to inherit a program where there was already a solid foundation in place. Obviously, any time you can inherit seniors that are great young women and work really hard, it makes for an easy transition for a staff. I know we appreciated them and their leadership was very important to our success," noted Cimino.
 
In addition, 6-0 senior forward Lorraine Hickman (1.0 ppg and 0.6), 5-10 Senior guard Dana DiRenzo (1.0 ppg and 1.3 rpg), 6-3 Junior forward Samantha Keltos (1.3 ppg and 0.9 rpg), and 5-7 Freshman guard Kate Bauhof (1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 90% on free-throws) all contributed to St. Francis' impressive 18-win effort.
 
Over the years, the women's basketball program at St. Francis has developed a strong academic reputation and the 2018-19 season was no different. Thirteen student-athletes from this Terrier team were honored by the NEC for their achievements in the classroom.
 
Dana DiRenzo, Mia Ehling, Lorraine Hickman, Amy O'Neill, Maria Palarino, Tori Wagner, and Dominique Ward were selected for Winter NEC Honors. Also joining them were juniors Jade Johnson and Samantha Keltos, as well as sophomores Abby Anderson, Casey Carangelo and Ally Lassen. In addition, DiRenzo was awarded the coveted St. Francis' Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award by virtue of a perfect 4.0 GPA and an incredibly solid four-year career in a Red & Blue uniform. DiRenzo was also named the 2019 St. Francis College Co-Valedictorian for its Spring Commencement.