CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – American senior forward Cecily Carl was named the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player of the Year after pacing the Eagles to share of the regular season title and the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament. The postseason major awards and all-League honors were announced by the League office Friday.
Carl, a 2019 preseason all-league team member, helped the Eagles to 16 League wins as she averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season.
Lafayette sophomore forward Natalie Kucowski earned defensive player of the year honors, after leading the League in blocks with 2.4 per game and finishing second with 11.2 rebounds per game.
A four-time Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week, Holy Cross freshman guard Avery LaBarbera claimed rookie of the year honors after finishing the regular season second on the Crusaders in scoring with 11.7 points per game.
Boston University Head Coach Marisa Moseley was picked as coach of the year, after guiding the Terriers to the program’s best League finish in the six seasons Boston University has been in the Patriot League.
The Patriot League major awards and all-League teams were voted on by Patriot League women’s basketball head coaches, who could not vote for their own student-athletes or themselves.
2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player of the Year
Cecily Carl, American, Sr., F, Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg
* Carl started in all 29 regular season contests this year leading the Eagles with 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to go with a .881 free throw percentage.
* The 2018 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament MVP has scored at least 20 points or more in seven of the last 10 games.
* She scored a record-breaking 37 points in the 71-66 victory versus Colgate on Feb. 2, to set an American women’s basketball single-game record.
* Carl now has 1,405 career points putting her in the fourth spot in the all-time scoring list at American.
2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year
Natalie Kucowski, Lafayette, So., F/C, Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Basil Academy
* Kucowski leads the League and ranks 26th in NCAA DI with 2.38 blocks per game with 69 total in 29 games played.
* Her 7.7 defensive rebounds per game helped the Leopards to second in the League with 27.2 defensive boards per game.
* The sophomore is fourth in the conference in points per game (14.5), second in rebounds per game (11.2) and third in offensive rebounds (3.5).
2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year
Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Fr., G, Harrison, N.Y./Harrison
* LaBarbera garnered rookie of the year honors after ending the regular season with 11.7 points per game, to go with 85 assists and 39 steals.
* The freshman guard hit a career-best six 3-pointers in the Crusaders’ 80-67 win over Colgate on Saturday, March 2, tallying 22 points.
* LaBarbera was named Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week four times this season, more than any other women’s basketball student-athlete this year.
2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Marisa Moseley, Boston University, First Season
* Moseley led Boston U. to its best finish in the Patriot League standings by claiming the No. 4 seed. The Terriers will host a League quarterfinal game for the first time on Monday.
* She became the first rookie Terriers head coach to post a winning record since JoAnn O’Callaghan went 18-9 during the 1979-80 season.
* Moseley guided Boston University to its first winning season since the 2012-13 season while leading the Terriers to their first wins at Bucknell and Navy this season.
* Moseley is just the second coach in the program’s 43-year history to be named the conference coach of the year and is the first since Kelly Greenberg earned the honor from the America East during the 2008-09 season.
2018-19 All-Patriot League Teams
Carl, a three-time all-League selection, is joined on the All-Patriot League First Team by fellow three-time members Army West Point senior forward Madison Hovren (19.0 ppg) and Bucknell senior forward Kaitlyn Slagus (12.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg). Bucknell junior forward Ellie Mack (12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) joins teammate Slagus on the first-team along with a pair of two-time all-League selections in Holy Cross junior forward and Preseason Player of the Year Lauren Manis (17.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and Lehigh junior guard Camryn Buhr (12.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Natalie Kucowski pulled down 11.2 rebounds per game to go with 14.5 points per game this season to earn a spot on the second team. American senior guard Elina Koskimies (11.4 ppg) and Boston University junior guard Payton Hauck (12.3 ppg) were also named to the second-team, receiving their first all-League recognition. Bucknell senior guard Kate Walker, a two-time all-League honoree, capped the regular-season with 10.8 points per game for a second-team nod. Colgate junior guard Rachel Thompson led the Raiders with 13.0 points per game to be named to the second-team.
Boston University placed two student-athletes on the third-team, including junior forward Nia Irving (11.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and sophomore guard Katie Nelson (9.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg). Irving was also an all-League third-team selection last season. LaBarbera, the rookie of the year, was named the third-team after scoring 11.7 points per game during the regular season. Loyola Maryland junior guard Stephanie Karcz (9.5 rpg, 4.3 spg), a two-time all-League selection, and Navy freshman guard Jennifer Coleman (13.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg) round out the third-team.
Due to a tie in voting, six members were placed on the all-defensive team, including Kucowski, the defensive player of the year. Loyola Maryland’s Karcz collected all-defensive accolades for the third time after leading the League in steals (4.3 spg) and finishing fourth in rebounding (9.5 rpg). American’s Koskimies, Colgate’s Thompson (7.2 rpg) Lehigh junior guard Hannah Hedstrom (5.1 rpg) and Navy senior guard Bianca Roach (3.2 rpg, 2.0 spg) were selected to the defensive team.
LaBarbera is joined on the Patriot League All-Rookie Team by American guard Jade Edwards (6.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Boston University forward Riley Childs (7.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Loyola Maryland guard Taleah Dixon (8.9 ppg) and Navy’s Coleman.
2018-19 Women’s Basketball All-Patriot League Team and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Cecily Carl, American, Sr., C
Defensive Player of the Year: Natalie Kucowski, Lafayette, So., F/C
Rookie of the Year: Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Fr., G
Coach of the Year: Marisa Moseley, Boston University
First-Team All-Patriot League
Cecily Carl, American, Sr., C
Madison Hovren, Army West Point, Sr., F
Kaitlyn Slagus, Bucknell, Sr., F
Ellie Mack, Bucknell, Jr., F
Lauren Manis, Holy Cross, Jr., F
Camryn Buhr, Lehigh, Jr., G
Second-Team All-Patriot League
Elina Koskimies, American, Sr., G
Payton Hauck, Boston University, Sr., G
Kate Walker, Bucknell, Sr., G
Rachel Thompson, Colgate, Jr., G
Natalie Kucowski, Lafayette, So. F/C
Third-Team All-Patriot League
Nia Irving, Boston University, Jr., F
Katie Nelson, Boston University, So., G
Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, Fr., G
Stephanie Karcz, Loyola Maryland, Jr., G
Jennifer Coleman, Navy, Fr., G
All-Defensive Team
Elina Koskimies, American, Sr., G
Rachel Thompson, Colgate, Jr., G
Natalie Kucowski, Lafayette, So., F/C
Hannah Hedstrom, Lehigh, Jr., G
Stephanie Karcz, Loyola Maryland, So., G
Bianca Roach, Navy, Sr., G
All-Rookie Team
Jade Edwards, American, G
Riley Childs, Boston University, F
Avery LaBarbera, Holy Cross, G
Taleah Dixon, Loyola Maryland, G
Jennifer Coleman, Navy, G
* Due to ties in voting, there are six members on the first-team and the all-defensive team.
^ Due to ties in voting, there are five members on the third-team.