Conference

After earning all-NEC second team honors last season, Kelly had a stellar junior campaign and is recognized as the 2002-03 NEC Player of the Year. She closed out the regular season leading the league with an astonishing 19 double-doubles, while averaging 16.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. She tops the league in rebounding and ranks third in the category nationally. Kelly stands second among the league leaders in field goal percentage (58.5%), third in scoring and is 13th in free throw percentage (72.3%). The dominating inside player will be a key factor in the #2 seed Quinnipiac’s run for an NEC title at this weekend’s tournament.

Rubino was selected NEC Rookie of the Year after averaging 12.4 points per game and 1.9 steals, while shooting 75.6% from the free throw line. The four-time NEC Rookie of the Week winner led Sacred Heart in steals and free throw percentage, and ranked second among freshmen in the league in scoring and first in steals per game. Rubino’s immediate contribution to the Pioneers helped Sacred Heart secure a third place tie in the NEC regular season standings.

Ward is rewarded for her standout backcourt play as the NEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, after ranking third in the conference with 2.6 steals per game. The outstanding play of the quick and athletic guard is a major part of St. Francis (PA)’s defense, which has resulted in the Red Flash ranking second in the league in steals per game (9.89 spg) and field goal percentage defense (38.2%). A huge factor in Ward’s defensive game is also how much of an offensive threat she becomes off it, averaging 13.8 points per game. Ward, a starter in both her sophomore and junior campaigns, helped pace the Red Flash to the #1 seed in this weekend’s NEC Tournament.

Hill was voted the Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year by her fellow coaches for the second consecutive season, after guiding St. Francis (PA) to a 12-0 start in conference play and the NEC Regular Season Championship with a 16-2 league mark and 20-7 overall record. It marks the third time in the last four years that the Red Flash have won the regular season crown under her guidance and the 16 league wins ties the school record for most NEC wins, which was set during the 1996-97 season. Hill has continued the Red Flash tradition of excellence, guiding her teams to NEC Championship titles in 1999-2000 and last season. In four years at the helm, she has amassed a .647 winning percentage (71-45) and is 6-0 in NEC Tournament play.

The all-conference first team is dominated by inside power players this season. Joining Kelly on the squad are senior forwards Carlin Chesick (Bloomingdale, IL/Lake Park) of St. Francis (PA) and Tamika Dudley (Woodbridge, VA/Woodbridge). Former NEC Rookies of the Year, junior forward Carrie Walker (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland) of Wagner and sophomore center Beth Swink (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville) of St. Francis (PA) round out the all-NEC first team.

A three-time all-NEC honoree and last year’s NEC Player of the Year, Dudley rounds out her collegiate career with another first team selection after averaging 15.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.6 spg. She ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, seventh in field goal percentage (46.9%) and assists, ninth in scoring and is 13th in steals. She currently owns LIU’s all-time records in scoring (1,700 pts.), field goals made (639), assists (371), free throws made (474) and games played (118). Dudley is the NEC’s active scoring (1,700 pts.) and rebounding (970) leader, while also ranking third in assists (372).

Chesick makes her second consecutive appearance on the all-NEC first team, after being named to the second team as sophomore. A member of two previous Red Flash championship squads, the senior averaged 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 76.1% from the charity stripe. She ranks seventh in the league in free throw percentage, ninth in rebounding and 11th in scoring. With 1,430 career points and 725 career rebounds, she falls only behind Dudley on the NEC’s active scoring and rebounding leaders list.

After being named NEC Rookie of the Year last season, Swink joins fellow teammate Chesick on the all-conference first team this year. She leads the league in field goal percentage for the second consecutive year, while also ranking fifth nationally with a .626 shooting percentage. Swink leads St. Francis (PA) in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg) and blocked shots (0.6 bpg), while also ranking second in steals (1.7 spg). She also stands among the top ten in the league leaders in all of the aforementioned categories.

Walker rounds out the inside dominated first team after averaging 15.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. She also shot 54.1% from the field and 78.2% from the free throw line. The 2000-01 NEC Rookie of the Year has posted 14 double-doubles on the season, leading the Seahawks in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Walker ranks second in the NEC in rebounding, fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in blocked shots and free throw percentage, seventh in scoring, ninth in steals and tied for 13th in assists.

Five different schools are represented on the all-conference second team, with three forwards and two guards being recognized. Senior forwards Rashawnah French (Newark, NJ/West Side) of Monmouth and Brooke Kelly (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) of Sacred Heart are joined by fellow classmate, guard Shalayna Johnson (Washington, DC/Calvin Coolidge) of UMBC. Junior forward Beth Foster (Elm City, NC/Fike) of Mount St. Mary’s and junior guard Natallia Marchanka (Rechitsa, Belarus/Republic School of Olympic Reserve) of Fairleigh Dickinson round out the all-conference second team honorees.

Foster, who earns her second consecutive nod on the all-NEC second team, continued to be the Mount’s go-to player this year after averaging 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.7% from the floor. The 6-0 power forward ranks third in the NEC in rebounding and field goal percentage and fifth in scoring. She is tied for second in the league in double-doubles with 14 this season.

French makes her way onto the all-conference second team for the first time after tallying 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots per game this year. The senior transfer, who played two seasons at Delaware State and two at MU under head coach Jackie DeVane, led the team in scoring, rebounding and free throw percentage (.784), while ranking second in blocked shots and field goal percentage (.452). Her inside presence was a big factor in the Hawks third-place tie with Long Island and Sacred Heart in the league standings.

Johnson worked her way into the postseason honors for the first time in her career, after having an outstanding senior campaign for the Retrievers this year. After missing the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury, she came back to average 21.9 points in 20 games and leads the league in conference only scoring with 22.6 ppg in NEC action. The outside sharp-shooter is averaging 3.3 three-pointers per game, converting 67-of-214 attempts from beyond the arc. She owns the top two scoring performances in the NEC this season, netting a school record 37 points versus Quinnipiac last week and 36 points against Robert Morris earlier in the season.

Kelly makes her second straight appearance on the all-NEC second team, after having been a 1999-00 all-rookie honoree. The versatile senior paced the Pioneers in scoring (13.5 ppg), and ranked second on the squad in rebounds (5.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (.449). An all-around threat with 40 assists, 25 steals, 12 blocks and 13 treys on the year, Kelly will be a key element to how far SHU advances in the NEC Tournament on their home campus this weekend. With 1,338 career points and 679 career rebounds, she ranks third and fourth, respectively on the NEC’s active scorers and rebounders list.

Marchanka closes out the all-NEC second team contingent after having led the league in scoring all season with 18.3 points per game. A first team honoree last year and all-rookie member in 2001, she is tied for the league lead in assists with 4.6 helpers per game and is tied for second in three-point field goals made per game (3.0). Marchanka also ranks third in the NEC in three-point field goal percentage (.393), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.10) and 10th in steals (1.7 pg).

In vast difference from the all-conference first and second team inside power players, the 2002-03 All-NEC Rookie Team is made up of all guards. Joining Rubino on the squad are Long Island freshmen Amber Wirth (Hastings, MN/Hastings) and Erin Pinchbeck (Albany, NY/Guilderland), Kim Boone (Poughkeepsie, NY/Our Lady of Lordes) of Central Connecticut State and Liz Whalen (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) of Monmouth.

Wirth, a four-time NEC Rookie of the Week, leads the league in three-point field goals made (3.1 pg) and tops all freshman in scoring with 12.7 points per game. With 88 converted three-point shots this year, she currently stands third on the Blackbirds all-time and single-season three-point made lists. Pinchbeck, a rookie of the week honoree on Jan. 27, is averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She leads the team in free throw percentage (.789), converting 45-of-57 from the charity stripe.