Four Blue Angels Named All-Independent; Ellis Named Player of the Year

The College of New Rochelle junior forward Jah-Leah Ellis (Harlem, NY/Hum School of Princeton) has been named the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Women's Basketball Player of the Year, and headlines the 2013-14 All-Independent teams that were announced by the conference recently.  This marks the first time a Blue Angel has received Player of the Year honors from AD3I.  Ellis is one of four Blue Angels that were recognized with All-Independent status. 

Sophomore center Jasmine Brandon (Jersey City, NJ/St. Anthony) was named First Team All-Independent, while junior guard Alyssa Pechin (Yonkers, NY/Our Lady of Victory) earned Second Team All-Independent honors.  Senior guard Holly Cammarota (Bronx, NY/St. Vincent Ferrer) was recognized as Honorable Mention All-Independent.

Ellis adds First Team All-Independent honors to her Player of the Year accolade after posting a breakout season in her first year at The College of New Rochelle.   The forward ranked first in the conference for rebounds per game (15.2 rpg), second for points per game (20.0 ppg), third for assists per game (3.6 apg), fourth for field goal percentage (45.2%), and fifth in steals per game (2.3 spg).  Ellis was named AD3I Women's Basketball Player of the Week three times and was the AD3I Student-Athlete of the Month for November.  Ellis is ranked among the NCAA Division III leaders in rebounding average (#2), double-doubles (#7) and scoring average (#26).  Her all around talent was exemplified with two 30-point, 20-rebound games, the first time that had been accomplished by a Blue Angel since the 2007-08 season.

Brandon, who was named AD3I Rookie of the Year last season, earned First Team All-Independent honors for the second time.   The center ranked first in the conference points per game (22.3 ppg) and field goal percentage (52.2%), and third in rebounds per game (10.4 rpg). She posted three games with 40 or more points, a number that led NCAA Division III and was also among the national leaders in scoring average (#10), double-doubles (#44) and field goal percentage (#48).  Brandon established a new school record for points in a game, pouring in 47 in a road win over Albertus Magnus College.  She was a four-time AD3I Player of the Week, earned AD3I Student-Athlete of the Month recognition in January, and was twice named to the D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week, an honor no Blue Angel had ever been received before.

Pechin receives All-Independent status for the third consecutive season after ranking second in the conference in assists per game (4.0 apg), fourth in steals per game (2.5 spg), fifth in three point field goal percentage (32.7%), and sixth in free throw percentage (76.2%) and assist to turnover ratio (1.1:1).  The 2011-12 AD3I Rookie of the Year, , Pechin became just the sixth CNR player, and first since 1986, to achieve 1,000 career points in the Blue Angels’ historic win over St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn in the regular season finale.  

Cammarota, the lone senior starter and the only player to start every game for the Blue Angels, earned All-Independent status for the first time.  On the season, she averaged 6.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals while playing nearly 35 minutes a game.  Cammarota reached double-figures in scoring six times, including a career-high 17 against Pine Manor College while pulling down five or more rebounds from her guard position 13 times.  In the Blue Angels’ final four games, all wins, she upped her output, averaging 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in helping CNR capture their first HVIAC Tournament Championship.

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