NEW YORK | The 10 Skyline Conference women's basketball head coaches cast their votes on the 2022-23 edition of the all-conference team, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy senior forward/center Lauren Hunter has been selected as Player of the Year.
Hunter (above) guided the Mariners to the No. 1 overall seed in the Skyline Conference Women's Basketball Championship, leading the team with 18 double-doubles to cap the regular season – good enough for seventh in the nation. Her 12.8 rebounds per game was also seventh best in country. Hunter finished the regular season ranked 21st in points per game in all of NCAA Division III with 20.4.
The Player of the Year honor comes just days after Hunter was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 tournament. She led the Mariners past No. 2 Manhattanville with a game-high 18 points in the final. Her mentor, Matt Dempsey, has been tabbed the Coach of the Year for the second time in his career in voting conducted by his peers, while breakout newcomer Amanda Orlando of Manhattanville takes home Rookie of the Year and lockdown defender Asia Rivera of Mount Saint Mary has been named Defensive Player of the Year.
In addition, Hunter is joined on the First Team by Manhattanville standouts Julianna Kascic and Jamison Agostino. St. Joseph's-Long Island's Alyssa Adomaites, Yeshiva's Yuval Nitzan and Mount Saint Mary's Katie Smith complete the First Team.
Dempsey (above) is in his 15th season at the helm of USMMA and holds a record of 191-167. This is his third conference championship. He led the Mariners to back-to-back crowns and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, Dempsey was selected as the Skyline Coach of the Year as well as the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Division III Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.
Orlando (below), a five-time Skyline Rookie of the Week, finished third best in points per game (9.9) and assists per game (1.8) for the runner-up Valiants. She also was second on the team in field goal percentage (.433) and in steals per game (2.1), ranking among the top rookies in all categories.
Rivera (below) paced MSMC with 2.4 steals per game and contributed 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for the third-seeded Knights.
The Second Team is highlighted by USMMA champions Madison Demos and Grace Jackson. Mount Saint Vincent's Amber Been, St. Joseph's-Long Island's Lanyah Ford and St. Joseph's-Brooklyn's Emma Kiley complete the Second Team after leading their respective teams to the postseason.
Below is the complete 2022-23 Skyline Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Team:
First Team
Alyssa Adomaites, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Jamison Agostino, Manhattanville
Lauren Hunter, USMMA
Julianna Kascic, Manhattanville
Yuval Nitzan, Yeshiva
Katie Smith, Mount Saint Mary
Second Team
Amber Been, Mount Saint Vincent
Madison Demos, USMMA
Lanyah Ford, St. Joseph's-Long Island
Grace Jackson, USMMA
Emma Kiley, St. Joseph's-Brooklyn
Player of the Year: Lauren Hunter, USMMA
Defensive Player of the Year: Asia Rivera, Mount Saint Mary
Rookie of the Year: Amanda Orlando, Manhattanville
Coach of the Year: Matt Dempsey, USMMA (15th year)