Women's Basketball | 2/18/2020 7:21:00 AM
New York, New York | After three straight trips to the CUNYAC Community College Women's Basketball Championships, BMCC will look to return to the final for a fourth consecutive season. On Tuesday night, the second-seeded Kingsborough Community College Wave will square off against the third-seeded Panthers at 6 p.m., and then three-time defending champion and top-seed Hostos Community College will cap off the night against fourth-seeded Queensborough at 8 p.m. at BMCC Gymnasium.
CUNYAC Championship Central- Link
Making The Trip To BMCC Gymnasium To Attend?
If you are making the trip down to New York, New York, for the Semifinals, please note that there is no admission fee for the game on Tuesday Night. For more information, go to the CUNYAC Championship Tickets Page.
Malcolm and Preston Bringing It Down
Sophomore Lauren Malcolm (Bronx, New York) enters the 2020 CUNYAC Community College Women's Basketball Championship off of three consecutive double-digit rebounding performances, including her team-leading twelfth and 26th for her career. Malcolm has also brought down a team- and career-high 12.1 rebounds per game (218 total rebounds), while moving into fourth in school history last Thursday with 405 career rebounds. Freshman Shyasia Preston (Far Rockaway, New York) has been her partner in crime on the glass hauling down 8.9 rebounds per game (161 total rebounds), second on the team, while both are have posted a team-best two 20 rebound games this season.
Both Malcolm and Preston teamed up to become the first Panther players in program history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single game. The two forwards both put up the first 20 point and 20 rebound game in three seasons since Ashley Brooks did it back on Jan. 24, 2017 against Nassau Community. Both had double-digit rebounding efforts in the Panthers last matchup against Kingsborough (15 rebounds from Malcolm and 14 rebounds from Preston). Preston is also second on the team with eight double-digit rebound games.
Autum The Answer
Sophomore Autum Adams-Edwards (Brooklyn, New York) has found her scoring touch entering Tuesday's semifinals matchup with four straight double-figure games, including her team-leading eleventh and 22nd of her career last Thursday. Adams-Edwards leads the Panthers with 12.8 points per game and put up a career-high 26 points against Kingsborough back on Jan. 14. She moved into ninth in school history last week with 465 career points and has also put up three double-figure games against CUNYAC opponents this season.
A Closer Look At The Teams
Hostos Community College- Record: 20-6 (8-1 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
Kingsborough- Record: 11-7 (6-2 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
BMCC Panthers- Record: 5-14 (4-4 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
Queensborough- Record: 3-20 (2-6 CUNYAC) – Roster – Schedule – Stats
How They Got Here
Three-time defending conference champion and the two-time defending national champion Hostos Community College Caimans earned the top seed in the 2020 CUNYAC Basketball Championships for the fourth consecutive season after posting a perfect 8-0 record in league play. The No. 4 nationally-ranked Caimans have won 34 straight contests against CUNYAC competition and haven't dropped a conference game in four years.
Hostos ended the regular season at 21-7 and come into Tuesday's CUNYAC semifinals with an 11-game winning streak while seeking their third straight CUNYAC title.
Kingsborough is penciled in as the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season 11-7 overall and 6-2 in CUNYAC play. The Wave enter the 2020 CUNYAC Basketball Championships after making significant strides this season, improving their win total by eight games overall and four more in conference play. Kingsborough's only two losses in CUNYAC action were to top-seeded Hostos, while they swept Queensborough, Bronx, and BMCC in both contests this season.
BMCC enters the 2020 CUNYAC Women's Basketball Championship as the No. 3-seed as winners of two of their last three contests. The Panthers finished the season with a 4-4 record in league play and 5-14 overall this year. BMCC defeated Queensborough 60-31 back in November and 46-28 at home two weeks ago, while also sweeping Bronx Community College in both matchups this season.
Queensborough makes their third straight appearance in the CUNYAC Women's Basketball championships, after finishing the regular season 3-20 and 2-6 in conference play. The Tigers' two victories on the season were against Bronx Community College last December and earlier in January.
Scouting Hostos
Head Coach Devernie Winston, in his fifth season (121-32), has led the Caimans to two consecutive national championships and three straight CUNYAC titles since he took the helm in 2015. After losing 14 games his first season, he posted a 31-win output the following season in 2016-17, best of his career and his program sports a 34-game conference winning streak entering the tournament. The No.4 nationally-ranked Caimans are in the top 10 in the country in three statistical categories, allowing 48.3 points per game and registering 18.1 steals per game, which is fourth, while shooting 44.7% from the field which is seventh the nation.
Sophomore Moreina Moore, a six-time CUNYAC Player of the Week, leads the Caiman offensive attack with a team-high 19.1 points per game, which is also tied for 29th in the country. She is also second in three-pointers made (35) and assists (61) while ranking third in rebounds (130) and steals (79). Freshman Sharay Hannah, the four-time CUNYAC Rookie of the Week, leads the nation in steals (131) and is fifth nationally in steals per game (5.2). She has also dished out a team-high 135 assists (5.5 assists per game), which is also tied for fourth in the nation, and ranking is second on the team with a 14.6 scoring average and third with 25 three-pointers made. Classmates Aisha Traore and Keyanna Glover are Hostos' top rebounder and three-point shooter this season. Traore has brought down a team-high 230 total rebounds (9.2 rebounds per game), with 11 double-digit rebounding performances and three double-doubles, while Glover has drained a team-best 41 three-pointers this year. Fellow underclassman and two-time Conference Rookie of the Week, Ayanna Brown is also tied first with three double-doubles while her nine double-digit rebound games and 176 rebounds are second.
Meeting Kingsborough
Third-year head coach Brandon Bain has guided the Wave to the best season ever at the helm. Bain's squad posted an 11-7 overall mark and finished 6-2 in CUNYAC play, improving by eight wins overall and four in conference play.
Freshman Tiffany Bogle, a two-time CUNYAC Player of the Week, leads Kingsborough in scoring at 21.2 points per game with three 20-point performances and two 30-point games in league play this season, including a season-best 34 points at home against BMCC on Nov. 6, 2019. She also leads the Wave in rebounding with 145 total rebounds (8.1 rebounds per game) and blocks with 12.
Classmate Keyanna Elrington has grabbed 123 rebounds, which is second on the team. Classmates Magdalena and Kinga Kupras are first and second on the Wave in steals with 62 and 60, respectively. Magdalena also dished out a team-best 101 assists, which also tied 25thin the nation.
Meeting BMCC
Second-year head coach Eric Almonte has brought the Panthers to two straight CUNYAC Women's Basketball Tournaments and is seeking a return trip to the finals. In four years with the program with two of them as an assistant, he has directed the Lady Panthers four consecutive trips to the CUNYAC Community College playoffs and three straight appearances in the title game. BMCC won its previous CUNYAC Tournament semifinal game under his direction last year by a score of 57-33 over Queensborough Community College.
Adams-Edwards spearheads the Panthers on offense, leading all scorers with 12.8 points per game and 18 three-pointers made while dishing out a team-best 27 assists. Malcolm leads the Panthers on defense with a career- and team-high 46 steals and 218 total rebounds to go along with six blocks, which is second. Malcolm is also second in scoring at 8.9 points per game, also a career-best.
Preston has swatted a team-high eight blocks this season, while also being second in rebounding (161 total rebounds-8.9 RPG) and tied second in assists (20) with fellow frosh Quiana Baez (Queens, New York). Her 6.4 points per game average are also third on the team.
Getting to Know Queensborough
Queensborough took a step back in the second season under head coach Camille Romero. The Tigers only won two league games this season after winning five a season ago, which was their first winning record in conference play since 2014-2015.
Freshman Biana Briere, a CUNYAC Rookie of the Week, leads the Tigers in scoring with 10.1 points per game and rebounding with 172 total rebounds (12.3 rebounds per game). Classmates Brooke Beards, a CUNYAC Rookie of the Week and Jordan Grierare tops in assists (39) and blocks (15), while both are also tied for second in total rebounds and steals with 107 and 24 each, respectively. Fellow underclassman is Dianne Biterski leads, the Tigers with 37 steals.
For more information on the game, go to the CUNYAC Homepage.
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The athletic program at Borough of Manhattan Community College encompasses a total of six varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
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