Sunday, November 11, 2007 
Mercy's Christina Baxter Named to Preseason All-ECC Second Team; Women's Basketball Tabbed to Finish Ninth, Men Picked 11th in Coaches Poll
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Mercy College women's basketball player Christina Baxter (Greenwood Lake, NY/Tuxedo) has been named to the Pre-season All-East Coast Conference (ECC) Second Team for the second straight season. The women's squad was picked to finish ninth and the men's team was picked to finish 11th in the preseason coaches poll.
Baxter earned conference Rookie of the Year honors in 2005-06, and followed up with an All-ECC Third Team selection as a sophomore. Last year she led the team and ranked among the league's top 10 in scoring (13.8 points), assists (4.0), and steals (2.4). She also averaged 4.6 rebounds per game and shot 45 percent from the field.
Baxter netted a career-high 29 points against C.W. Post on February 17, and posted a season-high nine assists at Concordia on February 3, while also scoring her 500th career point. She was named to the PrestoSports/MBWA Women's Basketball Honor Roll three times.
During her first year at the helm, Ashlee Kelly guided the women's program to a remarkable turnaround, stopping the program's losing streak at 52, and went on to finish 2006-07 with a 7-19 overall record. Mercy fell just short of making an ECC Tournament appearance at 5-15. The Mavericks return four letterwinners from that squad, all of which started at least 16 games.
The men's team finished 5-22 overall and 4-16 in ECC play. First year Head Coach Tony Staffiere will have five seniors from last year's squad back this season, four regular senior starters, and five players total who started 13 games or more.
2007-08 ECC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
(First place votes in parentheses)
|
School |
Points |
2006-07 Record (ECC) |
| New Haven (4) |
112 |
25-6 (17-3) |
| C.W. Post (6) |
110 |
18-12 (15-5) |
| Adelphi |
85 | 16-14 (14-6) |
| STAC |
80 | 15-14 (13-7) |
| Bridgeport |
78 | 13-15 (13-7) |
| Molloy |
76 | 15-14 (11-9) |
| Dowling |
63 | 11-17 (8-12) |
| NYIT |
47 | 10-18 (9-11) |
| Mercy (1) |
40 | 7-19 (5-15) |
| Queens |
24 | 6-21 (4-16) |
| Concordia |
11 | 1-26 (1-19) |
Preseason All Conference Teams
First Team
Gianna Smith, Sr. , F, Adelphi
Randi Bender, Sr., G, Molloy
Erica Bell, Sr., F, C.W. Post
Kymira Woodberry, So., G/F,
Molloy
Erika Ostrove, Sr., G, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Second Team
Brianna Rende, Jr., G, New Haven
Mary Lepore, Sr., G/F, Adelphi
Christina Baxter, Jr., G, Mercy
Whitney Murrer, Jr., F, C.W. Post
Jasmine Moore, So., G, C.W. Post
Preseason Player of the Year
Gianna Smith, Adelphi
2007-08 ECC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
(First place votes in parentheses)
|
School |
Points |
2006-07 Record (ECC) |
|
NYIT (6) |
111 |
20-9 (15-5) |
|
Bridgeport (3) |
103 |
22-9 (14-6) |
|
C.W. Post (2) |
98 |
19-11 (13-7) |
|
Adelphi |
88 |
18-13 (12-8) |
|
Molloy |
70 |
14-15 (10-10) |
|
New Haven |
63 |
9-19 (8-12) |
|
STAC |
57 |
11-17 (11-9) |
|
Queens |
49 |
14-14 (11-9) |
|
Dowling |
40 |
6-21 (5-15) |
|
Concordia |
33 |
8-18 (7-13) |
|
Mercy |
14 |
5-22 (4-16) |
Preseason All Conference Teams
First Team
Bryant Lassiter, Jr., G, NYIT
Cassius Chaney, So., F, New Haven
John Schmidt, Jr., G, C.W. Post
Rich Fields, Sr., G/F, Concordia
Glenn Martin, Sr., G/F, Molloy
Second Team
Kirk Stewart, Sr., G, NYIT
Khaleef Allicott, So., G, Queens
David Seagers, So., G, Dowling
Vincent Falzone, Sr., F, Molloy
Akeem Comas, Sr., F, Saint Thomas Aquinas
Preseason Player of the Year
Bryant Lassiter, NYIT
