SUNYAC Announces 2020 Women's Basketball Top Honors
CORTLAND, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announces its 2020 Women's Basketball individual awards and All-Conference teams, which were nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
Player of the Year - Beth Bonin, Cortland
Beth Bonin was an essential part of the Cortland Red Dragons success this season starting 26 out of 28 games, averaging 18.2 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2 steals per game. Cortland finished the regular season 14-4 in the conference to earn the second seed and a bye into the 2020 SUNYAC women's basketball semifinal. Bonin totaled 21 points and took down 11 rebounds during the SUNYAC tournament to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team. The Red Dragons fell to the No. 1 seed, New Paltz, in the SUNYAC championship game (53-63), but earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. They will face Western New England in the first round on Friday.
Rookie of the Year - Nyia Longford, Cortland
Nyia Longford averaged 10.9 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game in her rookie season. She played in 27 games for the Red Dragons scoring a season high 21 points against Geneseo in regular season play. She registered two double-doubles this season and added 38 assists, 26 steals and 11 blocks. Longford was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after totaling 23 points and 15 rebounds against Geneseo and Cortland. Longford will make her first NCAA appearance on Friday as the Red Dragons travel to play Western New England.
Coaching Staff of the Year, Cortland
Cortland has earned the first-ever SUNYAC Women's Basketball Coaching Staff of the Year recognition. In her second season as Cortland's women's basketball head coach, Jacey Brooks and her assistants Allison Braun and Imani Lariosa led the Red Dragons to a second place finish in the SUNYAC championship. Brooks, Braun, and Lariosa coached three All-Conference team selections including the Player of the Year, Beth Bonin and Rookie of the Year, Nyia Longford. Cortland received an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament and will travel to face Western New England on Friday in the first round.
2020 SUNYAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams (Click here for PDF)
| First Team | |||
| Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| Liv LeBaron | Buffalo State | SR | Corning, N.Y. |
| Beth Bonin | Cortland | SR | Cicero, N.Y. |
| Lindsay Halpin | Geneseo | JR | Irvington, N.Y. |
| Kerrin Montgomery | Geneseo | JR | Lynbrook, N.Y. |
| Maddie Van Pelt | New Paltz | SR | Montgomery, N.Y. |
| Second Team | |||
| Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| Katie Villarini | Buffalo State | JR | Hamburg, N.Y. |
| Sara Ciotti | Geneseo | SR | Rochester, N.Y. |
| Marion Dietz | New Paltz | SR | Hopewell Junction, N.Y. |
| Paige Niemeyer | New Paltz | SR | North Chatham, N.Y. |
| Leanne Corso | Oneonta | SR | Commack, N.Y. |
| Third Team | |||
| Name | School | Year | Hometown |
| Julianna Taylor | Brockport | JR | Fonda, N.Y. |
| Nyia Longford | Cortland | FR | Medford, N.Y. |
| Shannon McGuire | Cortland | JR | West Babylon, N.Y. |
| Devyn Elliott | Potsdam | SO | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Dyamon Hunter | Potsdam | SO | Bronx, N.Y. |
| Player of the Year | Beth Bonin, Cortland | ||
| Rookie of the Year | Nyia Longford, Cortland | ||
| Coaching Staff of the Year | Cortland | ||
