The St. Thomas Aquinas College basketball programs were well represented in post-season honors announced by the East Coast Conference on Thursday.
On the women's side, junior Alexa Huertas was pushed into a starting role this season and came through with flying colors as her First Team All-Conference selection was the first of her career. Huertas started all 14 games in the abbreviated campaign with a career-high 12.4 points per game, highlighted by an impressive 25-point effort at Mercy on February 24. She was third in the conference with 29 three-pointers and eighth in steals with 19.
For the men, a pair of Spartans were tapped for major awards with three others earned First Team accolades. For starters, Tobin Anderson was awarded his third ECC Coach of the Year selection in his eight seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas on the strength of an 11-1 overall record and top ranking in the East Region in the final NCAA weekly poll.
Often the unsung hero, senior Kevin Lynch was recognized by conference coaches as the ECC's Co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Amari Lee of Roberts Wesleyan. Often paired against opposing team's biggest threats in the frontcourt, Lynch started all 12 games to date and thanks in part to his on-floor leadership, the Spartans have amassed an 86-20 record during his four seasons.
Fittingly, three Spartans dotted the conference's First Team, starting with junior forward Osbel Caraballo. who took home his third such honor in as many seasons. Caraballo was second on the team and sixth in the conference with 16.0 points per game, while ranking fourth overall with 7.5 rebounds per contest. He reached double-figures in scoring in his last nine games with a career high 27 vs. Daemen on February 27.
Junior Grant Singleton earned his first post-season award, earning his First Team slot in emphatic fashion. Singleton's shooting touch and tremendous speed made him a dynamic player in this season's run, leading the squad and standing fourth overall at 17.1 ppg entering the post-season. He also stands third overall with 29 three pointers and seventh with a 42.0 percentage. His career-high 27 points led STAC to a 92-76 victory over Molloy in the season opener on February 3.
Another player who is no stranger to post-season kudos, junior Demetre Roberts earned his second consecutive First Team kudos after taking home Rookie-of-the-Year distinction along with a Second Team nod in 2018-19. Roberts added to this season's balanced attack with 14.5 ppg, currently eighth overall, while his 4.3 assists per contests currently sits atop the ECC leaders. He stood tall with a season-high 24 points as the Spartans battled to a 90-85 overtime victory at Roberts Wesleyan on February 14.
2020-2021 ECC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Tiara Filbert, Daemen
Dimitra Gkizani, Roberts Wesleyan
Alexa Huertas, St. Thomas Aquinas
Paige McCormick, Roberts Wesleyan
Katie Titus, Daemen
Caroline White, Daemen
Second Team
Gabriella Aspuru, Molloy
Mickayla Ivy, Daemen
Safiyyah Lee, Molloy
Sara Pfeiffer, D'Youville
Katie Wall, Mercy
Player of the Year: Caroline White, Daemen
Defensive Player of the Year: Gabriella Aspuru, Molloy
Rookie of the Year: Alahna Paige, Daemen
Coach of the Year: Jenepher Banker, Daemen
2020-2021 ECC Men’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Osbel Caraballo, St. Thomas Aquinas
Reggie Clark, Roberts Wesleyan
Sean Fasoyiro, Daemen
James Montgomery, Molloy
Demetre Roberts, St. Thomas Aquinas
Grant Singleton, St. Thomas Aquinas
Andrew Sischo, Daemen
Second Team
Kyle Harris, Daemen
Isaiah Lewis, Roberts Wesleyan
Armon Nasseri, Roberts Wesleyan
Kerwin Prince, Mercy
Steven Torre, Molloy
Player of the Year: Andrew Sischo, Daemen
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Amari Lee, Roberts Wesleyan
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Lynch, St. Thomas Aquinas
Rookie of the Year: Kerwin Prince, Mercy
Coach of the Year: Tobin Anderson, St. Thomas Aquinas
* - tie in the voting led to seven players on the All-Conference First Team