O'Donnell Named Skyline Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Conference
NEW YORK — Putting the finishing touches on an outstanding rookie campaign where she led the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals, and collected Rookie of the Week honors a league-leading seven times, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) freshman Kelly O'Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) has been named the Skyline Conference women's basketball Rookie of the Year and a Second-Team All-Conference selection as the league announced its All-Conference Teams today, selected by the league's 10 head coaches.
The 5-foot-10 guard started in all 26 games of the Bears' 11-15 campaign and set a program rookie record averaging 17.8 points an outing (464 points), that ranked 3rd in the Skyline. She scored in double figures in all but one game, finishing on an active streak of 24 games, which included two Division I opponents.
Her 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals a game were also team bests as she recorded a team-leading seven double-doubles, including the first points-steals double-double in team history, swiping an SJC single-game record 10 against Sarah Lawrence on February 10.
The St. Edmund Prep product helped the Bears to a program-best 9-9 mark in Skyline Conference play and earning a spot in the Skyline Conference Championship for the second time in three seasons, finishing second in scoring in league contests (19.9 ppg). She also became the first rookie in program history to compile three 30-plus-point games, highlighted by a career-high 35 points against sibling rivals St. Joseph's (Long Island).
O'Donnell becomes the first Bear in team history to earn Skyline Rookie of the Year honors and the second to land on the All-Conference Team since joining the league in the 2015-16 season.
Women's Basketball All-Conference Team Announced
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First Team
Essence Casey, Farmingdale State (Sr., F; Huntington Station, N.Y.)
Kaleigh D'Arcy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (So., G; White Plains, N.Y.)
* Andrea Iavarone, St. Joseph's-Long Island (Sr., F; Miller Place, N.Y.)
Amber Jones, Purchase (Jr., G; Bronx, N.Y.)
Charlotte Renker, Old Westbury (Jr., C; Mineola, N.Y.)
Jessica Rini, Mount Saint Mary (Sr., F; Seaford, N.Y.)
Kayla Cleare, Mount Saint Mary (Jr., C; West Hempstead, N.Y.)
** Monique Joseph, Old Westbury (Jr., G/F; Elmont, N.Y.)
Kelly Oliver, Mount Saint Vincent (Jr., G; Carmel, N.Y.)
*** Kelly O'Donnell, St. Joseph's-Brooklyn (Fr., G; Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Kaelyn Ward, Farmingdale State (Sr., G; East Hampton, N.Y.)
* Player of the Year: Andrea Iavarone, St. Joseph's-Long Island
** Defensive Player of the Year: Monique Joseph, Old Westbury
*** Rookie of the Year: Kelly O'Donnell, St. Joseph's-Brooklyn
Coach of the Year: Michael Coppolino, Mount Saint Mary (Eckerd '07 - fourth season)