STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball postseason accolades have been announced and a pair of Saint Joseph's College players have been honored.
Senior guard Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) has earned First Team All-Conference honors and sophomore guard Angelica Hurley (Groveland, Mass.) has garnered Second Team All-GNAC and All-Rookie Team accolades.
Stapelfeld takes home First Team honors after averaging 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 47.2% (170-360) from the floor, 40.8% (69-169) from three-point distance, and 81.4% (70-86) from the free throw line over 27 games this winter. She capped the season ranked second in the conference in points (479), three-pointers made (69) and three-point percentage and third in scoring average and field goals made (170).
Stapelfeld, who played her freshman year at Endicott College and sophomore season at Simmons University, transferred to Saint Joseph's prior to the start of the 2019-20 campaign and completed her college career having scored 1,683 points in 111 games for a 15.2 PPG average. She closed out her senior season ranked third among active NCAA DIII players in free-throw percentage (85.1%, 297-349), eighth in three-pointers made (232), ninth in points and 18th in field goals made (577).
In 61 games at Saint Joseph's, the two-time All-GNAC honoree netted 888 points for a 14.6 PPG average while shooting 43.8% (312-712) from the field, 38.3% (133-347) from downtown, and 83.4% (131-157) from the FT line. She leaves the program ranked fourth in team history in FT% and three-point percentage, seventh in three-pointers made, and ninth in scoring average.
Hurley claims the first All-Conference honor of her career after averaging 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 37.2% (90-242) from the floor, 30.5% (32-105) from beyond the arc, and 78.6% (81-103) from the charity stripe in 27 starts this winter.
The second-year guard led the Monks in rebounding and assists average and led the conference in defensive rebounds (201) and assists. She also finished the season ranked second in total rebounds (230), fourth in free throws made and sixth in FT% and assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
Under the watch of 30th-year Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83, the Monks enjoyed another fantastic season with a 22-5 (.815) overall record, including a 14-2 (.875) mark in GNAC play, en route to claiming the #3 seed in the GNAC Tournament.
After defeating #6 Rivier and #2 Albertus Magnus in the first two round of the tourney, the Monks advanced to the GNAC Championship game for the sixth-consecutive season. Playing at top-seeded Emmanuel College in the title bout, St. Joe's nearly overcame a slow start with a strong second half but ultimately fell short, 78-70, in what was the sixth GNAC Championship matchup featuring the pair of conference contenders.
