Women's Baskeball Team Announces 2011-2012 Award Winners

May 8, 2012

Women's Baskeball Team Announces 2011-2012 Award Winners

Troy, NY-- The Sage Colleges’ department of athletics recently honored members of the varsity teams at the Athletic Awards Banquet. Junior guard Carly Vallee (East Greenbush, NY/Catholic Central), a member of the women’s basketball team at Sage was named the recipient of the Gator Award as the team’s Most Valuable Player.

Head Coach Jackie Craft said of Vallee, “Carly flat out won us games at times this year.” Craft noted, “She had several games that she was unconscious from three-point land. Her range and quick release proved very difficult for a lot of teams to defend."

Vallee finished the season ranked 32^nd nationally with her 2.57 three-point field goals per game average. She was also ranked 51^st in three-point field goal percentage (36.2%). In her three seasons at Sage, Vallee has already broken several Gator marks. She now holds Sage's single-season three-point record (59), also holds the career record at Sage with her 113 three’s, a mark she will continue to add to next season. She finished the season with a 9.9 ppg average in 23 games played with 20 starts.

Rookie guard Megan Bowman (Saranac, NY/Saranac), a member of the women’s basketball team at Sage was named the recipient of the Rookie of the Year for her efforts on the court.

Craft said of Bowman, “Megan was one of the quickest guards in the Skyline Conference this year, “ Crafted added, “She put tremendous pressure on the defense when the ball was in her hands in transition. Megan is someone we are very excited about in the coming years, as a freshman she has already drawn the attention as someone to watch out for."

Bowman averaged 7.7 ppg in 18 starts, but missed the last two weeks of the season with illness. She led the team with 80 assists and 38 steals and was cited three times as the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week.

She capped her first season ranking nationally with her efforts. She averaged 4.2 assists per game and ranked 72^nd nationally. She led the team with 80 assists and 38 steals and was cited three times as the Skyline Rookie of the Week during the course of the season. She averaged 7.7 ppg in 18 starts. She was named the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week three times over the course of the season.

Senior guard Sarah Carciobolo (Niskayuna, NY/South Colonie), a member of the women’s basketball team at Sage was named the recipient of the Coaches’ Award for her contributions to the program on and off the court.

Craft said of Carciobolo, “Sarah had the very difficult task of leading our extremely young roster this year, and she was effective on and off the floor.” Craft added, “She never gave up and was always looking for ways to motivate her teammates and keep their focus on our goals. Her passion and grit is something that will be very tough to replace next year.”

She finished the 2011-2012 season ranked among the national statistical leaders for the year. Overall on the season, she was ranked 77^th nationally with her 81.2 FT%. She also finished her career as the program's career free throw percentage leader as she was 80.8% (122-151), breaking the old mark of 76.4% held by Connie Kaidas (2003-2005). She hit 81.2% of her shots this season and her 2011-12 totals rank fourth all-time for a season at Sage.

In her final game of the season and her career, she tallied a game-high 19 points in the team’s road win over the College of Mt. St. Vincent. She wraps her stellar career as a Gator having tallied 1,130 career points, including 441 in her two seasons at Sage. She also Sage with her 10.9 ppg average and was the squad’s high-scorer eight times over the season.

Rookie forward Amie Jefferson (Albany, NY/Colonie Central), a member of the women’s basketball team at Sage was named the recipient of the Sage Aggie Stillman Perseverance Award. The award is given to a person affiliated with Sage’s Athletic program that best exemplifies those traits which made Aggie so special.

Craft said of Jefferson, "Amie is the type of kid I wish I could clone, due to her work ethic, attitude, and heart.” Craft added, “Whatever I asked Amie to do, she did it without hesitation. Amie quietly became a leader on the floor, and as a freshman to do that effectively along with all the other things we through at her, I think makes her a special athlete. We are very excited about Amie's future as she proved this past season she can handle pretty much anything."

Jefferson excelled at Sage despite overcoming a family member’s health crisis this season. She capped her record-setting season at Sage with a pair of records for most blocks in a game and a season. Jefferson ranked 50^th nationally in blocks per game with 2.17 effort after she recorded a school-record 52 blocks on the season. She also broke her own school record for most blocks in a game with 10 blocks, bettering her own record from earlier in the year with seven. The Gators combined for 13 blocked shots in a single-game, also bettering Sage's single-game record of 11, which had been done previously in 2003, twice. She added a team-best 184 rebounds as well with a 4.6 ppg average in 24 games played with 14 starts. Twice on the season she also selected as the Skyline Conference Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week as well.

The Sage Colleges’ women’s basketball team and its members are amongst the NCAA’s Division III statistical leaders with the release of the final rankings. The Gators finished nationally ranked in the Top 100 of the over 440 ranked programs in the final team categories in four separate categories.

Sage, which posted a 9-15 record on the season finished the year on a high-note with an impressive 54-40 win over CMSV in conference play. The team rewrote many of Sage’s single-season records, while a number of performers also penned their names to career and single-season records as well after an impressive campaign in 2011-2012, all under the direction of veteran head coach, Craft.

The Gators finished the season ranked 21^st nationally in team free throw percentage (74.5%), which also broke the school single-season record in the process. The team also ranked 50^th in blocks per game with a 4.5 per game average after the players combined for another Sage best with 107 blocked shots. The Gators also ranked 88^th in team field goal percentage defense (33.9%), while checking at 95^th in three-point field goals per contest (5.5). Overall, the team also set new standards at Sage for three-pointers for a season as well after attempting 456 and ranked second with a combined 131 made three-pointers.