Capital Region college athletes earn honors
SIENA BASKETBALL SCARBROUGH, ODURO SECURE ALL-MAAC HONORS
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. » Siena Women’s Basketball senior guard Kollyns Scarbrough has been named a First Team All-MAAC selection, while men’s freshman forward Prince Oduro earned All-Rookie Team acclaim. By virtue of their selections, both Scarbrough and Oduro are eligible to be named the MAAC Player and Rookie of the Year, respectively, when the league announces its major award winners at the Albany Capital Center on Friday at 10:00 a.m. on ESPN3.
A Preseason First Team All-MAAC selection, Scarbrough earns postseason First Team All-MAAC honors for the first time in her career after being heralded as a Second Team AllMAAC honoree each of the previous two years. The Jamaica, New York native was joined on the First Team by fellow MAAC Player of the Year contenders Jen Fay (Quinnipiac), Rebekah Hand (Marist), Aryn McClure (Quinnipiac), and Victoria Rampado (Niagara).
A two-time MAAC Player of the Week (Nov. 13, Jan. 15), Scarbrough enters postseason play leading the league in field goal percentage (.506), while also ranking third in scoring (15.8), fourth in steals (2.0), and fifth in rebounding (7.4). She ranked second during conference play averaging 17.3 points in MAAC contests. Scarbrough has tallied seven double-doubles and scored 20 or more points nine times, highlighted by a pair of 30-point performances. She enters March ranking seventh all-time in program history in career free throws made (344), and eighth in both scoring (1,479) and rebounding (714).
Oduro was predicted to be the MAAC’s top freshman entering this season by both College Sports Madness and A Daly Dose of Hoops. The Toronto, Ontario standout was joined on the All-Rookie Team by Jordan Allen (Rider), Deion Hammond (Monmouth), Rich Kelly (Quinnipiac), and Takal Molson (Canisius).
Oduro currently ranks No. 10 in the conference in field goal percentage (.483), and leads all MAAC freshmen with 20 blocks. He also tops all active Saints in both scoring (9.2) and rebounding (5.1). Oduro has scored in double figures 12 times during his freshman campaign, highlighted by a season-high 19 point performance vs. Niagara (Jan. 5). He has also grabbed 10 or more rebounds a team-high three times, and recorded his first collegiate doubledouble with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener at CAA preseason favorite and current league leader College of Charleston.
Both teams begin their quests for MAAC Championships at the Times Union Center. The men open tournament play with a First Round game Thursday night at approximately 7:00 p.m. vs. Quinnipiac, while the women first take to the floor Saturday for a quarterfinal matchup at noon.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TWO UALBANY VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS TO COMPETE IN USA NATIONAL TRYOUT
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. » Two Great Danes, Akuabata Okenwa and Danielle Tedesco, have been invited to the United States Women’s National Volleyball Team Open Tryout in March.
Okenwa and Tedesco are two of 232 athletes across 90 colleges invited to compete for spots on the U.S. Women’s National Team and the U.S. Collegiate National Team.
“I’m excited to have Aqua and Danielle attending the USA National Team tryouts this weekend,” said UAlbany head coach MJ Engstrom. “It’s a great opportunity for them to train with and against some of the top players their age in the country and work with some outstanding coaches. It’s great exposure for them and I know they will represent the Great Danes well.”
The tryout will be from March 2-4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There are four sessions, with three waves each, on each day, working on numerous skills and techniques.
Okenwa, an America East All-Conference First Team player in 2017, will compete as one of 30 opposite hitters while Tedesco, a 2017 America East AllRookie Team member, will play along with 50 middle blockers.
The tryout is directed by Karch Kiraly, the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team.
BASEBALL BUDLONG AND BRIOSO GARNER WEEKLY NE10 HONORS
MANSFIELD, MASS. » Junior southpaw Brandon Budlong and freshman catcher Samuel Brioso have been named the Northeast-10 Conference Pitcher and Rookie of the Week respectively for the period ending Sunday, Feb. 25.
Budlong fanned 10 and surrendered only an unearned run on four hits over the distance to pick up Friday’s season-opening victory against #2 and defending national champion West Chester.
Brioso batted .500 (4for-8) and drove in a pair of runs throughout four games in Dinwiddie, V.A.
Going forward, The College of Saint Rose (1-3) commences a week-long trip south this weekend with a three-game series at Claflin University. The two squads will play a 1:00 p.m. twin-bill Saturday, and a 2:00 p.m. single game Sunday in Orangeburg. S.C.