Siena’s Benitez named top defender
ALBANY, N.Y. >> Sophomore guard Jackie Benitez was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. Benitez was already selected as a MAAC First Team member this season.
Benitez tallied the most steals in the MAAC with 86 and was second in the league with a 3.0 per game average. Her 86 steals ranks fifth most in a single season in Siena history. She also averaged 16.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in her 29 games played. She was named to the 2017 All-MAAC First Team and took home the MAAC Player of the Week honors twice. Benitez is the fifth Siena player to earn the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honor and first since Tehersa Coles took home the award in the 2014-15 season.
Siena had four named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Ju-
niors Emmanuella Edoka, Margot Hetzke and Kollyns Scarbrough along with sophomore Karolina Severova. In order to be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
The Saints earned the No. 4 seed for the MAAC tournament and face fifth-seeded Iona on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Times Union Center.
Men’s basketball
TROY NATIVE HONSINGER WINS COACHING AWARD >> Paul Honsinger, a Troy native and Catholic Central grad, was named Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in his career in charge of the Eckerd women’s basketball team. Honsinger guided the Tritons to the program’s first SSC regular season championship following a 16-2 record in league play.
Honsinger is in his 11th season at Eckerd College. He got his start as an assistant and recruiting coordinator for the College of Saint Rose. RICE WINS COACH OF THE YEAR >> The 2016-17 The Rock MAAC Coach of the Year is King Rice from Monmouth
University. Rice led the Hawks to an 18-2 MAAC and a 25-6 overall record. Monmouth is the first team in conference history to win 18 MAAC games in a single-season and is currently on a 16game winning streak heading into the tournament.
Football
TROY HIGH HONORED FOR STATE TITLE >> The Troy High School football team was introduced on the floor of the NYS Assembly Chamber with Assemblymember John T. McDonald III on Thursday as a congratulations for winning the 2016 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA Championship.