Lasell Women’s Basketball player selected to All-GNAC Team

NEWTON, Mass. – The leading scorer on the Lasell College women's basketball team received an All-Conference honor from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Monday with the announcement of the 2017-18 All-Conference Team. The selections are voted upon by the league's head coaches.

Senior Morgan Church (New London, N.H.) represented Lasell with selection to the All-Conference Second Team. It is Church's first All-Conference selection in her standout four-year career in a Laser uniform.

A 5-6 guard, Church led the team and ranked fifth in the conference in scoring with 18.3 points per game. She ranked eighth in the GNAC with 48 three-point baskets and three-point field goal percentage (34.0). Church also averaged 6.4 rebounds, second-most on the team, and a team-high 3.5 assists per game, 10th-best in the GNAC.

Church was Lasell's leading scorer in 21 of 25 games this season. She set a school record with 36 points in a non-conference win over Lesley in November, and scored in double figures in 21 games. She wrapped up her career with 26 points in a win over Mount Ida, winding up her tenure with the second-highest single season scoring output with 457 points, giving her 939 points in her career.

Additionally, senior Brianna Hoffman (Milford, N.H.) was Lasell's representative on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Hoffman started all 25 games and was second on the team in scoring with 8.0 points per game. A three-year veteran for the Lasers, she made at least 30 three-point baskets in her career, finishing with a total of 101 three-pointers and 566 points.

The Lasers finished the season with a 5-20 overall record under fourth-year head coach Todd Montana, including a 3-13 mark in GNAC contests.

2017-18 GNAC All-Star Teams

First Team
Olivia Bolden, Albertus Magnus (Sr., South Windsor, Conn.)
Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda, Emmanuel (So., South Boston, Mass.)
Raquel Pederzani, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Coventry, R.I.)
Brittany Stone, Regis (Sr., West Bridgewater, Mass.)
Kelsi McNamara, Saint Joseph's of Maine (Jr., West Newbury, Mass.)

Second Team
Morgan Church, Lasell (Sr., New London, N.H.)
Kaylee Kacavas, Rivier (Jr., Dracut, Mass.)
Shyann Josler, Norwich (Sr., Thetford Center, Vt.)
Emily Benway, Saint Joseph's of Maine (Jr., Rochester, N.H.)
Georgia Bourikas, Suffolk (Sr., Hull, Mass.)

Third Team
Jill Johnson, Albertus Magnus (Jr., North Haven, Conn.)
Alisha Fox, Emmanuel (Sr., National Park, N.J.)
Valerie Martin, Mount Ida (So., Derry, N.H.)
Julia Champagne, Saint Joseph's of Maine (Jr., Brunswick, Maine)
Alexis Hackett, Suffolk (So., Charlton, Mass.) 

Player of the Year – Olivia Bolden, Albertus Magnus
Defensive Player of the Year – Julia Champagne, Saint Joseph's of Maine
Rookie of the Year – Jenni-Rose DiCecco, Suffolk
Coach of the Year – Mike McDevitt, Saint Joseph's of Maine
Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Rivier University

All-Sportsmanship Team
Kristen Cunning, Albertus Magnus (Jr., Hoboken, N.J.)
Kayla Odegaard, Anna Maria (Sr., Milton , Mass.)
Mary McCarthy, Emmanuel (Jr., Scituate, Mass.)
Kristen Habbel, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Phoenixville, Pa.)
Brianna Hoffman, Lasell (Sr., Milford, N.H.)
Patricia Liotta, Mount Ida (Sr., Hampton Bays, N.Y.)
Vanessa Fleury, Norwich (Jr., Lebanon, N.H.)
Nikki Bitinaitis, Regis (Mass.) (Fr., Cromwell, Conn.)
Lizzy Meehan, Rivier (So., Nashua, N.H.)
Rajeen Mayo, Saint Joseph (CT) (Sr., Middletown, Conn.)
Regan McFerran, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Sr., Albany, N.Y.)
Kirra Courchesne, Simmons (So., Wilmington, Vt.)
Alexandra Nagri, Suffolk (Sr., Salem, N.H.)

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