MIDDLESEX COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FINISHES 17-10, BEGINS POSTSEASON PLAY AT LACKAWANNA
Middlesex College Women's Basketball enjoyed a tremendous transition from the NJCAA Division III level up to Division II and will begin postseason play this weekend.
The Colts went 17-10 on the season and had a number of great wins along the way.
Middlesex began the season by winning 9 of their first 11 games with their only two losses coming to Union and Raritan Valley, the top two teams in Region 19. Among those victories were close, single-digit wins over Anne Arundel, College of Southern Maryland and Montgomery CC. The Colts went into winter break with a record of 11-5.
Middlesex continued to play over .500 ball the second half of the season and finished the regular season campaign with two straight wins over Orange CC and Camden CC.
The win over Camden CC was the 400th win on the NJCAA level for longtime Middlesex Head Coach Michel Powell.
The Colts will face off with Lackawanna College in the first round of the NJCAA Division II Region 19 playoffs. The winner of that game will face top-seeded Union College in the Region 19 Final Four.
Middlesex was led offensively by Courtney Hansen (Sophomore/Carteret, NJ) and Vanessa Rivas (Sophomore/Perth Amboy, NJ).
Rivas was a force inside for Middlesex and led the team in multiple offensive and defensive categories. She averaged a team-high 13.4 points per game and 8 rebounds per game. Rivas also averaged 3.1 blocks per game, the highest average in Region 19 and 9th best nationally. Rivas blocked a total of 84 shots this season, the fifth-highest total among all NJCAA Division II players nationally.
Hansen served as the team's primary point guard and averaged 12.3 points per game. Hansen shot 26-64 from three-point range this season. Her 40.6 three-point shooting percentage placed her in the top 15 nationally among NJCAA Division II players. She also led the Colts with 4.0 assists per game and 2.9 steals per game.
Damani Anderson (Freshman/Elizabeth, NJ) and Kezia Feaster (Freshman/Elizabeth, NJ) were also strong contributors for Middlesex this season. Anderson averaged 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season while Feaster averaged 7.8 points and was second on the team with 3.0 assists per game.
Ashley Knuth (Sophomore/Middlesex, NJ) was also a reliable starter for Coach Powell and the Colts this season. Her 25 games started was second only to Hansen and her 24.3 minutes per game was third behind Hansen and Rivas.
Middlesex will travel to Lackawanna for the first round of the NJCAA Division II Region Tournament on Saturday, February 23. Tipoff is set for 1:00PM.