FIGHTING TIGER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM MEMBERS EARN NJCAA ALL-REGION III TEAM HONORS

SUNY Cobleskill women’s basketball team members freshman center Shelley Pierson, Watervliet, NY, Watervliet High School, and senior forward April Ackermann, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, have been honored by the NJCAA Region III coaches as members of the 2008 NJCAA All-Region III Division III Team. The duo helped lead the Fighting Tigers to a 24-4 overall record on the season and a trip to this weekend’s 2008 NJCAA Region III Division III Championship Tournament hosted by Tompkins-Cortland College in Dryden, NY where they will meet Herkimer Community College in the tournament’s quarterfinal round at 6:00 PM.

“Much of our success as a team this season is a direct result of Shelley and April’s contributions to our program on and off the floor,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Josh Suttles.

The 6’3” Pierson was a powerful force in the paint for the Fighting Tigers during the season. The Watervliet, NY native earned Second Team All-Region III Division III Team honors after averaging 11.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 2.0 steals per game on the year. The Cobleskill center connected on 127-of-248 shots from the floor for a shooting percentage of 51.2%.

“I thought that Shelley had a good year making the transition from the high school game to the college game,” said Coach Suttles. “For most of the year she was our only true post player so to see her operate against double and triple teams every night and average what she does statistically says a lot about her game.”

April Ackermann was named as an Honorable Mention to the 2008 All-Region III Division III Team by the region’s coaches after a season that saw the 5’11” forward average 7.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest. Ackermann proved to be the team’s best all-around shooter connecting on 69-of-149 attempts from the floor for a percentage of 46.3% including a team leading 18-for-50 from three-point range for a team leading percentage of 36.0%. The Sullivan West High School alumnus also was successful on 22-of-30 free throw attempts for a 73.3% average on the year.

“April expanded her game from being strictly a low post player to being more of an all-round threat which led to a drop in her scoring but more wins for us as a team,” said Coach Suttles. “We asked her to do many different things this year and take on a different role for us this season. She has become our most dependable three-point shooter and has also been very consistent from the free throw line this season.”

The Fighting Tigers equaled the program record for most wins in a single season with a 24-4 mark on the year reaching the twenty-win plateau for the fourth consecutive season and will also be making their fourth consecutive NJCAA Region III Division III Tournament appearance under the direction of Head Coach Josh Suttles.