Women's Basketball | 2/26/2021 1:39:14 PM
St. John Fisher will look to defend its Empire 8 Championship title, as the 2021 spring season gets underway on March 1. The start of the season marks the first basketball games in over one year for most Empire 8 programs. Keuka College makes its Empire 8 debut as a full-time member of the conference this season. The Empire 8 postseason tournament format has changed for spring 2021, with all five competing teams advancing to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place from March 6-11, with the higher seed hosting each game.
Team Capsules (sorted by 2019-20 Standings)
St. John Fisher
The Cardinals will look to defend their league title in 2021 after finishing 21-7 overall and 12-2 in league play during the 2019-20 season. The duo of juniors Miranda Lynch and Amy Gardner will lead a young Cardinals team this spring. Lynch, the 2020 Empire 8 Tournament Most Valuable Player and All-E8 second team selection, averaged 12.2 points per game and drained 75 3-pointers, while Gardner emerged as a key contributor down the stretch last season.
Sage
Sage is looking to continue its ascent as a top Empire 8 program after winning 15 games and advancing to the league championship a season ago. The Gators will look to replace all league selections Megan Flynn and Kaitlyn Bowman but return a pair of starters in senior Madasyn Bush and junior Sammy Pasinella. Bush shot 50 percent from the floor, while averaging 9.6 points and 4.7 boards a season ago. Pasinella was second on the Gators last season in scoring, averaging 12.9 points and 3.0 assists per game.
Nazareth
Nazareth returns 11 players from last season’s team that won 16 games, including All-Empire 8 second team selection Jadyn Abrams. Abrams averaged 14.3 points per season in 2019-20, including a school record 42-point effort versus Sage. Senior Isabelle Gjonaj and sophomore Ryann Stefaniak will also be counted on to lead the way for Nazareth. The Golden Flyers will try to replace Rachel Benedict, a three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection and 2019 Empire 8 Player of the Year, who finished her career with 1,624 points.
Alfred
Alfred returns seven players from last season, including seniors Gillian Flint, Lyndsey McCoy and Amanda Figueroa, along with junior Allison O’Toole. Flint, who was an Empire 8 Player of the Week, averaged 8.8 points, 5.3 boards and 2.0 assists per game a season ago, while McCoy led the team in assists and minutes played per game.
Keuka
Keuka makes its Empire 8 debut this spring. The Wolves have won 50 games over the last three seasons under head coach Gary Broadhurst and have made five trips to the NCAA tournament since 2007. The Wolves will look to push the tempo in 2021 with an athletic mix of players. Senior Sydney Bloom averaged 9.0 points per game last season, her first playing collegiate basketball, while shooting 35.5 percent from 3-point range. Keuka will also look upon sophomore Meaghan McGwin to continue her development after averageing 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman.
^ Elmira, Hartwick, Houghton and Utica have opted out of league play for the 2021 Spring season.
Final 2019-20 Empire 8 Women’s Basketball Standings
St. John Fisher (21-7, 12-2 Empire 8) – League Champions
Sage (15-12, 14-2 E8)
Utica (15-11, 8-6 E8)
Hartwick (14-11, 8-6 E8)
Nazareth (16-9, 8-6 E8)
Alfred (8-17, 4-10 E8)
Houghton (6-19, 4-10 E8)
Elmira (4-21, 2-12 E8)
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
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