Women's Basketball | 8/2/2022 9:31:00 AM
The nationally-ranked St. John Fisher University women's basketball team finished the 2021-22 season with the sixth-highest team grade-point average among all Division III institutions as the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced its annual Academic Team Top 25. Fellow Empire 8 institutions Russell Sage College and Utica University were ranked just outside the top-25.
St. John Fisher, led by head coach
Melissa Kuberka's compiled a GPA of 3.722 on the year and added to an already impressive list of accolades after the No. 21 Cardinals posted a 26-3 overall record that included a 15-1 mark in Empire 8 play. The team's 26 wins and .897 winning percentage were its highest totals in nearly 30 years as Fisher won its sixth Empire 8 Championship in team history. The Cardinals parlayed that into their 16th overall NCAA Championship berth where they defeated Rhode Island College in the opening round of action.
In all, the team boasted three All-Conference honorees, the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Region honoree while Kuberka was tabbed as both the Empire 8 Coach of the Year and the Regional Coach of the Year by D3hoops.com.
Kuberka, alongside assistant coach
Hannah Rehbaum, molded Fisher into one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the region as the Cardinals led the Empire 8 in scoring (70.4), scoring defense (52.1), scoring margin (18.3), field goal percentage (.394), 3-point field goal percentage (.329), rebounding (47.9) and blocked shots per game (4.3).
Russell Sage College, led by head coach Allison Coleman, enjoyed the 27th best team GPA in 2021-22 at 3.635. The Gators won 13 games and advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals. Russell Sage boasted the 2021-22 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, Syrita Faraj.
Utica University, led by head coach Michelle Davis, recorded a team GPA of 3.617 in 2021-22, which ranked 32nd in Division III. The Pioneers opened the season by winning a program record 12 straight games en route to finishing 19-7. Senior Sydney Przygoda, the 2021-22 Empire 8 Co-Woman of the Year, led the Pioneers on and off the court. She earned her second All-Empire 8 first team honor and was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American.
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
www.empire8.com.
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