Women's Basketball | 11/6/2024 10:00:29 AM
St. John Fisher University will look to earn its fourth straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2024-25 women’s basketball season gets underway on Nov. 8, with several teams in action. Empire 8 league play begins on Dec. 7. SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Poly make their Empire 8 debuts this season as well, giving the league 12 members.
The top eight teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round action on Saturday, Feb. 22. Semifinal games will be hosted by the higher seeds on Wednesday, Feb. 26. while the highest remaining seed will host the championship game on Saturday, March 1. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
2024-25 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Players to Watch (sorted alphabetically)
Layla Acosta, Russell Sage, Jr., G, Haines City, FL/Haines City – Acosta, an all-E8 third team selection last season, led the Gators in scoring and rebounds averaging 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Molly Benetti, Nazareth, Jr., F, Syracuse, NY/West Genesee – Benetti was an All-Empire 8 second team selection last season, leading the Golden Flyers in scoring and rebounds, averaging 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She also led the team in blocks with 72 and shot a league-best 57 percent from the field.
Laura Bogota, Elmira, Sr., G, Jackson Heights, NY/Springfield Commonwealth – Bogota, a two-time E8 player to watch, led the Soaring Eagles in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game, and assists with 69 last season. She was an all-E8 third team selection.
Kayla Camacho, Houghton, Sr., G, Spartanburg, SC/Spartanburg Christian – Camacho earned an all-E8 first team honors and was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, leading the Highlanders in scoring. She averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and had 64 steals.
Mary Cotter, Keuka, Jr., G, Hershey, PA/Hershey – Cotter, a two-time E8 player to watch, is expected to lead the way for the Wolves after averaging 10.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 2023-24.
Daniella DeBiase, Hartwick, Sr., G, Staten Island, NY/Xaverian – DeBiase leads the way for the Hawks after a season averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in 2023-24.
Vanessa Hall, Utica, So., F, Whitesville, NY/Whitesville – Hall earned 2023-24 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and all-E8 first team honors. She was also a D3hoops.com All-Region selection. Hall led the Empire 8 in scoring last season, averaging 17.3 points per game.
Alysa Jackson, SUNY Poly, So., G, Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy – Jackson was the Wildcats leading scorer last season, averaging 12.3 points per game and led the team in assists with 61.
Stephanie Jean-Baptiste, SUNY Brockport, Jr., G, Jersey City, NJ/John Jay – Jean-Baptiste was an all-SUNYAC second team selection and led the team in scoring averaging 15.3 points per game. She was third in the SUNYAC in scoring and fourth in steals (50).
Grace Rittenhouse, Alfred, Sr., G, Dansville, NY/Dansville – Rittenhouse averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 2023-24.
Kiley Snow, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., G, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro – Snow returns as the Knights leading scorer and was an all-SUNYAC second team selection in 2023-24 after averaging 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Sidney Tomasso, St. John Fisher, Jr., G, Waverly, NY/Waverly – Tomasso, the 2023-24 Player of the Year, WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and D3hoops.com All-Region selection, came off of a stellar season averaging 16.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
2024-25 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Team Capsules (Sorted by 2023-24 Standings)
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher, the reigning 2023-24 Empire 8 Champions, have a new head coach at the helm. Sarah Cartmill takes over for the three-time defending champs. The team finished 14-2 in the conference and tied for the top spot as co-regular season champions. The Cardinals made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. They return 11 players, three of them being starters. While the Cardinals will look to replace All-league selections Claire Kruszka and Joleen Lusk, the Cardinals return the 2023-24 Player of the Year in Sidney Tomasso, along with senior Katie Moravec and junior Presleigh Brunner. Tomasso, a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, came off of a stellar season averaging 16.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She was second in the E8 in scoring. Moravec averaged 8.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and led the Cardinals in steals with 54. Brunner finished the 2023-24 season averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers finished as co-regular season champs with St. John Fisher, finishing 22-4 last season. Nazareth returns nearly its entire core for 2023-24 Empire 8 Co-Coach of the Year Kelly Dunne-Romig. Junior forward Molly Benetti was an All-Empire 8 second team selection last season, leading the Golden Flyers in scoring and rebounds, averaging 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She also led the team in blocks with 72 and shot a league-best 57 percent from the field. Former E8 player to Watch, Katie MacLachlan along with Kiara Anglin and Sarina McDowell will also lead the way this season. MacLachlan was third in scoring for the Golden Flyers averaging 10.8 points per game while Anglin and McDowell averaged 9.7 and 9.2 respectively.
Houghton
Houghton enjoyed a tremendous 2023-24 season, winning 23 games, while advancing to the Empire 8 Championship game. Head coach Phil Pellegrino, the 2023-24 E8 Co-Coach of the Year returns a strong group, including senior Kayla Camacho along with junior Crysta LaCrosse and sophomores Tabitha DeVries and Hannah Farley. Camacho earned All-Empire 8 first team honors and was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American after averaging 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. She also had 64 steals. LaCrosse averaged 11.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game, earning All-E8 second team accolades. Samantha Barrett, Anna Dening, Karina Crouse and Lilly Bentley are all newcomers who are expected to make a splash in their debut seasons.
Hartwick
The Hawks advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals in 2023-24 season and look to continue their success in 2024-25. The Hawks will lean on their three top returners in the upcoming season. Senior Daniella DeBiase leads the way after a season averaging 4.6 points and two rebounds per game. Sophomores Macy Durkin and Yadi Smith will also be workhorses for the Hawks. Durkin averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while Smith averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Utica
Utica will look to return to the Empire 8 tournament in 2024-25 and has 10 players back from last season. Sophomore Vanessa Hall returns after earning 2024-25 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and all-E8 first team honors in addition to D3hoops All-Region accolades. Hall led the Empire 8 in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game and paced the Pioneers in rebounds (5.3) per game. Previous Empire 8 player to watch, junior McKenzie Simmons, also returns after averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Senior Hayleigh Lagase is also a top returner, having averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season.
Elmira
The Soaring Eagles advanced to the Empire 8 Tournament for the second consecutive season in 2023-24 for head coach Thad Phillips. Elmira returns 13 players from last season, including four starters. Senior Laura Bogota led the Soaring Eagles in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game, and assists with 69 last season and was an all-E8 third team selection. Fellow senior starters Nevaeh Winston and D’Asia Jones are also slated to be key contributors. Winston was second in scoring and led the team in rebounds averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Jones averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Alfred
Alfred looks to return to the Empire 8 postseason in 2024-25. The Saxons return 11 players from last season’s team, including seniors Grace Rittenhouse and Felicia Stewart in addition to sophomore Jaidyn Chest. Rittenhouse averaged 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while Chest averaged 8.5 points and led the team with 5.9 rebounds per game. Stewart averaged 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The Saxons welcome key additions Ava Anastasi, Libby Benner, Madi Dohse, Nelly Mbugeni and Peyton McInnis.
Russell Sage
Michael Branche, the former Gators assistant coach, begins his first season as head coach for the 2024-25 season. The Gators return 12 players, who own 94 percent of the team scoring from last season. Juniors Layla Acosta and Aniyah Kelley along with senior Lauren Sanderson are expected to be big contributors this season. Acosta, a 2023-24 All-Empire 8 third team selection, led the Gators in scoring and rebounds a season ago, averaging 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Kelley averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while Sanderson averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Keuka
First-year head coach Paige Emborsky takes over for the Wolves this season. She will look to get the Wolves back to the postseason in 2024-25 and has four players returning from last season’s squad. Junior Mary Cotter is expected to lead the way after averaging 10.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Graduate student Sydney Brown averaged 10.8 points per game while senior Katie Deatherage averaged 5.8 rebounds per game. Transfer Brooke Burd and Lillian Mullen are exciting additions to the Wolves’ roster.
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Brockport looks to make a splash in their debut season in the Empire 8. The team finished fourth in the SUNYAC last season and return six players. Junior Stephanie Jean-Baptiste is expected to lead the way for the Golden Eagles after leading the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game, earning All-SUNYAC second team honors. Seniors Anna Lee and Shannon Blankenship are also expected to be key contributors this season. Lee averaged 9.0 points per game with 26 steals in 23 games started while Blankenship averaged 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo is set to make their Empire 8 debut in 2024-25 for head coach Alyssa Polosky. The Knights went 12-6 in SUNYAC play last season, advancing to the league title game. The Knights return their leading scorer in graduate student Kiley Snow. She was an all-SUNYAC second team selection, averaging 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore Audrey Hintz, senior Mackenzie Reigle and junior Maggie McGrane are also key returners. Hintz averaged 8.7 points per game, Reigle averaged 7.0 points per game and led the team in steals with 44, and McGrane averaged 5.3 points per game.
SUNY Poly
SUNY Poly is ready to get their first season in Empire 8 started. They won five games in the NAC conference last season and returning eight players, including four starters. Top returners for the Wildcats this season are sophomore Alyssa Jackson, senior Sophia Murray and junior Kelsey Meca. Jackson was the leading scorer last season, averaging 12.3 points per game and led the team in assists with 61. Murray averaged 8.7 points per game and led the team in steals with 54. Meca averaged 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Head Coach Jessica Skelton is very excited for newcomers Sanaa Lee and Maria Bacigalupo to join the 2024-25 team.
Final 2023-24 Empire 8 Women’s Basketball Standings
St. John Fisher (22-4, 14-2 E8) – League Champions
Nazareth (24-5, 14-2 E8)
Houghton (23-5, 12-4 E8)
Hartwick (13-14, 9-7 E8)
Utica (10-16, 7-9 E8)
Elmira (11-13, 6-10 E8)
Alfred (10-14, 6-10 E8)
Russell Sage (6-19, 4-12 E8)
Keuka (1-23, 0-16 E8)
^ SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Poly are making their Empire 8 debuts in 2024-25. Brockport and Geneseo competed in the SUNYAC in 2023-24, while Poly competed in the North Atlantic Conference in 2023-24.
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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