Women's Basketball | 3/17/2026 1:00:00 PM
Empire 8 women’s basketball standouts Stephanie Jean-Baptiste of SUNY Brockport, Jaidyn Chest of Alfred University, Nazareth University's Katie MacLachlan and Molly Benetti and the SUNY Geneseo's Grace Galgano earned 2025-26 D3hoops.com All-Region 3 honors on Monday, March 16. Houghton University's Olivia Simser was the Region 3 Rookie of the Year.
Jean-Baptiste earned first team accolades after garnering third team honors last year. Chest, MacLachlan, Benetti and Galgano garnered 2025-26 third team accolades.
Jean-Baptiste, the 2025-26 Empire 8 Player of the Year, the 2024-25 E8 Defensive Player of the Year and back-to-back first team all-conference selection, led all E8 players in scoring, averaging 19.0 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the floor to go along with 5.9 boards and 2.3 steals per game. A five-Empire 8 Player of the Week, Jean-Baptiste scored in double figured in 25 of 26 contests, with 11 games of at least 20 points, including a career-high 41 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the floor in a win at St. John Fisher on Feb. 7. She was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week on Feb. 10 for her efforts. A native of Jersey City, NY, Jean-Baptiste scored 950 points in two seasons as an E8 member and finished her career with 1,578 points.
Chest, a two-time Empire 8 second team all-conference pick, was the leading scorer for the Saxons averaging 16.7 points per game. She broke the single-game record with 38 points this season and ended her season by breaking a 40-year single-season record with 434 points. She led the league in three-point field goals made with 57 and her scoring average and free throws made (83) were ranked third. She added 64 assists and 40 steals to cap off her season.
A three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, Benetti, a senior from Syracuse, NY, notched her best offensive season yet, averaging 14.2 points per game, ranking seventh in the conference on 46 percent shooting. She also added a career high 2.9 assists per game for ninth overall and posted an impressive assist to turnover ratio of 1.3. Defensively, she was a factor on the glass, picking up 6.1 rebounds per game and recording 2.3 blocks per game for second in the Empire 8. Benetti also scored a career-high 27 point performance vs Rensselaer.
Another three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, MacLachlan, a senior from Marcellus, NY, averaged 13.0 points per game, ranking 11th in the Empire 8 and established herself as one of the league's top shooters. She also picked up a team-best 3.4 assists per game for fifth in the conference. Defensively, MacLachlan remained a steady presence, averaging 0.5 blocks and 1.9 steals per game.
Galgano, an Empire 8 first team all-conference selection and the 2025-26 E8 Tournament MVP, led the Knights both offensively and on the boards, posting a team high 12.8 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. The Brewster, NY native also shot 50 percent from the field on the year and 84 percent from the free throw line. Galgano's season was highlighted by 22 points in a win over RIT, as well as dominant performances in all three Empire 8 playoff games with 18 points and nine rebounds against Sage, 15 points and 13 rebounds against Nazareth, and 16 points and 11 rebounds against Houghton.
Simser, a native of Constable, NY, was also named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last month. She is averaging 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while draining 47 3-point field goals on the season. A two-time E8 Rookie of the Week, Simser scored a season-high 29 points against Alfred on Jan. 27. Simser and the Highlanders will compete in the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship Tournament, starting on March 18.
Players were nominated for the D3hoops.com awards by the Sports Information Directors. The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for a predetermined number of players in their region. Players from these lists are eligible for the
D3hoops.com All-America teams, which will be released Saturday, March 21.