FLORENCE, Italy (June 5, 2009) – Centenary women’s basketball junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) competed with the American International Sports Tours (AIST) select basketball team in Italy, helping lead the team to a 3-1 record. Camuso and the rest of her teammates played four Italian squads from various levels, including an all-star team for the final match.

“Playing in Italy was extremely different then playing in the US,” said Camuso. “They have so many different rules so it took a little while to get used to things, for example there are only 24 seconds on the shot clock, the paint is a different shape and rules for traveling are also different. I got to see and experience things I never thought I'd get to see, and if anyone gets a chance to play overseas as I did I would highly recommend it.”

The Americans dropped their first game by three points to an A1 team from Florence, despite 15 points from Camuso. The nation’s leading three-point maker this past season, Camuso also hit three from downtown in the game. The second match pitted the Americans against a local B2 squad from San Marino. Camuso led the way with 18 points in her team’s 20-point victory.

With only five players available for the third game, and 10 required, five Italian girls joined the squad to play a B1 team. Camuso finished with seven as her team pulled out the victory. The final contest of the trip came against an all-star lineup of the A2 and B1 Italian teams. Camuso was key in the American’s victory, as she scored six points in the final minutes to help her team pull out the two-point win.

With 57 seconds remaining and her squad down by one, Camuso hit two free throws to put her team in the lead. After clamping down defensively, the American team got the ball back with seven seconds to go and one of the players was fouled. She made one-of-two from the line to give the team the two-point win.

“When I wasn't playing basketball I was traveling to all different parts of Italy, including Florence, Milan, Venice, San Marino, Rimini and Lake Como. My favorite places were Lake Como, Florence and San Marino. It was scary at first to play with people I didn't know but they were all really nice and I plan to keep in touch with them.”

Camuso and the rest of the Lady Cyclones finished the season 17-9, reaching the ECAC Tournament for the first time in program history.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (April 9, 2009) – Centenary sophomore guard Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) is the antithesis of Murphy’s Law, which states that “what can go wrong will go wrong.” Murphy is a student, a starter on the women’s basketball team and a budding sports announcer who recently had the opportunity to sit in on a radio broadcast of the New Jersey Nets. For Murphy, everything is going right.

When Centenary Communications Professor and Broadcast Manager Jon Lewis found out that there was an opportunity for a student to sit in on a New Jersey Nets radio broadcast, the first person that came to his mind was Murphy. Not only is she majoring in Communications, but she has also participated in many Cyclones men’s basketball broadcasts on WNTI, serving as color analyst along with play-by-play announcer Harlin Jeffries.

“I have had Leah in many Communications classes, so I am aware of her ability,” said Lewis. “She did the Cyclones men’s basketball games last season and did a great job, and when this opportunity came up she was the first person I thought of. She is a natural, a very good broadcaster and she really knows sports. She has a very strong sports background. I thought this would be a great experience for her.”

Murphy could not have been more excited for the opportunity, and so on Sunday, April 5, she traveled up to East Rutherford, NJ, for the Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers at the Izod Center.

“Watching the Nets radio broadcast was a really good learning experience for me,” said Murphy. “Once I got there, they escorted us to dinner, and then they took us to the radio booth where I met play by play announcer Chris Carrino and color analyst Tim Capstraw. They were both really nice and very helpful. They gave me headphones so that I could listen to the broadcast and during every time out I was able to ask them questions. I learned about different equipment and how they work together.”

Because of her own experience broadcasting men’s basketball games, Murphy knows that one of the toughest parts of doing a broadcast is working with your partner.

“When I am doing a game sometimes I will make a motion during the broadcast to let Harlin know that I have something to say, so I asked the Nets announcers if they use signals to let the other person know that they have something to say,” said Murphy. “They told me that they can usually sense when the other person wants to jump in. Their chemistry is really good. They have done about 600 games together, and it takes experience to work together so it was good to see that.”

The chance to watch an NBA radio broadcast did nothing to dissuade Murphy from her career goal of sports broadcasting; in fact it only enhanced her desire to get into the field after she graduates in 2011.

“I would definitely like to pursue this as a career,” said Murphy. “I would love to work as a sideline reporter, for either television or radio. Right now I think I would rather do television but I enjoy doing radio broadcasts as well.”

But for now, Murphy has enough on her plate with being a Centenary student, a starter on the women’s basketball team and a part-time radio analyst. The Lady Cyclones finished 17-9 this season and reached the ECAC Tournament for the first time ever. For Murphy, there is only one direction the team is going, and that is up.

“We did really, really well this season,” she said. “We made it to the ECAC South tournament, the first time the program has ever done that. We lost to Manhattanville by eight points (79-71), but we could have won. Before this season we did not have targets on our back, no one really knew us coming into the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). Now we have targets on our back and people are looking to play us. Ranked teams want to play us, and that is where we want to be as a program.”

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (April 3, 2009) – Centenary women’s basketball junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) was named Second Team All-ECAC, the league announced Friday. It marks the second postseason award for Camuso, who also earned All-Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) First Team honors.

Camuso finished the season ranked fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.8 points per contest, while leading the Lady Cyclones to their first-ever ECAC Tournament appearance. Centenary finished the 2008-09 campaign with a 17-9 record, 12-4 in the CSAC. Camuso also ranked first nationally in three pointers per game (3.7) and 33rd in steals (3.3). Within the conference, she was first in scoring, first in three pointers per game, sixth in free throw percentage (.767), second in steals and second in minutes played (35.6). 

In the team’s 79-71 loss at Manhattanville in the first round of the ECAC Tournament, Camuso recorded her 1,000th career-point. She scored 26 in that contest to give her 1,019 for her career.

All-ECAC Awards

About the ECAC
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is the nation's largest athletic conference and only multi-divisional conference, with 319 member institutions and over 122,000 student-athletes ranging from Maine to North Carolina and westerly to Illinois. The ECAC publicizes the achievements of over 750 student-athletes annually through the postseason all-stars. In women's basketball, the ECAC awards one Division II all-star team and four regional Division III all-star teams (New England, Upstate, Metro and South).

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (March 26, 2009) – Centenary women’s basketball finished the 2008-09 campaign as the highest scoring team in Division III, averaging 81.5 points per contest. In the final national statistics, the Lady Cyclones were also fourth in three-point field goals per game (7.5), 13th in steals per game (13.3) and 33rd in turnover margin (5.04).

Junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) finished fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.8 points per contest. She also ranked first nationally in three pointers per game (3.7) and 33rd in steals (3.3). Teammate Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) ranked 13th in steals (3.7) and 62nd in assists (4.5), while sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) averaged 11.5 rebounds per contest, good for 19th in the country.

As a team, Centenary led the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) in scoring, three pointers per game, steals and turnover margin. Individually, Camuso was first in scoring, first in three pointers per game, sixth in free throw percentage and second in steals behind Vasta. The two teammates were also second and third in minutes played, as Camuso averaged 35.6 and Vasta 35.4 per game. Vasta was also first in the conference in assists and fourth in assist/turnover ratio. DiStasio finished fourth in the CSAC in rebounding, including second-place in defensive rebounds and fifth in offensive rebounds.

Centenary finished the season 17-9, 12-4 in the CSAC, and reached the ECAC Tournament for the first time in program history.

PURCHASE, N.Y. (March 4, 2009) – Playing in its first ECAC Tournament in program history, the Centenary women’s basketball team fell at Manhattanville, 79-71, Wednesday in Purchase, N.Y. Three players scored in double-figures for the Lady Cyclones, led by junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea), who tallied 26 on nine-of-18 shooting, including four-of-nine from three point range. Camuso passed the 1,000 point mark for her career with her performance against the Valiants; she now has 1,019 points.

“I cannot be more proud of my team,” said Lorie Khalil. “They played exactly the way we have been asking, with 40 minutes of hustle. Although I am disappointed with the result, I am extremely proud of the way we played tonight.”

Freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) finished with 17 points on eight-of-17 shooting, while leading the team in both assists (six) and steals (four). Sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) recorded 10 points, shooting four-of-five from the free throw line. Sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) led the team with nine rebounds, while also recording six points, two steals, one block and one assist. Rebounding cost the Lady Cyclones, as Manhattanville outboarded them 62-33, including a 25-7 mark on the offensive glass.

After a back-and-forth opening stretch, the score was knotted at nine with 15:19 remaining in the first half. Centenary then took control, going on an 18-2 run to take a 27-11 lead with 10:25 to go. The Lady Cyclones would build their lead to 19 on a three-point play by Murphy and a fastbreak layup by freshman Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg), giving the road squad a 36-17 edge with 6:37 to play in the stanza.

But Manhattanville was able to climb back into the game, thanks to a 16-2 advantage on the offensive glass in the first half. Although the Lady Cyclones shot 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from the floor while holding their opponents to 34.1 percent (15-of-44), they went into the locker room with a 41-37 halftime edge.

However, the Valiants scored the first four points of the second half to tie the score at 41, and after a back-and-forth stretch the game was knotted at 50 with 11:54 remaining. Manhattanville went on a 6-0 run to take a 56-50 lead, and then held off a furious Centenary assault. Trailing 67-59, Camuso hit two consecutive three pointers to bring the Lady Cyclones within four, at 69-65. But they would get no closer, and Manhattanville won 79-71.

“This game was a glimpse of what is to come for Centenary women’s basketball,” said Khalil. “This team will give everything they can. We will have two seniors next year in Camuso and Nikki VanTassel (Franklin, NJ/Wallkill Valley Regional), and they will make sure of it. We will not be satisfied until we win our conference championship and earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament. That is the goal, nothing less.”

Boxscore

PURCHASE, N.Y. (March 3, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team will compete in its first-ever ECAC Tournament on Wednesday, March 4, when it travels to Purchase, N.Y., to face Manhattanville at 7:00 p.m. The game marks the Lady Cyclones first postseason other than conference championships since 1999-2000, when they fell to Richard Stockton 80-45 in the NCAA Tournament.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the region to participate in the ECAC tournament,” said head coach Lorie Khalil. “This is our first trip to a post-season besides our conference tourney in nine years. It was a goal in the beginning of the year and feels great that we accomplished it. We can be happy but not satisfied with it, we want to win.”

The Lady Cyclones finished the regular season 17-7, falling to Cedar Crest 82-71 in the opening game of the CSAC Championship. Centenary has been led by junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), a First Team All-CSAC honoree after averaging 21.7 points and 4.3 rebounds a game. She led the league and ranked sixth nationally in scoring and is first in the nation with 3.6 three pointers each match.

Freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) was named Second Team All-Conference after finishing first in the conference and 14th nationally in steals, with 3.7 per contest, while also leading the CSAC with 4.5 assists per game. Vasta averaged 14.5 points per contest while shooting .472 (145-of-307) from the floor. Sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) led the team in rebounding with 11.6 boards per contest. She recorded nine double-doubles on the year.

Manhattanville fell just short of an NCAA Tournament berth, losing in the Freedom Conference Championship game to No. 23 DeSales, 70-60, on Feb. 28. The Valiants were led this season by senior Olivia Nastasi, who averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She was named to the conference’s First Team, while junior Nina Johnson (9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest) earned Second Team honors. Head coach Candice Brown was named Freedom Conference Coach of the Year.

Centenary has not faced the Valiants since both were in the Skyline Conference. In their last meeting, The Lady Cyclones came away with an 86-79 victory on the road on Feb. 15, 2007. This season featured one common opponent for both teams in Delaware Valley. Manhattanville split its series, losing 78-72 on the road on Jan. 3 and winning 67-64 at home on Feb. 7. Centenary dropped a tough 83-77 contest at home on Jan. 26.

“We know Manhattanville is going to be tough,” said Khalil. “They play in a great conference, against great competition. It will be a flashback of when we were both in the Skyline Conference. We had great battles back then and tomorrow will be no different.”

Manhattanville will have live stats and the radio broadcast available on its website, www.govaliants.com. For live stats click here and for the live audio broadcast click here.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (March 2, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team was selected as the sixth seed in the 2009 ECAC Division III South Women's Basketball Championship. The tournament is an eight-team field with quarterfinal, semifinal and championship rounds. The Lady Cyclones (17-8) will travel to Purchase, N.Y., to face third-seed Manhattanville (17-10) on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:00 p.m.

Centenary last played in the opening round of the CSAC tournament, falling to Cedar Crest 82-71 on Feb. 23. Leading the way for the Lady Cyclones this season has been junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea), a First Team All-CSAC selection, and freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton), a Second Team honoree.

Camuso led the league and ranked sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 21.7 points per game. She also ranked first in the nation with 3.6 three pointers each match. Vasta was first in the conference and 14th nationally in steals, with 3.7 per contest, while also leading the CSAC with 4.5 assists per game.

Manhattanville fell just short of an NCAA Tournament berth, losing in the Freedom Conference Championship game to No. 23 DeSales, 70-60, on Feb. 28. The Valiants were led this season by Olivia Nastasi, who averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

ECAC South Brackets

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 23, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team fell to Cedar Crest, 82-71, in the opening round of the CSAC Tournament, Monday in Hackettstown, N.J. Freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) led three Lady Cyclones in double-figures with a game-high 20 points, on eight-of-18 shooting. 

Vasta also recorded team-highs in both assists (five) and steals (four), while playing all 40 minutes of the contest. She was joined in double-figures by sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy), who finished with 17 points, and freshman Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg), who tallied 15. Junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea), 15 points shy of 1,000 for her career entering the game, was held back by the Cedar Crest defenders, who doubled and sometimes triple-teamed her every time she touched the ball. Camuso finished with eight points after averaging 40.0 points in the two regular season contests against the Falcons.

Cedar Crest jumped out to an early lead in the first half, building its advantage to as many as seven early, at 11-4, before a Centenary run cut the lead to three, at 24-21, with 9:57 remaining. But the Falcons outscored the Lady Cyclones 19-11 the rest of the way and went into the locker room with a 43-32 halftime edge.

In the second half, however, Centenary found its offensive flow, going on a 17-5 run, capped by a steal and a fast break layup by Vasta, to take a 49-48 lead with 15:06 remaining. The Cyclones built their advantage to as many as six, at 63-57 with 6:59 to go, before Cedar Crest asserted itself once again. The Falcons went on a 16-4 run to take a 73-67 lead and did not look back, winning 82-71.

Cedar Crest saw five players score in double figures, including two who recorded double-doubles. Kelly Oakes finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Liz Sunderhaus tallied 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. The Falcons move on to play top-seed Cabrini on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 23, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team (17-7, 12-4) will host its first conference tournament in more than four years when Cedar Crest (13-11, 8-8) comes to the Foulkner Family Gymnasium in Hackettstown, N.J., Monday at 7:00 p.m. Centenary clinched the third seed by defeating Philadelphia Biblical 63-53 on Feb. 20, while Cedar Crest dropped two of its last three contests to earn the sixth seed.

The game will be broadcast on PennAtlantic.com and locally on 91.9 FM WNTI.

The Lady Cyclones are looking to advance past the first round of their conference tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season, when they fell to top-seed Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals of the Skyline Championship. Last year, Centenary dropped a 79-62 road contest to Alvernia in the opening game of the PAC tournament. Cedar Crest is playing in its first conference championship game in more than a decade.

The Falcons and the Lady Cyclones split the season series this year, as each team held serve at home. Cedar Crest won 111-104 in overtime on Jan. 29 and Centenary won 83-74 in Hackettstown on Feb. 14. Junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) averaged 40.0 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds in the two contests against the Falcons.

Both teams earned All-Conference honors as Camuso was named to the First Team and freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) received Second Team accolades. Cedar Crest head coach Valerie Donohue was given the Coach of the Year award and Liz Sunderhaus earned Rookie of the Year honors while being named to the conference’s First Team.

If Centenary wins, it will face second-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy, Wednesday in Gwynedd Valley, Pa.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 22, 2009) – Centenary women’s basketball guards Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) and Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) each earned All-CSAC postseason accolades, the league announced Sunday. Camuso was named to the conference’s First Team, while Vasta earned Second Team honors. It marks the first such awards for each player.

The two players were in the top five in a number of statistical categories in the conference. They finished one and two in steals, as Vasta averaged 3.82 while Camuso swiped 3.59 per game. Camuso led the conference in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per contest, and three point shots, with 3.82 per contest. Vasta was first in assists, with 4.64 per match.

Junior Nikki VanTassel (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) was named one of the conference’s Sportsmanship Award Recipient.

Camuso, Vasta, VanTassel and the rest of the Lady Cyclones return to action on Monday, Feb. 23, when they host Cedar Crest at 7:00 p.m. in the first round of the CSAC Tournament.

2008-09 Women's Basketball Regular Season CSAC Awards

LANGHORNE, Pa. (February 20, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team (17-7, 12-4 CSAC) closed out its regular season with a 63-53 win at Philadelphia Biblical (5-20, 1-15 CSAC), Friday night in Langhorne, Pa. Junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) led the way with a game-high 22 points, while fellow classmate Nikki VanTassel (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) picked up a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) also finished in double figures with 11 points. The Lady Cyclones held PBU to 19-of-57 shooting for the game, limiting their opponent to 34.5 percent (10-of-29) in the first half and 32.1 percent (nine-of-28) in the second period. Everyone who saw action for Centenary grabbed at least one rebound. Dani Norton tallied a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Crimson Eagles.

Centenary led wire-to-wire, jumping out to an early lead and building its advantage to as many as 18 in the first half before a late Philadelphia Biblical run cut the edge to eight, 35-27, at the half. In the second period, the Lady Cyclones kept their lead in double digits for most of the stanza, holding off the Crimson Eagles to win by 10.

CC has clinched a berth in the CSAC tournament, and barring a loss by Gwynedd-Mercy to Rosemont on Feb. 21, the Lady Cyclones will host Cedar Crest on Monday, Feb. 23, at 7:00 p.m.

Boxscore

SCRANTON, Pa. (February 16, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team dropped its first game in four contests, falling to Marywood 104-89, Monday night in Scranton, Pa. Four Lady Cyclones finished in double-figures, led by a career-high 29 points from freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton).

Vasta shot 13-of-20 from the floor, setting a career-high in field goals and matching her career-high in field goal attempts, previously set against Philadelphia Biblical on Jan. 19. Junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) scored 23 points on eight-of-15 shooting, including seven-of-eight from the free throw line. Junior Nikki VanTassel (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) finished with 13 points, shooting seven-of-10 from the free throw line and sophomore Marissa DiStassio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Centenary fell behind early and went into the halftime locker rooms down by 12, trailing 46-34. The Lady Cyclones shot 40.9 percent in the opening period (nine-of-22), but gave up 17 field goals to their opponent. In the second half, Centenary picked up the offensive pace, shooting 53.7 percent from the floor (22-of-41), but Marywood connected on a 57.1 clip (16-of-28) in the period to hold off the Lady Cyclones.

Centenary falls to 16-7 overall, 11-4 in the CSAC. With the win, Maywood (15-9, 10-5 CSAC) cuts the Lady Cyclones’ lead in the North Division to one game, with one game remaining for both teams. Centenary can clinch the top seed in the division with a win at Philadelphia Biblical on Friday, Feb. 20.

Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 14, 2009) – Junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) netted a game-high 31 points, including 23 in the second half, to lead Centenary to an 83-74 come-from-behind victory over Cedar Crest, Saturday in Hackettstown, N.J. Camuso shot seven-of-13 in the second period, including six three pointers. In two games against the Falcons this season, the junior is averaging 40.0 points and 8.5 three pointers, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds per contest.

After allowing the Falcons to shoot 47.8 percent from the floor (43-of-90) in Cedar Crest’s 111-104 overtime victory on Jan. 29, Centenary picked up its defensive intensity and held its opponent to 35.2 percent from the floor (25-of-71) on Saturday, including a shooting mark of 30.8 (12-of-39) in the decisive second half.

Besides Camuso, two other Lady Cyclones finished in double-figures, as sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) tallied 18 and freshman Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) scored 10. Freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) just missed a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine assists. Liz Sunderhaus led the way for the Falcons, scoring 26 points and grabbing a game-high 22 rebounds, as they fell to 12-10, 7-7 in the conference.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, featuring seven ties and eight lead changes. A three pointer by Sunderhaus gave the road team a 38-36 lead with 12 seconds remaining in the period. Murphy brought the Cyclones to within two with a free throw with two seconds to go and Centenary went into halftime trailing 38-36.

In the second half, however, a quick 6-0 Centenary run gave the home team a 42-38 lead. Freshman Jasmine Rosa (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) hit a three pointer to give the Cyclones a seven-point advantage, 68-61, with 8:12 remaining, but Cedar Crest answered with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 70 with 5:44 to go. Then Camuso took over, nailing three consecutive three pointers to give Centenary a 79-70 lead. A steal and a fast break layup by Murphy and a jumper by sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) gave the home squad an 83-70 lead, and they held on to win 83-74.

With the victory, Centenary improves to 16-6 overall, 11-3 in the conference. The Cyclones hold a two-game lead over CSAC North Division second-place team Marywood, CC’s next opponent. The two teams will meet in Scranton, PA on Feb. 16, at 6:00 p.m.

Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 9, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team (15-6, 10-3 CSAC) came from as many as 10 points down to defeat Baptist Bible (7-14, 4-9 CSAC) 82-78, Monday night in Hackettstown, N.J. Five student-athletes scored in double-figures in the come-back victory, led by freshman Jen Vasta’s (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) 18 points. As a team, Centenary finished 27-of-38 from the charity stripe, including 12-of-14 in the second half to help seal the win.

Vasta shot seven-of-12 from the floor, while contributing six assists, six rebounds and four steals. Centenary received a pair of 17-point performances by junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) and sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy). Murphy also totaled seven rebounds, four steals and two assists while shooting seven-of-eight from the free throw line. Freshman Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) scored 14 points while sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) recorded a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.

The two teams went back-and-forth in the first half before an 8-0 Defenders run gave them a 19-9 lead with 12:12 remaining in the opening period. A 13-4 run brought the home squad to within one, 22-23, but BBC responded with a 17-9 run to close out the half, and Centenary went to the locker room trailing 40-31.

The Lady Cyclones came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, going on a 15-0 run to take a 46-40 lead. Camuso scored seven points in that run. The home team led by 13, 68-55, with 7:49 remaining, before the Defenders mounted a 12-0 run to cut the lead to one with 4:02 remaining. But Centenary shot eight-of-10 from the free throw line in the final four minutes of the contest to hold off its opponent, including two by DiStasio with nine seconds remaining.

With the win, the Lady Cyclones have a game advantage on Marywood in the North Division, as the Pacers fell to Cedar Crest 66-59 Monday night. Centenary looks to build on its lead on Saturday, Feb. 14, when it faces that same Cedar Crest squad at home at 1:00 p.m.

Boxscore 

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 9, 2009) – Centenary women’s basketball junior guard Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph’s by the Sea) was named to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Weekly Honor Roll, the league announced today. Camuso led the Lady Cyclones to a 1-1 week, averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 steals, four rebounds and two assists per game.

It is the fourth conference award for Camuso this season, as she was named to the Honor Roll on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, and was named Player of the Week on Feb. 2.

Camuso scored a team-high 14 points in Centenary’s 78-52 loss at Cabrini on Feb. 2, while recording three steals and two assists. In the Lady Cyclones’ 83-67 home win over Keystone on Feb. 7, the junior shot nine-of-12 from the free throw line en route to a game-high 22 points, while also tallying six steals, six rebounds and four assists. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 22.1 points per contest.

Centenary returns to action on Monday, Feb. 9, against Baptist Bible, in a home double-header. The Lady Cyclones play at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men at 8:00 p.m.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 7, 2009) – The Centenary women’s basketball team (14-6, 9-3 CSAC) defeated Keystone (9-11, 4-8 CSAC), 83-67, Saturday afternoon in Hackettstown, NJ. Junior Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by the Sea) led the way with 22 points, including nine-of-12 from the free throw line, as three players scored in double-figures for the Cyclones. Camuso also recorded six steals, six rebounds and four assists.

Freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) finished with 18 points, six rebounds, five steals, one assist and one block while junior Nikki VanTassel (Franklin, N.J./Wallkill Valley Regional) recorded a double-double with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore Marissa DiStasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) came one point shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and 12 rebounds. Centenary held Keystone to just 30.4 percent from the floor (24-of-79), including 29.7 percent in the second half (11-of-37).

The first half featured five ties and five lead changes as the two teams went back-and-forth. Centenary fell behind early and trailed by as many as eight, 18-10, with 12:46 remaining in the stanza. But the Cyclones rallied and the two teams went into the locker rooms tied at 35 at the half.

In the second half, however, Centenary got back on track. Camuso hit two free throws to start the period, part of an 8-0 run for the Cyclones to open the stanza. But Keystone rallied, coming within two at 48-46 with 13:53 remaining. After a free throw shot by the Giants brought them to within 52-49, Centenary went on a 16-0 run to take a commanding 68-49 lead. The home team would build its advantage to as much as 21 before winning by 16.

Centenary next plays on Monday, Feb. 9, as part of a home double-header with Baptist Bible. The women play at 6:00 p.m. followed by the men at 8:00 p.m.

Boxscore

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 5, 2009) – In the latest national Division III NCAA rankings, the Centenary women’s basketball team ranks first out of 409 schools in scoring, averaging 84.7 points per game. The Cyclones are second in three pointers per game (8.5), 13th in steals (13.9), 31st in scoring margin (15.4) and 37th in turnover margin (4.94).

Centenary leads the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) in four statistical categories: scoring, scoring margin, turnover margin and three point field goals. The Cyclones are among the top five in many other categories, including free throw percentage (fourth, .662), field goal percentage (second, .403), field goal percentage defense (fourth, .358), three point percentage (third, .316), rebounding offense (third, 48.7), blocked shots (fifth, 2.61), assists (third, 15.67), steals (second, 13.89) and assist/turnover ratio (fourth, .73).

Individually, three Cyclones are ranked among the nation’s leaders in four statistical categories, led by Kristen Camuso (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph's by the Sea). The junior is first in scoring (22.5) and three pointers (3.9) and tied for 21st in steals (3.7). Sophomore Marissa Distasio (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) is 16th in rebounds (12.0) and freshman Jen Vasta (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) is tied with Camuso in steals.

In the CSAC’s latest rankings, Camuso is first in scoring and three pointers per game, fifth in free throw percentage (.797), tied for second in steals, sixth in three point percentage (.365) and fifth in minutes (34.33). Vasta is ninth in scoring (13.9), fifth in field goal percentage (.493), first in assists (4.5), tied for second in steals, fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.19) and tied for third in minutes played (34.39).

Distasio is first in defensive rebounds (7.24), third in offensive rebounds (4.76) and third in overall rebounding. Freshman Hannah Ally (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) is 12th in field goal percentage (.444) and 10th in steals (2.2). Fellow classmate Bridget McCann (Keyport, N.J./Keyport) ranks second in blocks (1.39) and sophomore Leah Murphy (Hamburg, N.Y./Mount Mercy Academy) is 15th in three pointers (1.17).

The Cyclones (13-6, 8-3) return to action on Saturday, Feb. 7, when they face CSAC opponent Keystone (9-10, 4-7) at 1:00 p.m. as part of a double-header. The men’s team will face Keystone at 3:00 p.m., following the women’s game.