2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GUIDE Sandra Dongmo Krystal Luciano Sydni Epps Olivia Askin Aleana Leon Ashunae Durant Olivia Askin BASKETBALL PRACTICE FACILITY The Hofstra Basketball Practice Facility allows both the Hofstra Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs around-the-clock access as they train and develop their student-athletes to compete for Colonial Athletic Association and NCAA Tournament berths. The 14,000-square foot practice facility is located in the north end of the David S. Mack Physical Education Center and features a new court with eight baskets, a sound system, a filming system with smart TV for video, signage and graphics. The year-round, dedicated basketball facility also houses an athletic training area that includes cardio equipment. The facility includes banners commemorating both program’s retired jerseys, wall graphics representing the postseason appearances of each team and information on the many professional athletes each squad has produced. There are also graphics celebrating the great history of both Hofstra Basketball programs. The practice facility floor is an exact match of the main floor of the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. GOHOFSTRA.COM | HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Basketball Practice Facility 1 Player Bios Hofstra in the Community 60 Table of Contents 2 Sydni Epps 24 The Colonial Athletic Association 61 2016-17 Quick Facts 3 Sandra Dongmo 26 Game Day 4 Krystal Luciano 28 2015-16 Statistics and Results 62 2015-16 Game-by-Game Strength and Conditioning 6 Olivia Askin 30 Team Statistics 63 Player Development 7 Ashunae Durant 32 Aleana Leon 34 2015-16 Individual Statistics 64 Kayla Minott 36 Head Coach E’Lexus Davis 38 The Last Time 65 Krista Kilburn-Steveskey 8 Ana Hernandez Gil 39 2015-16 Team Highs and Lows 66 Associate Head Coach Faisal Khan 12 Marianne Kalin 40 2015-16 Trivia 67 2015-16 Colonial Athletic Association Assistant Coach Denise King 14 Sandra Karsten 41 Petja Krupenko 42 Review 68 Assistant Coach Michael Gibson 15 Nike 43 2016-17 CAA Composite Schedule 74 Director of Women’s Basketball Operations Dianna Thomas-Palmer 16 2016-17 Opponents 44 Hofstra Record Book 76 Strength and Conditioning Coach Hofstra in Postseason Play 84 Ashley Christy 16 Hofstra at a Glance 46 Hofstra Women’s Basketball Alumnae 87 Assistant Athletic Trainer Hofstra President 48 Pride in the Pros 91 Nicole Cuccurullo 17 University Senior Administration 49 Year-by-Year Coaching Records 92 Associate Dean for the Center for University Director of Athletics 50 Hofstra Women’s Basketball Series Records 93 Advisement Rachel Peel-MacAndrew 17 Athletic Administration and Head Coaches 52 Hofstra Basketball Year-by-Year Athletic Academic Support 54 Results 94 Meet The Pride 18 Athletic Training 55 CAA Championship 107 2016-17 Roster 19 David S. Mack Sports and Media Information 108 2016-17 Outlook 20 Exhibition Complex 56 Media Outlets 110 New York City 58 2016-17 Schedule 111 Long Island 59 Radio/TV Chart 112 2 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY | 2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2016-17 QUICK FACTS Location: Hempstead, New York 11549 Assistant Director of Athletics/NCAA Basketball Information Founded: 1935 Education and Compliance Services: Enrollment: 10,870 Alyssa Morales Head Basketball Coach: Affiliation: NCAA Division I Assistant Director of Athletics/ Krista Kilburn-Steveskey Conference: Colonial Athletic Association Administration: Rachel August (North Carolina State, 1990) Nickname: Pride Athletic Department Phone: (516) 463-6750 Record at Hofstra: 178-139/11th Year Colors: Gold, White and Blue Overall College Coaching Record: Same Home Court: David S. Mack Sports and Associate Director of Athletics for Associate Head Coach: Faisal Khan Exhibition Complex (5,023) Communications: Stephen Gorchov (Maryland, Baltimore County, 1999), Press Row Phone: (516) 463-7725 Office Phone: (516) 463-4933 Assistant Coaches: Denise King E-mail: [email protected] (Rhode Island, 2004) and Michael Gibson President: Stuart Rabinowitz Senior Sports Information Director: (Boston College, 2008) Faculty Athletics Representative: Jim Sheehan Director of Basketball Operations: Dr. Cliff Jernigan Office Phone: (516) 463-6764 Dianna Thomas-Palmer (Hofstra, 2016) Women’s Basketball Athletic Trainer: Vice President and Director of Athletics: E-mail: [email protected] Nicole Cuccurullo (Stony Brook, 2012) Jeffrey A. Hathaway Senior Assistant Director of Athletic Deputy Director of Athletics: Communications: Amanda Ghysel Basketball Office Phone: (516) 463-HOOP Dino Mattessich (WBB Contact) Basketball Secretary: Clarice Smith Senior Associate Director of Athletics: Office Phone: (516) 463-6759 Best Time to Call: Contact SID Cindy Lewis Cell Phone: (585) 690-7113 Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ E-mail: [email protected] 2015-16 Record: 25-9 Facilities: Jay Artinian Director of Athletic Publications: Len 2015-16 Conference Record/Finish: Associate Director of Athletics/ Skoros 13-5/2nd Communications: Stephen Gorchov Office Phone: (516) 463-4602 2015-16 Postseason: WNIT Quarterfinals Associate Director of Athletics/NCAA E-mail: [email protected] Players Returning: 7 Education and Compliance Services: Athletic Communications Fax: Players Lost: 6 Ariel “AP” Pesante (516) 463-5033 Starters Returning: 2 Assistant Director of Athletics/Marketing Radio: WRHU (88.7 FM) Starters Lost: 3 and Promotions: Chrissy Arnone Website: GoHofstra.com Newcomers: 5 Assistant Director of Athletics/Ticket Photographers: Jon Heisler, Wayne Tilcock, Operations: Maria Corvino Brian Ballweg, Kathy Kmonicek, Zack Lane, Tessa Mortensen HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PERSONNEL STARTERS RETURNING (2) - starts in parentheses NEWCOMERS (5) Name Pos. Cl. Ht. PPG RPG APG Other Name Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown/High School/Previous Ashunae Durant F Sr. 5-10 11.4 8.9 2.1 All-CAA E’Lexus Davis G Fr. 5-7 Hyattsville, Md./National Second Christian Academy Team Ana Hernandez Gil G Fr. 5-8 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria/ Krystal Luciano G Sr. 5-5 9.0 4.8 5.2 San Antonia Maria Claret Marianne Kalin F Fr. 6-1 Lappeenranta, Finland/ OTHER RETURNING PLAYERS (5) - starts in parentheses Kimpisen Lukio Sandra Karsten G Fr. 5-9 Helsinki, Finland Name Pos. Cl. Ht. PPG RPG APG /Mäkelänrinteen Lukio Aleana Leon (6) G Jr. 5-7 4.7 3.1 0.6 Petja Krupenko G Fr. 5-9 Ljubljana, Slovenia/ Sydni Epps (4) G/F Gr. 5-11 3.0 4.4 0.3 Gimnazija Bezigrad Sandra Dongmo C Sr. 6-4 2.5 4.5 0.1 Olivia Askin (3) G Jr. 5-8 1.2 0.2 0.3 STARTERS LOST (3) - starts in parentheses Kayla Minott F So. 6-3 1.0 1.3 0.0 Name Pos. PPG RPG APG Kelly Loftus (24) G 12.2 2.6 1.2 Darius Faulk (34) G 9.1 4.8 5.2 Anjie White (30) F 8.8 8.0 0.7 GOHOFSTRA.COM | HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY 3 GAME DAY 4 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY | 2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GOHOFSTRA.COM | HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY 5 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING The Hofstra University Strength and Conditioning Program supports the missions of both the Department of Athletics and the University. The mission of the Hofstra University Department of Athletics is to sponsor a broad- based athletics program that positively reflects the interests and values of the institution’s students, faculty, administration, alumni and friends who support its many initiatives. The primary objective of the athletics program is to provide student-athletes with the opportunity to excel in the academic environment and in athletic competition. By recruiting men and women of academic quality, good character, and high athletic ability, the athletics program fosters among its students a sense of leadership, discipline, mutual trust and social responsibility. In addition, Hofstra’s Strength and Conditioning Program is committed to the development of student-athletes with the intention of enhancing their overall athletic potential through ground based tri-planar movements while reducing their risk of injury. It is our belief that implementing a functional, sport-specific and individualized program will provide our student- athletes the underlying structure required to perform at their optimal level of play. 6 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY | 2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER DEVELOPMENT GOHOFSTRA.COM | HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY 7 HEAD COACH KRISTA KILBURN-STEVESKY Kelly Loftus earning third team honors win the CAA’s Defensive Player of the Year and Darius Faulk making the conference’s award under Kilburn-Steveskey. Ashunae all-defensive team. The Met Basketball Durant was the 2014-15 CAA Rookie of Writers also named Durant Second Team the Year as well as a Metropolitan Rookie All-Met in 2015-16. of the Year and Full Court’s Mid-Major Freshman of the Year. In 2014-15 Hofstra went 20-13 and qualified for the WNIT, playing Penn in the Evans, who was recruited by Kilburn- first round. The Pride advanced to the CAA Steveskey, capped her collegiate career Championship title game for the first time in impressive fashion in 2012-13 by since joining the league and added the setting Hofstra career records for points team’s second-ever win over a nationally and rebounds while earning her third ranked program with a 63-62 road win at consecutive first team All-Met selection in No. 23 James Madison. It was the third 2013. The three-time honorable mention time a Hofstra team had won 20 games All-America selection set the CAA’s all-time Krista Kilburn-Steveskey is entering her under Kilburn-Steveskey. Both of Hofstra’s leading rebounding mark with 1,348 and 11th season as Hofstra’s head coach in wins over nationally ranked programs have had the most double-doubles (69) of any 2016-17. She has averaged nearly 18 wins been coached by Kilburn-Steveskey. active Division I player before exhausting per season since arriving on campus in her eligibility. 2006 while posting seven winning seasons She has also coached the first Associated and leading the Pride to five appearances Press All-American in program history and The 2010-11 Hofstra squad went 19-12 in the Women’s National Invitation has coached two CAA Rookies of the Year and Evans was named an Associated Tournament, including two consecutive and six CAA All-Rookie Team members.