Berkeley College Men's and Women's Basketball Players and Coaching Staff Recognized by Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Assistant Director, Athletics
973-278-5400 ext.4394
Stephen-Spagnoli@BerkeleyCollege.edu
BERKELEY COLLEGE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS AND COACHING STAFF RECOGNIZED BY HUDSON VALLEY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Photo Caption - Above: Left to right, Berkeley College Men’s Basketball players Turray Bynum, Daquan Jackson, both of the Bronx, NY, and Joshua Hardy of Clarkstown, MD, earned recognition by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) as members of the 2019-2020 All-Conference team. Below: Top left, right, and lower right, Berkeley College Women’s Basketball players Jennifer Lightner, Daniella Wood, both of the Bronx, NY, and Ebony Lofton of Brooklyn, NY, also earned All-HVIAC distinctions. Bottom left, left to right, Berkeley College Women’s Basketball team Coaching Assistants Ashley Duplan, Candice DeRisi and Head Coach Dondre Simmons, were recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year by the HVIAC.
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Members of the Berkeley College Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have earned recognition by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) on 2019-2020 All-Conference teams. On the men’s side, Daquan Jackson of the Bronx, NY, Joshua Hardy of Clarkstown, MD, and Turray Bynum of the Bronx, NY, earned All-Conference recognition, while Daniella Wood, Ebony Lofton and Jennifer Lightner earned All-HVIAC distinctions. In addition, Berkeley College Women’s Basketball team Head Coach Dondre Simmons, as well as assistants Candice DeRisi and Ashley Duplan, were recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year.
Berkeley College Men’s Basketball team will have the opportunity to win its fifth National crown
Daquan Jackson, a two-time HVIAC Player of the Week and four-time conference Rookie of the Week, was a dominant force for the Berkeley College Knights Men’s Basketball team this season. He led the team in scoring an average of 14.2 points per game, rebounding 8.7 times per game. He scored more than 20 points on seven different occasions, while registering six double-doubles. In Berkeley’s classic 76-73 victory over SUNY-ESF in the HVIAC tournament semifinals, he scored 13 points, grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, and tied for the game-high with five assists.
Turray Bynum averaged 12.4 points per contest for Berkeley College this season, while also snatching six boards per contest. He posted a pair of double-doubles, while also scoring 17 points or more on five different occasions. In addition, he hit some huge shots down the stretch for Berkeley, hitting a buzzer-beating, game-winning basket to pace the Knights to a 68-66 victory over Villa Maria back on February 1. He also hit a clutch three-point basket in the final minute of Berkeley’s 76-73 HVIAC semifinal round win over the Mighty Oaks. His trifecta stretched the Knights’ lead to five, and Berkeley held on for the one-possession triumph.
Joshua Hardy, a three-time HVIAC Player of the Week honoree, averaged 11.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. He posted five double-doubles on the year, while also scoring 19 points or more on five different occasions. He was also one of two Knights to play in every game this season.
Berkeley College’s Men’s Basketball team received an automatic bid to the 2019-2020 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division II National Men’s Basketball Tournament and will have an opportunity to win its fifth National crown in a six-year span. The Knights will learn who their opponent/potential opponents will be during the USCAA Division II selection show, to be broadcast on Friday, February 28, 2020. For the latest information on Berkeley College’s quest for another USCAA championship, visit BerkeleyCollegeKnights.com or theuscaa.com
Berkeley College Women’s Basketball team returns strong in 2019-2020 season
The Berkeley College Women’s Basketball team, which made its return to the court after a one-year hiatus, accomplished much during the 2019-2020 season under Head Coach Dondre Simmons, and Coaching Assistants Candice DeRisi and Ashley Duplan. They led Berkeley to the HVIAC regular season title, as the Knights recorded an unblemished 4-0 mark in conference competition. Berkeley picked up impressive victories over NHTI and Albany College of Pharmacy, and the Knights compiled a winning record on the road, going 6-4. Berkeley allowed just 54.2 points per game (or just under 14 points per quarter).
Under the guidance of the coaches, freshman Daniella Wood of the Bronx, NY, was named HVIAC Rookie of the Week five times, and three players earned four collective HVIAC Player of the Week distinctions. In addition to the Berkeley College Women’s Basketball team making its first trip to the HVIAC title game, three players were named to the HVIAC All-Conference team, and the Knights recorded their best winning percentage (.500) since the 2014-2015 season.
Ms. Wood, a five-time HVIAC Rookie of the Week, was a key member of the Knights this past season. She averaged 10.4 points per game, and led all players (with a minimum of 10 games played) with 8.9 rebounds per contest. She also scored in double figures eight times, while posting five double-doubles. Her 15 blocks were also a team-best.
Veteran Ebony Lofton of Brooklyn, NY, averaged 6.3 points per game, while also snatching 8.6 rebounds per evening. She was also the only Berkeley College player to appear in all 16 of the team’s games. Ms. Lofton posted two double-doubles, scored in double figures five times, and pulled down double figures in rebounding six times. Jennifer Lightner of the Bronx, NY, joined the Knights late in the year, but she made her presence felt in the four contests in which she played. She averaged 17.3 points, 4.5 steals, and three assists per game. She scored 16 points or more three times, and netted double figures in points every game.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College has campuses in Midtown Manhattan and White Plains, NY, as well as in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 5,700 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for seven consecutive years. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.
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To see the images above as high resolution photos go to:
Top Left: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_MB_Bynum22cr_AllConference.jpg
Top Middle: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_MB_Jackson4cr_AllConference.jpg
Top Right: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_MB_Hardy11cr_AllConference.jpg
In mosaic, from to left clockwise:
Top left: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_Women_Lightner2-2_Action.jpg
Top right: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_Women_Wood23_Action2.jpg
Lower left: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_WomenCoachingStaffOfYearCR.jpg
Lower right: https://berkeleycollege.edu/newsroom/images/ALL_Women_Lofton21_Action3.jpg
