Hostos Community College women’s basketball team

To say the Hostos Community College women’s basketball team is on a roll would be a huge understatement.

Having just clinched its second-straight Region XV title on March 4, the Caimans have also sat atop the NJCAA Division III rankings for nine consecutive weeks. The No. 1 seeded Caimans knocked off Nassau Community College on March 3 in the semifinals round, 74-52, before defeating Sullivan County Community College in the championship game, 70-40.

Head Coach DeVernie Winston is particularly proud of the entire team’s commitment to the system.

“I am truly proud of the way our team has played throughout the season. I asked a lot of the players, and they have responded positively,” Winston said. “They have bought into the system; our defense sparks our offense. In fact, the team is currently ranked first in the nation in steals per game.”

The Caimans have performed well on both ends of the court, but they have been especially good on defense. One bright spot has been CUNY Athletic Conference and Region XV Tournament MVP and Player of the Year, Kayla Wilson. Wilson consistently puts up impressive numbers, finishing with a double-double in both regional tournament games. Against the Nassau Lions, she led all scorers with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Against the Sullivan Generals she had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. For her relentless effort during the season, Wilson has amassed 22 double-doubles and is currently ranked first in the nation for offensive rebounds per game.

Freshman Guard Skydajah Patterson also posted a double-double in both games in the tournament, finishing with 18 overall double-doubles for the season. Against the Lions, Patterson posted 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. She had 10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals and 3 assists against the Generals. As a result of her outstanding efforts, Patterson earned a spot on the Region XV All-Tournament Team.

Regine Blakney continues her stellar freshman campaign with remarkable performances against Nassau and Sullivan, contributing 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals and 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals respectively. Blakney is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in steals per game.

Other noteworthy performances during the championship game against the Generals came from Desiree Tolbert, who added 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Tolbert was recently featured by the CUNYAC in this profile.  Ashley Smith also had a strong tournament with 8 points and 5 assists. Tolbert and Smith drew several key defensive charges as well, resulting in foul trouble for the Generals leading offensive player, Ardella Brown.
With the win, the Caimans advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) D-III Tournament, held at Rock Valley Community College in Chicago from March 15- 17. They are the No. 2 seed in the country in that tournament.

“I am excited to represent CUNYAC and Region XV in the national tournament again, and we look forward to the opportunity to bring home some more hardware,” Winston said.

All Tournament games will be streamed live on NJCAATV. Game webcast can be accessed through the following website:  www.NJCAATV.com
 
Hostos Award Winners:
Coach DeVernie Winston: CUNY Coach of the Year award
Skydajah Patterson: All-Region Team
Kayla Wilson: MVP and Player of the Year awards
 
About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities for nearly half a century. Since 1968, Hostos has been a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs.
 
 Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.