Burke
The University at Buffalo team, coached by Abington Heights graduate Becky Burke, ruled western New York National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s basketball in November.
Buffalo swept its Big Four opponents – Canisius, Niagara and St. Bonaventure – for the first time since 2019.
The Bulls are unbeaten at home through five games and 5-2 overall going into a Dec. 9 game at Drexel.
Burke is in her second season at Buffalo and fourth as a Division I head coach. The Bulls were 12-16 in her first season.
A look at some other local graduates in college sports:
DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL
George Tinsley has started every game as a graduate student at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md.
The 6-foot-6 forward from Abington Heights is 7-for-10 from the floor in his last two games, going 3-for-3 in an 80-48 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Siena and 4-for-7 in a 77-68 loss at unbeaten Ole Miss.
Tinsley is playing 24.7 minutes per game and averaging 4.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He is 16-for-34 (47.1 percent) from the floor, 1-for-12 (8.3) on 3-pointers and 2-for-2 (100.0) on free throws.
Mount St. Mary’s is 1-1 in the MAAC and 2-6 overall.
Under COVID-era rules, Tinsley is in his fifth full college season, including the first three at Binghamton University where he was an America East Rookie of the Year. He has more than 800 points and is approaching 400 rebounds for his college career.
Tinsley’s best game this season was 11 points and eight rebounds against Coppin State.
DIVISION I WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Two Scranton Prep graduates continue to excel in their junior seasons.
Rachael Rose learned Dec. 5 that she added to her lengthy list of college awards when she was named Southern Conference Player of the Month for November along with also claiming the most recent Player of the Week award.
Rose has won the monthly award back-to-back after taking the last one of the 2022-23 season.
“I’m very excited for Rachael to receive this recognition,” Wofford coach Jimmy Garrity said, according to a story on the school’s athletic website. “Her play in November was just fantastic.”
During the month. Rose averaged 20.1 points while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from 3-point range and 92.1 percent from the floor. She also averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Rose’s efforts included 24 points and nine rebounds at Wake Forest and three straight 20-point games in the middle of the month. Along the way, she surpassed 1,000 points for a career that included a freshman season playing for Burke at the University of South Carolina Upstate.
Wofford is 6-4.
Cecelia Collins is in her first season in the Ivy League at Columbia after a two-run run at Bucknell University where she was a Patriot League All-Rookie team selection and the team’s leading scorer.
Collins has started every game, including an 18-point effort against the University of Florida and nine rebounds against Duke.
Through nine games, she is averaging 10.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor, 45.5 percent on 3-pointers and 86.4 percent on free throws.
Columbia (5-4) has won three straight.
DIVISION I FIELD HOCKEY
Shaelyn Kobynich started all 36 games the last two seasons while serving as captain at Wagner College.
The senior midfielder led the team with five goals this season and was a second-team Northeast Conference all-star.
Wagner (4-3, 6-12) upset top-seeded Fairfield 3-1 to reach the NEC Championship game where it fell to Sacred Heart 1-0.
DIVISION I FOOTBALL
Mike Malone, a sophomore defensive end from Abington Heights, had six tackles and five assists while playing every game for William & Mary (6-5).
Malone was credited with half a sack and made another tackle for a loss.
DIVISION II CROSS COUNTRY
West Chester University’s Abigail Marion finished 67th out of 172 runners from 23 schools in the Atlantic Regional at Lock Haven University.
Marion, a junior from Abington Heights, completed the 6-kilometer course in 23:08.3.
The Golden Rams finished 17th as a team.
DIVISION III WOMEN’S SOCCER
Marywood University’s Riley Mulherin led the Atlantic East Conference in scoring and was selected as the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Mulherin scored a conference record 21 goals, including four game-winners. The junior forward from Abington Heights also had four assists while helping the Pacers (9-7-2) to the regular-season title and a fifth straight appearance in the AEC championship game.
DIVISION III WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Dickinson’s Clair Marion was selected Centennial Conference Player of the Week Dec. 4.
The 5-10 junior guard from Abington Heights had 45 points, 14 rebounds, 10 steals, six assists and four blocked shots combined in wins over Muhlenberg and Swarthmore to help the Red Devils improve to 3-0 in the Centennial and 4-1 overall.
Marion is averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 2.6 assists. She is shooting 45.7 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent on 3-pointers and 93.3 percent from the foul line.
Anna Scoblick, a sophomore guard from Abington Heights, has helped Catholic University into the national rankings with a 7-0 start despite playing just one home game.
Scoblick has started every game. She is averaging 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 45.0 percent from the floor, all inside the arc.
During a 57-54 victory over Alvernia on the way to the title of the Bridgewater Tournament, Scoblick had her best game with 12 points, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots and four assists.
Catholic used a 79-70, overtime victory over then No. 18 Elizabethtown to move into the Top 25. The Cardinals are 21st in the country, according to D3hoops.com, and No. 24, according to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Erin Albright is one of three captains at Haverford College.
The 5-9 senior guard/forward from Abington Heights has started five games while Haverford is 1-2 in the Centennial and 3-3 overall. She averages 1.8 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Rachel McDonald scored a career-high 23 points when Marywood University defeated host Keystone College 75-67 Nov. 21.
McDonald has started every game for the Pacers (3-6).
The junior guard from Abington Heights made all four of her 3-point attempts and was 8-for-13 overall from the floor in the game.
On the season, McDonald is averaging 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals. She is shooting 34.3 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent on 3-pointers and 65.0 from the line.
Senior guard Maria Tully, another Abington Heights graduate, has not played yet this season for unbeaten Arcadia as she works her way back from knee surgery.
DIVISION III MEN’S BASKETBALL
Justin Klingman needed just two games to pick up his first victory as head coach at Goucher College where he is trying to rebuild a team that went 3-21 last season.
Goucher is 0-2 in the Landmark Conference and 1-4 overall.
Corey Perkins has played in every game and made three starts as a senior guard at Marywood (5-4).
Perkins is averaging 2.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 18.7 minutes per game. He has made half his shots from the floor on 20 attempts, including two from 3-point range.
DIVISION III FOOTBALL
Nico Berrios was in on 13 tackles for the United States Coast Guard Academy when its 5-5 season ended with a 39-27 loss to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Berrios had five tackles, eight assists and a broken-up pass in the game.
The junior defensive back from Lackawanna Trail had 21 tackles, 51 assists, nine broken-up passes, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble on the season.
Lackawanna Trail graduate Zac Cost received Landmark Conference all-star honorable mention as a punter for Keystone College.
The senior averaged 39 yards and placed 16 of his 48 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
