Photo by Kathy Nolan '10 First-year Samanth Swensen averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in her rookie campaign

Sam Swensen Named NESCAC Rookie of the Year; Stefanie Reiff Earns Second-Team Honors

By Justin Long

February 28, 2007

AMHERST, MA – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced today the members of the 2006-07 women’s basketball All-Conference teams, with two members of the Amherst College squad receiving honors. First-year Samantha Swensen (Rockaway Park, NY) was named the Rookie of the Year, while junior Stefanie Reiff (Hinsdale, IL) was placed on the Second Team.

Swensen started 24 of 25 games and was third among her teammates in scoring (9.6 ppg) along with placing second among the Jeffs in rebounds (6.2 rpg), while her field goal percentage of 49.8 percent (102-for-205) ranked third among conference players. She was Amherst’s leading scorer in four games and leading rebounder in eight. Swensen wasted no time making an impact on the Jeffs, as she recorded a double-double in her collegiate debut, totaling 14 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a pair of blocks against UMASS-Dartmouth.

Reiff, a tri-captain, was a leader on the court throughout the entire season. She led Amherst in scoring in 11 games and in rebounding in 10, finishing the season as the team’s leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.7 rpg). Her scoring and rebounding averages were both ninth-best in the NESCAC, while her .830 free throw percentage led the conference.

The NESCAC named Reiff Co-Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 4, during which she led Amherst to a 2-0 record. She was dominant in Amherst’s 76-68 victory over Clark University, totaling 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and followed up with another solid all-around game in a 73-59 win over Skidmore College, totaling 18 points, five rebounds and eight assists.

Reiff and Swensen will return to next season’s squad looking to vastly improve on this season’s outcome, as the Jeffs will lose only one player to graduation.

Photo by Kathy Nolan '10 Junior tri-captain Stefanie Reiff led Amherst in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg)

2006-07 NESCAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
First Team
G/F - Sarah Cox ^ (Trinity - Sr. - Norwell, MA)
F - Jill Anelauskas (Bowdoin - So. - Medfield, MA)
F - Val Beckwith (Bates - So. - Woburn, MA)
F - Eileen Flaherty * (Bowdoin - Sr. - Fairfield, CT)
F - Maggie Miller * (Williams - Sr. - Wellesley, MA)

Second Team
G - Sarah Barton ^ (Bates - Jr. - Portsmouth, NH)
G - Ali Fourney (Wesleyan - So. - East Northport, NY)
G - Valerie Krah (Tufts - Sr. - Mountain Lakes, NJ)
G - Megan Stetson (Williams - Sr. - Clinton, NY)
F - Stefanie Reiff (Amherst - Jr. - Hinsdale, IL)

* - 2005-06 All-Conference First Team
^ - 2005-06 All-Conference Second Team

Player of the Year: Eileen Flaherty, Bowdoin
Rookie of the Year: Samantha Swensen, Amherst
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Katie Cummings, Bowdoin; Kaylan Tildsley, Williams
Coach of the Year: Carla Berube, Tufts