La Roche Selected to Finish Number One in Coach's Preseason Poll

Posted: Nov 03, 2021

Pittsburgh, PA - The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference has named La Roche University's Women's Basketball as their pick to finish first in the conference.

The Redhawks are the reigning AMCC regular season champs having defeated Hilbert (88-69) in the championship game during the 2019-20 season. During the season the team finished with a 20-7 overall record and a conference record of 18-2. The team had a .900 PCT, and averaged 70.7 points per game.

The women also finished the season with a 43.9% field goal completion rate, 35.8% completion average on three point shots made, 69.7% on free throw completion, and averaged 39 rebounds per game.

This will be head coach Kam Gissendanner's 8th season with the Redhawks. Gissendanner has led the Redhawks to six AMCC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances (2013-2017, 2020) in seven seasons. She has been voted the AMCC Coach of the Year three times (2013, 2018, 2019). At La Roche, Coach Kam owns an overall record of 172-46 (.789) and a conference record of 136-12 (.919), one of the highest winning percentages among all NCAA women's basketball head coaches. Coach Gissendanner was also named the 2015-16 Advocates for Athletic Equity Div. III Coach of the Year.

The players to watch chosen by the conference are Senior, Shaundrea Butler (Cleveland, OH/ Twinsburg HS), and Senior, Ayanna Mzyck (Philadelphia, PA / Harford CC).

Shaundrea Butler during the 2019-20 season averaged 8.6 points per game, shot 42% from the mid-field and 40% from three point range. Butler also led the conference in games played (27 of 27), games started (27 of 27) and led in assists (111).

Ayanna Mzyck during the 2019-20 season averaged 14.6 points per game, shot 47% from the field, and averaged 6.7 rebounds per game. Mazyck was also named AMCC's 2020 Defensive Player of the Year (100 defensive rebounds in conference), was ranked fourth in the conference in steals (43), and eighth in scoring (283).

The AMCC regular season championship game will take place February 26, 2022. The winner will have earned the conference's bid to the NCAA tournament.