 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Herons headed to Ohio for NCAA 1st round; Young, Czajkowski honored by Liberty League
February 27, 2006
 |
Pria Young |
 |
Steph Czajkowski |
GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team will make its 10th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in Ohio, when the Herons take on St. John Fisher College in Baldwin-Wallace College’s Ursprung Gymnasium. The Herons and the Cardinals will get the action started at 5 p.m. on March 3. The host Yellow Jackets will battle SUNY Oswego in the second game of the doubleheader beginning at 7 p.m.
The winners will meet at 6 p.m. on March 4. Tickets prices are $6 for general admission, $3 for senior citizens, students, and children. Only one ticket is needed to see both games on Friday, but fans will need to purchase an additional ticket on Saturday.
William Smith earned its 10th NCAA Tournament bid by capturing the Liberty League Tournament Championship and the accompanying automatic bid. Following this weekend’s conference title run, senior Pria Young (Council Rock/Richboro, Pa.) and sophomore Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) were named the Liberty League’s Guard of the Week and Forward of the Week, respectively.
A second-team All-Liberty League pick, Young led the tournament in scoring (14.0), three-pointers made (5), defensive rebounds (6.0), and steals (5.5). In Friday’s semifinal against RPI, she matched her career-high with 21 points, established a new career-high with 10 steals, and handed out five assists. Young connected on 6-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the line against the Red Hawks. The following afternoon in the championship game against St. Lawrence, Young scored seven points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. For the weekend, she shot 40 percent from the floor, 45.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 70 percent from the line.
Czajkowski, also a second-team All-Liberty League selection, averaged 12.0 points and a tournament-high 7.5 rebounds as the Herons won their second consecutive Liberty League title. In the semifinals against Rensselaer, she narrowly missed a double-double, recording 16 points and nine rebounds. Czajkowski connected on 8-of-14 from the floor and blocked two shots against the Red Hawks. The following afternoon, she had eight points and six rebounds in just 18 minutes against St. Lawrence. For the weekend, she shot 54.5 percent from the floor.
The Herons are making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. In 2005, William Smith reached the sectional semifinal round with wins over Washington & Jefferson (68-54) and Oswego (68-58), before falling to Bowdoin (63-51).
Led by Interim Head Coach Lindsay Drury, the Herons have compiled an overall record for 21-5, the most wins by a William Smith first-year boss. Drury, along with assistant coaches Alex Ivansheck and Charlie Evangelista, were named the 2006 Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.