COLONIA, N.J. (Oct. 21, 2024) – Mercy University women's basketball senior Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) has been named the East Coast Conference (ECC) Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year and the Mavericks were picked first in the Preseason Poll for the first time in program history. The top six teams at the end of the season qualify for the ECC Championship.
Mercy earned five first-place votes to top the poll with 76 points and Daemen had three first-place votes for 71 points to take second in the poll.
Stanavich helped the Mavericks earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Championship with 15.7 points per game (fifth in the ECC), a 41.4 field goal percentage (second in the ECC), 189 field goals made (second in the ECC), a 76.0 free throw percentage (76.0), 60 total steals (sixth in the ECC), and 2.00 steals per game (sixth in the ECC) in 35.9 minutes per game (fifth in the ECC). Stanavich turned in 27 double-digit scoring games, including eight 20-plus point games, and six double-digit rebounding games en route to six double-doubles.
During her ECC postseason tear, Stanavich averaged a team-high 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.0 assists per game en route to a spot on the All-Tournament Team. She poured in a game-high and career-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting with six rebounds and two steals in Mercy's 59-48 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in the semifinals and added 11 points, six rebounds, four steals, and three assists in the final against Daemen.
The Mavericks are picked first in the poll for the first time after going 20-10 last season, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985 and advancing to the ECC Championship Final for the first time in program history. Reigning ECC Coach of the Year Scott Lagas and the Mavericks finished with their most wins in a season since 1985, best regular season finish in the ECC and their most ECC wins (12) in school history last season. Mercy returns 11 letterwinners from last year's squad that led the conference in both free throws made per game (14.43) and scoring defense (57.0). Also, returning for the Mavericks is last year's ECC Defensive Player of the Year junior Angelina Barrera who had 10 double-doubles last season and averaged 10.4 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game.
Lagas and the Mavericks open their 2024-25 season on Monday, November 4th when they play an exhibition at Division I Providence at 7 p.m.
