Next up on our look-back at all-time starting fives for the local college basketball teams will be St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights.
Founded in 1896, the men’s team is the oldest collegiate basketball program in New York City. The Terriers won the 1951 National Catholic Invitational Tournament, yet it remains one of four original Division I teams to have never reached the NCAA Tournament.
The women’s team was founded in 1973 and joined the NCAA’s Northeast Conference (NEC) in 1988. The team made its only NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015 after capturing the NEC Tournament title.
Take a look at the top players in school history.
Men
>> Dennis McDermott
• Holds highest career scoring average in program history at 21.3 points per game
• Fourth in program history with 1,578 career points
• Averaged 9.6 rebounds per game
• No. 22 jersey has been retired by the program
>> Al Inniss
• Sixth in program history with 1,503 points
• Holds single-game rebound record with 37 on March 17, 1956
• No. 19 jersey has been retired by the program
>> Jalen Cannon
• Program leader with 1,720 points
• Averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game
• Averaged a double-double as a senior with 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game
• 2014-2015 NEC Player of the Year
>> Ricky Cadell
• Second in program history with 1,634 points
• Averaged 14.2 points per game
>> John Conforti
• 10th in program history with 1,435 points
• Holds single-game scoring record with 45 points on Jan. 10, 1970
• Averaged 21.4 points per game
• Holds highest single-season scoring average at 24.3 points per game (1968-69)
Honorable Mention
>>Manny Figueroa
• Fifth in program history with 1,532 points
• Averaged a double-double for his career with 17.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game
>>Jerome Williams
• Seventh in program history with 1,490 points.
• Highest per game single-season rebounding average at 12.0 (1974-75)
>>Richy Dominguez
• Eighth in program history with 1,482 points
>>Darrwin Purdie
• Third in program history with 1,613 points
Women
>> Karen Erving-Schiera
• Program leader with 1,929 points
• Program leader with 1,049 rebounds
• Named to the All-NEC First Team (1990-91) and All-NEC Second Team (1989-90)
• No. 40 jersey has been retired by the program
>> Jeanne Zatorski
• Third in program history with 1,704 career points
• Third in program history with 878 career rebounds
• Led Terriers into the 1976 EAIAW Postseason Invitational Tournament
• No. 15 jersey has been retired by the program
>> Leah Fechko
• Eighth in program history with 1,216 points
• Fifth in program history with 855 rebounds
• Third in program history with 213 steals
• Named to All-NEC Rookie Team (2012-13) and All-NEC First Team (2015-16)
• Selected as NEC Defensive Player of the Year (2015-16)
• Named to the All-NEC Defensive Team twice (2013-14 and 2014-15)
>> Christine Cunningham
• Fourth in program history with 1,496 points
• Fourth in program history with 457 assists
• Named to the All-NEC Rookie Team (1991-91), All-NEC First Team (1994-95) and All-NEC Second Team (1993-94)
>> Pam Curcio
• Tied for fifth in program history with 1,394 points
• Holds program’s single-game record for points scored with 47 (Dec. 8, 1988)
• Named to All-NEC First Team (1987-88)
• Selected to the NEC All-Tournament Team (1986-87)
Honorable Mention
>>Jade Johnson
• Tied for fifth in program history with 1,394 career points
• Holds single-season points record with 598 (2018-19)
• Second in program history with 233 3-pointers made
• Holds record for 3-pointers made in a season with 100 (2018-19)
• Named to the All-NEC Second Team twice (2017-18 and 2018-19)
>>Tiffany Hill
• Second in program history with 1,764 career points
• Third in program history with 217 3-pointers made
• Named to the All-NEC Rookie Team (2004-05) and All-NEC Second Team (2007-08)
>>Jaymee Veney
• Seventh in program history with 1,307 career points
• Sixth in program history with 784 career rebounds
• Named to the All-NEC Rookie Team (2011-12) and All-NEC Second Team (2014-15)
• Helped lead team to its first NEC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2014-15)
>>Sarah Benedetti
• Sixth in program history with 1,379 career points
• Program leader in 3-pointers made with 280
• Helped lead team to its first NEC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2014-15)
• Named to the All-NEC Third Team (2012-13)
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.
