If you’ve been following along the last few weeks, you’ve hopefully enjoyed the look back at the all-time starting lineups for the men’s and women’s basketball programs at St. John’s University, Jamaica, and St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights.

Now we close out the collegiate starting fives with St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn, Clinton Hill.

After a number of years as an independent team through the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I), the Bears joined the NCAA’s Division III in 2011.

This past season, the Bears women’s team reached the final of the Skyline Conference championship game for the first time in program history.

Without further ado, here’s a look at the all-time lineups for St. Joe’s Brooklyn.

MEN

>> Bobby Knapp

• Program leader with 2,004 points and 35.7 points per game average

• Scored over 50 points in a game five times, including the school’s single-game high of 59 points in 1988

• Selected to All-Tournament Team in every tournament he played in

• Inaugural member of the Bears Athletic Hall of Fame 2015

>> Luke Caccavo

• Scored more than 1,500 career points

• Served as team captain as a junior and senior

• Named a USCAA All-American (2002-2003)

• Helped lead the Bears to the USCAA National Championship game, the only national title game appearance to date in any sport in school history (2002-2003)

• Inaugural member of the Bears Athletic Hall of Fame 2015

>> David Louison

• Averaged 15.3 points per game in career

• Honors include CoSIDA Academic All-American, USCAA All-American Team, National All-Academic Team, HVMAC All-Conference and All-Independent First Team

>> Michael Megafu

• Averaged 15.1 points per game in career

• Fourth in program history in points with 1,614

• Second in program history in rebounds with 1,110 and blocked shots with 134

• Honors include CoSIDA Academic All-American, AD3I Co-Player of the Year, AD3I All-Independent First Team, AD3I Rookie of the Year and HVIAC All-Conference Team

>> Chris Distefano

• Second in program history with 1,865 points, with a per game average of 15.4

• Member of the Bears Athletic Hall of Fame (2017)

• Honors include USCAA All-American and HVMAC Player of the Year

• Helped lead the Bears to three USCAA National Tournament appearances

Honorable Mention: Matt O’Neill

• Fifth in program history with 1,416 points, with a per game average of 12.6. Program leader in steals with 315. Third in program history in assists with 389. Honors include All-Skyline Conference First Team, AD3I All-Independent Second Team, MBWA All-Met Third Team, amongst others

 

WOMEN

>> Laurie Barth

• Scored 1,020 points, setting the city collegiate record at the time

• Became the first woman in the NYC Metropolitan area to score 1,000 career points (Feb. 1972)

• Inaugural member of the Bears Athletic Hall of Fame 2015

>> Mary Barry

• Program leader with 1,895 points

• Recorded four straight seasons with more than 100 points, 100 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 assists — only Bear to accomplish that feat

• Helped lead team to first-ever and back-to-back HVWC championships (2002 and 2003)

• Helped lead team to first USCAA National Championship appearance (2001)

• Named a USCAA All-American

• Inaugural member of the Bears Athletic Hall of Fame 2015

>> Kelly O’Donnell

• Currently averaging 19.4 points per game through her first three seasons

• Has scored 1,555 career points — just 340 behind the all-time mark with one season to go

• Fastest player in program history to score 1,000 career points (Nov. 20, 2019)

• Averaged a double-double with 21.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this past season

• Honors include Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Skyline Conference Player of the Year D3hoops.com All-Atlantic Region First Team, All-Met Division III women’s basketball first team and St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn Female Athlete of the Year

>> Samantha Retas

• Scored 1,005 career points, with an average of 12.0 points per game

• Program leader in rebounds with 958

• Set single-game rebound record with 25 (Jan. 1, 2015)

• Second in program history in blocks with 181

• Honors include USCAA First-Team All-American, AD3I Player of the Year and All-Independent First Team

>> Victoria Porcasi

• Member of the program’s 1,000-point club with more than 1,600 career points

• Averaged 16.1 points per game

• Program leader in 3-pointers made

• Honors include Skyline Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Skyline All-Conference First Team, Skyline Academic Honor Roll, Skyline All-Sportsmanship Team and Bears Scholar-Athlete Team

Honorable Mention: Michelle Softy

• Second in program history with 212 3-pointers made. Fourth in program history with 1,529 career points, with an average of 15.1 points per game. Named a USCAA All-American (2002-2003)

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Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.