MANSFIELD, Mass. – On Wednesday afternoon, Melanie Hoyt was named the Northeast-10 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year - becoming the third student-athlete from Saint Anselm to win the honor over the past five seasons - as All-Conference awards were announced. 

American International earned a pair of major awards, as Rhaymi Porter was named Defensive Player of the Year and Keyvanna Bennett was selected as Rookie of the Year. Bentley, the NE10 regular season champion, was represented by head coach C White, who was chosen by her peers as Coach of the Year. 

Bentley, the No. 3 ranked team in the WBCA Division II Poll, had a league-high six selections on the All-Conference and All-Defensive Teams combined. American International and Assumption both had three selections, while four teams had two each. 

Hoyt follows in the footsteps of Shannon Ryan (2020) and Peyton Steinman (2022) as Saint Anselm players to win NE10 Player of the Year. Prior to 2020, only Rachel Jackson had ever won the award for the Hawks back in the 1985 season. Hoyt is the leading scorer in the NE10 this season with 18.0 points per game and ranks first in field goal percentage (55.9%), seventh in blocks per game (0.9) and eighth in rebounding (5.3). She recorded six double-doubles this season and 13 games of 20 points or more. Hoyt led the Hawks to the No. 2 seed in the NE10 Championship. 

Porter is the first player from AIC to ever win Defensive Player of the Year, as she led all NE10 players in blocks (70) and blocks per game (2.5). She ranks in the top 10 of both categories among all Division II players. Porter also ranked second in the NE10 in rebounding, averaging 9.0 per game. In two games this season, she registered seven blocks, including a win over St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 9. Porter was also selected to the All-Defensive Team. 

Bennett is the first AIC player in almost 30 years to win Rookie of the Year, as Chantei Leonard last achieved the feat while playing for the Yellow Jackets in 1996. Bennett ranked 22nd among all NE10 players in scoring with 10.3 points per game and sixth in rebounding with 8.0 per game. On the defensive side, she was 10th in blocks per game (0.8) and 13th in steals per game (1.5). Bennett was also named to the All-Rookie Team. 

C White led Bentley to a second-consecutive NE10 regular season title and the top seed in the NE10 Championship, on her way to being named Coach of the Year for the first time in her career. Since taking over at the helm for Hall of Fame coach Barbara Stevens, White has led the Falcons to three-straight NE10 Championship titles and NCAA postseason appearances. Bentley is ranked No. 3 in Division II with a near-flawless record of 28-1 (19-1 NE10) and is riding a 24-game winning streak. 

The NE10 Women's Basketball Championship semifinals are scheduled for Thursday night, as top-seeded Bentley plays Southern Connecticut and Assumption hosts Adelphi. Please visit Championship Central for more information. The games will be broadcast live on NE10 NOW on FloSports.

Player of the Year: Melanie Hoyt, Saint Anselm
Defensive Player of the Year: Rhaymi Porter, AIC
Rookie of the Year: Keyvanna Bennett, AIC
Coach of the Year: C White, Bentley

FIRST TEAM

Marina Callahan, Assumption
Kylie DuCharme, Bentley
Maggie Whitmore, Bentley
Colette Mulderig, Franklin Pierce
Tatum Forbes, Saint Anselm
Melanie Hoyt, Saint Anselm
Delaney Haines, SCSU

SECOND TEAM

Kaitlyn O’Connell, Adelphi
Ruzgar Christina Boyle, AIC
Molly Stokes, Assumption
Niya Morgen, Bentley
Katie Williamson, SCSU

THIRD TEAM

Chelsea Reeves, AIC
Amanda Kabantu, Bentley
Charlotte Bassett, New Haven
Lindsay Hogan, New Haven
Arianna Stockinger, Pace

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Rolanda Robinson, Adelphi
Rhaymi Porter, AIC
Marina Callahan, Assumption
Kylie DuCharme, Bentley
Amanda Kabantu, Bentley

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Keyvanna Bennett, AIC
Schuyler Coles, New Haven
Elise MacNair, Saint Anselm
Addisen Sulikowski, Saint Anselm
Margaret Montplaisir, Saint Michael’s

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.