Basketball players receive Great Northeast Athletic Conference honors

Emerson College women’s basketball forwards Kathy Andrade ’11 (Hull, MA) and Olivia DiNucci ’13 (Pittsburgh, PA) have each been selected to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) 2010–2011 first-team All-Conference team. On the men’s side, guard Tom Messinger ’11 (Florence, MA) was a third-team selection by a vote of the Conference coaches.

Each woman is receiving her second consecutive All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference honor, as Andrade was a third-team selection last season, and DiNucci was a second-team pick as well as the Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year.

Andrade, who finished her career as the second leading point scorer (1,182) and rebounder (761) in the National Collegiate Athletics Association history of the Emerson program, averaged 12.8 points and 9 rebounds per game. In Conference games, she averaged a double-double at 15.1 points and 11.4 rebounds.

DiNucci was the leading three-point shooter in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. She made 79 three-point shots during the regular season, which was 15 more than her nearest competitor. She averaged 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in play, hitting 46% of her long-range attempts.

A four-year starter and 2010–2011 sole team captain, Messinger finished his career with the record for career three-point field goal percentage. One of the purest shooters in history, Messinger hit 43.9% of his shots from behind the arc, edging out former Emerson two-time All-American Rob Hennigan ’04, who hit 43.2% of his attempts. Messinger also finished second to Hennigan in both Emerson and Great Northeast Athletic Conference history with 255 three-point shots made.

Messinger scored 902 points in his Emerson career despite playing in only 12 games his freshman year due to injury. Through his four years, 252 of his 296 made field goals (86%) were from three-point range.

Named to their respective sport’s Great Northeast Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Team were Drew Venter ’12 (Boston, MA) and Amy Sherman ’13 (Toronto, ON). Each was the starting point guard for the squads. Venter led the Emerson men in assists (4.2/game) and rebounds (5.6/game). Sherman was second on the team with 30 made three-point shots.