Annville, PA — After winning 14 of its final 15 games and rolling into the Commonwealth Conference Tournament on an eight-game league winning streak, the Messiah women's basketball program was honored Tuesday, as sophomore Dori Gyori and senior Michele Schleich were named All-Commonwealth Conference by league coaches.
Gyori earned First Team All-Commonwealth accolades after averaging a team-leading 13.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game, complementing her Second Team All-C'Wealth selection as a freshman. Schleich, meanwhile, capped off an incredibly efficient and effective career with her first all-league honor, gracing the Second Team All-Commonwealth roster.
“I'm extremely happy for both Dori and Michele,” said Messiah head coach Mike Miller. “Both are extremely important to all that we do on the court and off.”
Perhaps no player has been as integral to Messiah's winning as Gyori, as the 6-2 post player led the Falcons in scoring on 14 different occasions this season, while grabbing the most rebounds in all but four games. Her 54.3 percent field goal clip was the second-best in the conference this year, as was her 148 defensive rebounds. Gyori finished third among all conference players in blocked shots (37), while registering five double-doubles — improving her career total to 15.
“Dori continues to grow as a player, and it's neat to see her improvement not only on the court, but in regards to her mental skill set and mental toughness,” Miller said. “She's a player that other teams have to account for. We're happy to have her for two more years.”
Schleich, meanwhile, put up more pedestrian numbers — 7.6 points per game to go with 5.2 rebounds per game — but her importance to the Falcons' success is difficult to quantitatively measure: As the only senior on a 14-athlete roster dominated by underclassmen, Miller said Schleich has done things that often go unseen in the box score.
“It's great to see that other coaches recognize her value to our team, and what she brings to a winning program,” Miller said. “She may not be a stat filler like some of the other players who made all-conference, but she really reduces the other team's best player. That's just as important as putting up big numbers offensively.”
Known around the league as a tremendous defensive player and rebounder, Schleich's do-it-all mentality blends a rare mix of physicality and skill: In addition to guarding players ranging from fast guards to sturdy post-players, the 6-0 swing has also served as a point-forward for Messiah, bringing the ball up the court to relieve pressure off the team's guard play. As a result, Schleich has dished out a team-leading 64 assists, the eighth most in the conference.
“Ever since December, Michele has really taken responsibility of the season,” Miller said. “She's taken so much pressure off of the younger players, and has just been a special leader for us.”
Lebanon Valley College's Andrea Hoover was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year for the second straight time, earning her third straight First Team All-C'Wealth honor after leading the Dutchmen to a 23-2 record. She averaged 10.9 points per game and set a new LVC program record for assists with 544 career dimes. Lebanon Valley freshman Lauren Ruhl was named the league's rookie of the year after leading the conference in both three-point field goal percentage and three pointers made. LVC head coach Todd Goclowski earned C'Wealth Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season, guiding the Dutchmen to a 20-win season for the second straight year and third overall.
First Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Angela Altemose — Alvernia — Center — Junior — Pottsville, PA (Nativity BVM)
Lil Carney — Widener — Guard — Sophomore — Narberth, PA (Lower Merion)
Kate Dellinger — Widener — Guard — Sophomore — Wrightsville, PA (Eastern York)
Dori Gyori — Messiah — Forward — Sophomore — Biatorbagy, Hungary (Mechanicsburg)
Andrea Hoover — Lebanon Valley — Guard — Senior — Glen Rock, PA (Susquehannock)
Suzie Noyes — Lebanon Valley — Forward — Senior — Princeton, NJ (Hopewell Valley)
Second Team All-Commonwealth
Player — Team — Pos. — Yr. — Hometown (High School)
Jessica McGinness — Albright — Guard — Senior — Norristown, PA (Kennedy Kenrick Catholic)
Kaitlyn Ober — Lycoming — Forward — Senior — Lititz, PA (Warwick)
Michelle Schleich — Messiah — Forward — Senior — Hanover, PA (Delone Catholic)
Megan Strohman — Elizabethtown — Guard — Senior — Lebanon, PA (Lebanon)
Kaity Snyder — Elizabethtown — Forward — Senior — Catawissa, PA (Southern Columbia)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andrea Hoover, Lebanon Valley
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lauren Ruhl, Lebanon Valley
COACH OF THE YEAR: Todd Goclowski, Lebanon Valley
