Syracuse, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz graduate guard Julia Sabatino was voted as the SUNYAC Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year.
 
Sabatino is the first women's basketball player to earn the honor since Marion Dietz in 2020, and the second selection for the Hawks this season, joining women's soccer senior Rachel Eisert who was honored this past fall for her respective sport.
 
The SUNYAC Scholar Athlete of the Year Award honors student-athletes in each respective sport for their prowess both in the classroom and on the field. To be eligible, student-athletes must sustain at least a 3.30 GPA and demonstrate academic and athletic excellence, must be a starter or significant reserve player and at least a sophomore in standing.

Sabatino caps a career year for the Hawks, proving herself as one of the best in the SUNYAC both on and off the court. The graduate guard captained her team to their sixth-straight SUNYAC final while working toward career-best statistical totals as she became the focal point both offensively and defensively, rarely stepping off the floor. She totaled 881 floor minutes, averaging 32.6 minutes per game, ranking third in minutes played on the year in the SUNYAC. 
 
Additionally, Sabatino registered career-highs in points (286), points per game (10.6), rebounds (193), rebounds per game (7.1), assists (133) and assist per game (4.9) and earned the program's first ever SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year award along with First-Team All-SUNYAC honors and her first appearance on the D3Hoops All-Region III team. She also etched her name in the program record books, as just the third ever Hawk to tally a triple-double and leaves third most in program history in assists (294) and tied for 11th most in steals (173). 
 
Sabatino, garnering her master's in business administration, is a two-time SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recipient and Hawks Academic Honor Roll honoree. 

 
To read the official SUNYAC press release, click here.


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