Staff Report

South Kortright graduate Jessica Laing earned women’s basketball Rookie of the Year honors from the SUNY Athletic Conference, the league announced Monday.

Laing, who led SK to the Class D state title last season, helped Cortland to the SUNYAC Tournament title Saturday as the Red Dragons defeated Oswego, 59-50.

Cortland (25-2) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament with its first SUNYAC since 2004 and sixth overall. Cortland will host a doubleheader Friday night, as St. Lawrence opens against Rochester at 6 p.m., followed by the Red Dragons and Medaille College at 8 p.m.

Laing, The Daily Star Player of the Year in 2006, had 12 points and 11 rebounds Saturday. She’s averaging a double-double for the season, at 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Laing also is second on the team with 40 steals.

A 5-foot-11 forward, Laing led SK to a 25-1 record and the school’s first state title of any kind last winter. She averaged an area-best 25.6 points as a senior.

Laing is the second straight SUNYAC Rookie of the Year hailing from an area high school. Last winter, Milford graduate Shannon Weir earned the award for Oneonta State. Weir received Player of the Year accolades from The Daily Star as a Milford sophomore in 2003.

Laing’s college coach, Sarah Cavanaugh, received Coach of the Year honors from the SUNYAC.

Oneonta State senior forward Melissa Donohue made the SUNYAC Second Team. The two-year captain started 25 of 26 games for the Red Dragons (14-12) and finished with college-highs of 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Donohue spent a year away from basketball following her sophomore season as she gave birth to a daughter. After spending her first two seasons as a reserve, Donohue returned for her junior season in 2005-06 and averaged 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds.[an error occurred while processing this directive]