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Thunderwolves fall in tight game to nationally ranked CCBC Essex
Posted: Jan 24, 2026

Thunderwolves fall in tight game to nationally ranked CCBC Essex

In a battle with a nationally-ranked opponent, SUNY Niagara lost to NJCAA Div II No. 8 CCBC Essex, 69-62, Saturday in Maryland. The Thunderwolves entered the matinee affair with four wins in their last five outings. 

SUNY Niagara trailed by nine points (29-20) at halftime and free throws from Ava Bull brought the Thunderwolves within four points (62-58) with 3 minutes, 44 seconds remaining. The Knights responded and closed the game with an 11-4 scoring advantage.

Azriel Hall scored a team-high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting plus 5-of-10 at the free-throw line and recorded her 19th consecutive game in double-digit scoring. The Lockport native is averaging a team-high 18.2 points per game and is tied for 25th among all NJCAA Division II players.

Anna Astre scored 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting and tied with Ava Bull for a team-high nine rebounds. This came after she posted a career-high 22 points in SUNY Niagara’s 69-61 win versus Montgomery College on Jan. 18. 

Isabella Karabetsos had 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting and had a team-high five assists.

Atarah Walker had 10 points, seven rebounds and one assist. Bull rounded out the starting lineup with seven points and tied with Astre in rebounding plus one block.

Shania Beylo scored eight of SUNY Niagara’s nine points off the bench and added three rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Alana Rivers added one point and four rebounds. Allison Milleville had four rebounds and one block in 17 minutes.

SUNY Niagara shot 25-of-58 (43.1%) from the field, went 2-of-12 (16.7%) from beyond the arc and finished 10-of-19 (52.6%) at the free-throw line. The blue-and-gold recorded nine assists and eight steals.

SUNY Niagara is now 11-8 this season, with six victories in its last 10 contests, dating back to a 90-30 win over Villa Maria College on Nov. 23 in Sanborn. The Thunderwolves recorded their 10th win of the season — the 13th time in the last 14 seasons (since 2012-13) — in an 84-56 win at Lakeland CC on Jan. 12. 

 

NOTES:

  • This was Astre’s 10th double-digit scoring game and the eighth in her last 10 appearances. The nine rebounds marked her second-highest in a single game, trailing her total of 10 against Beaver County CC on Nov. 22. Astre is averaging 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a contest and is shooting 42.4% from the field in 20.5 minutes per game. 

 

  • Along with extending her streak of double-digit scoring to 19 games, Hall needs four to record her 100th rebound of the season. Hall has recorded 346 points (team-high 18.2) and 96 rebounds (5.1) in 28.6 minutes per contest.

 

  • Karabetsos recorded at least five assists in a contest for the 12th time this season (32nd in career). This was also the 11th time in her sophomore campaign (27th overall) when she reached double-digit scoring. The guard from Brampton, Ontario has recorded 540 points and 299 assists in 51 career games.

 

  • Now with 108, Karabetsos is one of nine players in NJCAA Division II with at least 100 assists this season and is tied for seventh overall. Pima CC’s Melicia Nelson leads with 133. SUNY Niagara is 8-4 this season and 27-5 in her career when Karabetsos recorded at least five assists in a game. 

 

  • After recording her 12th career double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds) against Montgomery College on Jan. 18, Walker finished in double-digit scoring for the seventh time this season (19th career) in the loss versus the Knights. In 47 games as a Thunderwolf, Walker has recorded 398 points (8.5 per game) and 414 rebounds (8.8 per game). This season, Walker is ranked 71st in rebounds per game among all NJCAA Division II players this season with her team-high 8.8 average.

 

  • Bull finished with a team-high nine rebounds and recorded the 400th of her career at the 4:26 mark of the second quarter. The Burlington, Ontario native now has 406 career rebounds and 407 career points in 51 career games. This season, Bull is averaging 7.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest. 

 

  • With nine assists in the loss to the Knights, SUNY Niagara is now 2-7 when it doesn’t record 15 in a game. Its victories in this scenario were when it posted a season-low five at St. Clair CC (63-59 on Nov. 13) and 14 against Montgomery College (69-61 on Jan. 18). The Thunderwolves are 9-1 when they tally at least 15 total.  

 

  • At 43.1%, SUNY Niagara has shot at least 40% in a game 11 times this season and the fifth time in its last six games. The two converted 3-pointers marked the fewest in a game for SUNY Niagara since its 1-of-17 outing in a 75-47 loss versus Schoolcraft College on Dec. 14.

 

SUNY Niagara continues its season with its WNYAC opener at Jamestown CC at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. This is one of four WNYAC games on the Thunderwolves’ regular-season slate, with two against the Jayhawks and two against Monroe CC.