The first week of the year started well for international girls, especially for Elena Tsineke from the University of South Florida (11-4,1-0 AAC), who had an amazing performance against Cincinnati (7-6,0-1 AAC). The USF Bulls landed the win with a score of 61-46. She played a full 40 (!) minutes having 9-20 FGs, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 21 total points. In a way, Elena just picked up from where she left 2021; during her last game before the start of the American Conference, against Jacksonville, she scored another 22 points, shooting 8/14 FGs, 3/5 3s, 3/3 FTs, and adding 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals with no turnovers!
It’s back to business in full force for Ioanna Krimili, who has returned with a vengeance, aiming to once more compete for top rankings in national statistics. She currently sits at 9th place for three pointers made and 14th scorer overall in NCAA D1. More specifically, Ioanna has drained 18 threes over her last 4 games, and 13 in the month of December alone. She’s scoring 20 ppg (first in the West Coast Conference!) with 5rpg, 3apg and 2spg over December. Ioanna had a remarkable achievement since late November, scoring 34, 17, 29, and 19 points consecutively! In the game against Washington State, she continued her hard work by having 37 minutes, 6-16 FG, 3-10 3 PT, 2-2 FT, 2 ORB, 3 DRB, 2 assists, 17 total points. She received the Title “Player of the Game”.
Our Nomos family mourns our Thomas and extends our deepest heartfelt condolences to the Katsaounis family and all who loved Thomas.
We hereby share the words for Thomas to be read at his funeral today, by Greg Kamansky, Head Coach of California Polytechnic at Pomona, NCAA Champion, and the coach whose offer Thomas had accepted and would be joining for his basketball and higher education.
A week full of basketball games just passed with the girls not taking a break during Thanksgiving week.
A huge battle in the Bahamas between two Top-20 ranked teams, #7 Stanford and #18 South Florida, turned out to be true Black Friday for Stanford, losing by three... It was also the battle of the Elenas; Tsineke and Bosgana going head-to-head for the first time in the US, with Elena Tsineke prevailing. After an amazing game and outstanding performance, Elena T. led South Florida University (5-2) to the win against Stanford (4-2) during a busy 35 minutes, with 7-20 FG, 3 ORB, 2 DRB, 2 assists, and 14 total points. On the other hand, Elena Bosgana had a short amount of playing time in the game, with 8 minutes and a missed 3PT. Elena Bosgana had another game the following day against 2nd-ranked Maryland (6-2), during which she played 6 minutes, and got on the scorers' table with 2-3 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 assist, and 5 total points.
Eight universities composed of international athletes will continue their athletic obligations in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. More specifically, Tatiana Armoutsi, Beste Ayhan, Efrosini Bakodimou, Nisa Buzlutepe, Ilayda Demirtas, Stella Giourda, Irini Glynou, Mila Ilieva, Aristea Tontai, Irem Ucar and Peyman Yardimci are preparing hard for the first match on December 2nd. Along with that, the 2021 National Invitational Volleyball Championship begins on the same date. The schools with international student-athletes that are part of the NIVC are Bradley, Chicago State, Middle Tennessee, Pacific, UTEP and UTRGV. Read below about the athletes who completed their regular seasons for 2021:
Ozkan’s Iowa Western won the NJCAA D1 National Championship for the 2nd season in a row and Duru had a new career high of 9 assists… twice! Beste Ayhan and Mila Ilieva’s UMBC claimed the 2021 America East title and Irem Ucar’s FAMU the 2021 SWAC title! New career high for Ucar with 61 assists, Suvarioglu with 42 assists and Yardimci with 9 blocks! More double-doubles for Sabire Karacaova with 17 kills and 17 digs and Peyman Yardimci with 16 kills and 11 digs! Peyman also received her second ACC Freshman of the Week award in November! Ucar made it to her school’s record book, in the All-SWAC 1st team and was named SWAC’s setter of the year!
Bakodimou’s Towson was CAA Champion in 2019 and in 2020, and now in 2021! With this streak Towson is the first university after George Mason in 1996 to get 3 titles in a row at the Colonial Athletic Association Conference! Along with Bakodimou, Eirini Glynou’s University of South Alabama captured its first program SBC Championship title! With a new career high of 18 digs, Iro Hounta completed this season by raising the bar even higher for next year! Another double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs for Darina Kumanova in the win against the Top-25 University of San Diego! Aristea Tontai added another very good appearance in her bio, being a wall for the Miami Hurricanes with a new career high of 10 blocks! Ariadni Kathariou bids farewell to her St. John’s Red Storm season emphatically, and captures second place overall in total blocks in NCAA D1!
