THE SPORTS REPORTS: ELMIRA'S ABRAMS HEADLINES 2021-22 GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL-REGION TEAM; SEVERAL VALLEY GIRLS RECOGNIZED (March 31, 2022)

The Sports Reports
Elmira junior Jalea Abrams scored more than 20 points a game this year and is getting Division I looks and she headlines the The Sports Reports’ 2021-22 Girls All-Region team as "Player of the Year."

Abrams scored 21.2 points a game this year and added 2.9 steals a contest. She hit seven threes in a game and had a region-high of 40 points in a win over Norwich. She led the region in scoring.

"A gifted scorer, Yea led by example and had one of the best seasons in program history," Elmira coach A’Don Allen said.

Abrams helped guide the Express to the STAC title and a trip to the sectional final. She’s been getting looks from Division I colleges.

It was a big year for area teams. The Newark Valley girls reached the state final, while the Corning girls made it to the state Final Four and both teams are well represented on the All-Region team and among the award winners.

Newark Valley’s Hayley Beebe helped anchor the Cardinals defense and she is the "Defensive Player of the Year," while Taylor Benjamin sparked the Newark Valley offense and she is the "Offensive Player of the Year."

Beebe brought determination and hustle onto the hardwood — and was adept at controlling the pace of the game.

Despite her physical stature — she stands just 5-foot-3 — Beebe often performed like a taller player. She averaged 7.7 points on a team, which boasted three players who scored in double digits frequently. She also grabbed 3.8 rebounds and dished out a team-high 2.8 assists per game.

Defensively, she was constantly an in-your-face menace to opponents. She led the Cardinals with 4.3 steals per game and nearly 65 percent of her rebounds came at the defensive end of the court.

Benjamin averaged 16.7 points per game to lead a group of three Cardinals who averaged double digits. Benjamin, a senior, also pulled down 2.6 offensive rebounds and handed out 2.5 assists per game.

Corning junior Jenna DiNardo was.one of the most dynamic players in the area and she is the "Breakout Player of the Year," while her coach Jamie Nichols guided the Hawks to the State Final Four and is the "Coach of the Year."

DiNardo was a force on defense, averaging five steals and seven rebounds a game. She also was the Hawks leading scorer on offense. The junior added a team-best 14 points a game and five assists a game as she did everything for the Hawks. DiNardo’s athleticism was hard to match and the Division I commit in lacrosse was a driving force behind the Hawks’ success.

Corning had a year to remember, making their first sectional final as a combined program, and winning their first sectional title and then winning their first regional title.

Nichols helped guide the Hawks to the State Final Four despite not having a player over 5-foot, 8-inches tall on the roster, and not having a scorer who averaged as many as 15 points a game.

Owego’s Madison McEvoy had a strong freshman campaign and is the "Newcomer of the Year."

McEvoy he led the Indians with 10.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. She also averaged 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.

McEvoy was named a tournament all-star for both the Charlie Sibley Memorial Tournament in Owego and the Hoops for the Hospital Tournament in Syracuse.

GIRLS’ ALL REGION
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jalea Abrams, Elmira
DEFENSIVE POY: Hayley Beebe, Newark Valley
OFFENSIVE POY: Taylor Benjamin, Newark Valley
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Madison McEvoy, Owego
BREAKOUT STAR: Jenna DiNardo, Corning
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jamie Nichols, Corning

FIRST TEAM
Jale Abrams, ELmira
Taylor Benjamin, Newark Valley
Hayley Beebe, Newark Valley
Jenna DiNardo, Corning
Hannah Ferguson, Newark Valley
Paige Manchester, Towanda
Maise Neuber, NEB
Porschia Bennett, Towanda

SECOND TEAM
Alyssa Dobson, Corning
Megan Fedor, Elmira
Carly Scott, Horseheads
Cha Gardner, Newark Valley
Sophia Dutra, SVE
Kennedy Westbrook, Waverly
Payton Littlefield, Edison
Caydence Macik, Athens

THIRD TEAM
Madison McEvoy, Owego
Brooke Wilcox, Candor
Lauren Miller, Elmira
Sophia Bonnell, Horseheads
Kayleigh Thomas, NEB
Emma Coolidge, Wellsboro
Kellie Zoerb, Corning
Shannon Maloney, ND
Taylor Rae Jones, Williamson

FOURTH TEAM
Maddie Bennett, Owego
Hannah Martinez, SVE
Alena Beebe, NEB
Karlee Bartlow, Athens
Julia Bellis, Tioga
Olivia Nittinger, Waverly
Amarionah Dixon, Elmira
Gracie Gardner, NV

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Madison McEvoy, Owego
Paige Logsdon, Wellsboro
Kendall Kitchen, Canton
Addy Wheeler, Athens
Alyssa Parks, Troy
Bryn Zionkowski, Wyalusing
Megan Wolf, Horseheads
Troy’s Kailyn Sterling
Payton Ross, Elmira
Emma Kamps, Horseheads

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Hayley Beebe, Newark Valley
Alexis Guzylak, Horseheads
Maren Lutz, Edison
Lexi Lapierre, Corning
Emma Bronson, Athens
Kennedy Westbrook, Waverly
Emma Coolidge, Wellsboro
Porschia Bennett, Towanda
Gracie Schoonover, Towanda
Jenna DiNardo, Corning
Cha Gardner, Newark Valley
Molly Ward, Canton
Sydney Taylor Troy