NCCC is popular with N-O cagers

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – These five Niagara-Orleans League players have signed to play basketball for Niagara County Community College next year. Paige Emborsky is flanked here by, clockwise from top right, Caitlynn Snook, Elisabeth Baker, Ellie Todd and Janae Doty.

The Niagara County Community College women’s basketball team would be able to put a quintet of Niagara-Orleans League graduates on the court next season after a very busy and successful local recruiting season by the Thunderwolves.

The signing this past week of Newfane’s Paige Emborsky, the N-O’s Player of the Year, completed the local quintet which also includes Roy-Hart’s Ellie Todd and the Albion trio of Caitlynn Snook, Janae Doty and Elisabeth Baker.

“Paige is a huge get for our program,” said NCCC Coach Nate Beutel of Emborsky, a three-time first team N-O All-League honorees who poured in 479 points for a 21.8 average in helping to lead the Lady Panthers to a 12-0 N-O championship season.

Snook, who led Albion in both scoring (211 points) and rebounding (146), also earned first team All-League honors.

Todd was a second team All-League honoree while Doty and Baker both received Honorable Mention.!

“Local recruits have always been and will continue to be the lifeblood of our program,” added Beutel. “In my six years here at NCCC, I believe we have made junior college an attractive option to those in the area. We have had dozens of kids utitlize NCCC as a launching pad toward success at the four-year level with several of them earning athletic scholarships including Jesse DeWaters (Roy-Hart), Tanisha Moyer (Albion) Alba Perez (Medina), to name a few.”

In Beutel’s six years at NCCC the Thunderwolves are 133-50 and have made the Region III Division II Championship game for the last 3 years – the only 3 appearances in school history.