Women's Basketball | 5/19/2016 2:13:00 PM

ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's basketball team enjoyed its finest year in program history in 2015-16. During the season, the Tigers eclipsed 11 team single-season records, including most wins in a season with 20.

The Tigers finished 2015-16 20-7 overall, and were second in the Liberty League with a 12-4 conference mark. RIT hosted its first Liberty League Tournament game, beating Union for its first tournament win, and rallied from a 20-point deficit in the Liberty League Championship at Clarkson before falling the final seconds.

RIT set the program record with 1,879 points in 2015-16, making a record 678 field goals. The Tigers averaged 69.6 points per game and set the record with 405 assists. RIT was deadly from behind the arc, attempting a record 538 three pointers, making a record 174.

Sophomore Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) was an All-Liberty League first team selection. Amanda Olsen (Glen Mills, PA/Archmere Academy) was an honorable mention pick, while Freshman Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton) was a second team selection, an All-Rookie Team pick and was named 2015-16 Liberty League Rookie of the Year. Lynch, Reed, Glaz and olsen were selected to the United States Basketball Writer's Association (USBWA) Rochester Area Division II and III Teams.
 
Glaz led a balanced offensive attack in 2015-16. She set the program record for points in a season, tallying 444. Glaz led the team and was fourth in the Liberty League in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game. Glaz scored 20 or more points 11 times, including 28 points versus Union in the Liberty League Semifinals. She led the league in free throw percentage (87.4 percent), was second in 3-point field goal percentage (34.6 percent), and 3-point field goals made per game (2.4 per contest). Her 64 made 3-pointers is the most in program history and she sits 16th all time at RIT in scoring with 721 career points.

Lynch finished second on the team and was eighth in the Liberty League in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. She set a program record for highest field goal percentage in a season, hitting 50.7 percent of her shots from the floor. Lynch scored in double figures 21 times, including a season-high 25 points on Jan. 19 versus William Smith. She averaged 6.3 rebounds per game, and had three double-doubles in 2015-16.

Olsen finished third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game, and was third on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.0 caroms per contest. Olsen finished with the second-highest field goal percentage in program history in 2015-16, hitting 50.3 percent of her shots from the floor. She tallied a season-high 20 points on Dec. 5 versus SUNY Brockport, and tallied 17 points in the Liberty League Championship at Clarkson. She scored in double figures eight times.

RIT began the season with a pair of wins at the Tyler Tip-Off hosted by Smith College. The Tigers beat Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the season-opener and downed host Smith College the next day. RIT returned home to beat Hamilton College in late November.

The Tigers placed fifth at the final Wendy's College Classic, losing to 2016 NCAA Tournament participant SUNY Geneseo in the opening round. RIT rebounded with wins over Nazareth and SUNY Brockport in the fifth-place game.

RIT had a record-setting 97-47 win over Buffalo State on December 11. The 97 points scored tied a program-record, while the 56 points scored in the first half was a record for points in a half.


The Tigers closed out the 2015 calendar year with an 87-53 win over Elmira College. That win capped off the Tigers best start in program history, going 7-1.


RIT opened Liberty League play with three straight wins, including a pair of road wins at Skidmore and Rensselaer in early January. The Tigers returned home to beat Union 73-60.

After losses at Clarkson and St. Lawrence, the Tigers rebounded winning eight straight games, outscoring their opponents 566-498 over that stretch. RIT went 5-0 at home, and won three road games to vault up the conference standings.

In the Liberty League Tournament, RIT hosted Union College in the semifinals, beating the Dutchwomen 68-64. Glaz tied her career high with 28 points, while Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) came off the bench to scored 12 points.

In the title game, RIT fell behind by as many as 20 points in the first half. The Tigers came back in the second half, as Maria Edwards (Forrest Hill, MD/The Carroll School) tied the score at 61-61 with her bucket with 2:36 to play in regulation. Olsen led the Tigers with 17 points, while Glaz and Lynch each scored nine points.

The Tigers had solid contributions up and down the lineup led by captains Maria Edwards (Forrest Hill, MD/The Carroll School) and Julia Bender (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas). Edwards, averaged 5.0 points and led the Tigers, averaging 3.7 assists per game. She finished her career tenth all-time at the university with 210 career assists. Bender averaged 6.8 points, and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game to go along with 41 steals.
 
Freshman Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) had fine first season at RIT. She finished fourth in scoring, averaging 7.6 points, third in assists, averaging 2.4 per game. Junior Taylor Burns (Rochester, NY/Greece Odyssey) averaged 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Kara Birrell (Keego Harbor, MI/Walled Lake), Jessica Shields (Lyons, NY/Newark), Abby Judd (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland), Whitney Kent (Hinsdale, NY/Cuba-Rushford) and Allison Clements (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes) all played key roles for the Tigers.

Head Coach Amy Reed helped RIT reach new heights in 2015-16. She led the Tigers to program records in wins, and winning percentage. She helped guide RIT to its highest-ever finish in the Liberty League standings, and its first-ever post-season home game.

The Tigers return 11 players for 2016-17, including Glaz, Lynch, Olsen and Okada.