NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut women's basketball standout Tish Blackwood was named the Northeast 10 Conference Rookie of the Year, as announced by the NE10 on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Blackwood is the third player in program history to be named NE10 Rookie of the Year, as Owl greats, Jackie Beathea earned the honor in the 2011-12 season and Meaghan Markovitz earned the honor in the 2001-02 season. In addition, Blackwood was also named to the All-NE10 Second Team and the All-Rookie Team. Rheyna Steinauer earned NE10 First Team honors, while Hope Fox and Jillian Martin were named to the All-NE10 Third Team. Fox was also named to the All-Defensive Team, as she is the first player in program history to earn All-Defensive Team honors. Southern Connecticut tied with Bentley for the most All-Conference and All-Defensive selections with five players, this season. 
 
Tish Blackwood has made a huge impact in her first season with the Owls. She was named NE10 Rookie of the Week for seven consecutive weeks and eight times, overall. Blackwood leads the NE10 in rebounds with an average of 9.3 boards per game and in double doubles, with 11. She is ranked fifth in the conference in field goal percentage with 47%, is 10^th in the NE10 in blocks with an average of 0.8 blocks per game and is 12^th in the NE10 in assists with an average of 2.4 assists per game. So far, she has an average of 12.5 points and 9.7 boards per game, with a total of 275 points, 214 rebounds, 55 assists, 33 steals, 18 blocks and 68% from the free-throw line, in 22 games this season.
 
From January 10 to January 24^th, she recorded six straight double doubles and helped the Owls extend their 11-game win streak. Blackwood recorded a career-best 26-point performance in the 69-56 victory over Pace. She made 11 field goals, was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, grabbed seven boards, dished a career-best of six assists and had a block against the Setters. In the 70-39 victory over American International, she grabbed a career-best of 22 rebounds. Her 22 rebounds are the most rebounds totaled in a single game by an NE10 player this season. In addition, her 22 rebounds are tied for the third-most boards in a single-game in program history.
 
Rheyna Steinauer earned All-NE10 First Team honors for her impressive play for the Owls this season. This is the first all-conference honors for Rheyna Steinauer in her career. She is fourth in the NE10 in scoring with an average of 15.6 points per game, is ranked fourth in free-throw percentage with 82%, is fifth in three-point field goal percentage with 37% and has the most 30+ point performances in the conference this season, with three. So far, she averages 15.6 points per game, with a career-best total of 421 points, 164 rebounds, 62 assists, 47 made three-pointers, 25 steals and 12 blocks. In the 74-59 victory over American International, Steinauer recorded a career-best of 31 points, as she was 12-for-18 from the floor, was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, was 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, grabbed five boards, had two assists and a steal against the Yellow Jackets. In the 88-63 victory over Saint Michael's, she had a team-best of 22 points, made a career-best of five three-pointers, had a career-best of six assists, four boards and a team-best of three steals against the Purple Knights.
 
Hope Fox earned All-NE10 Third Team and All-Defensive Team honors, for her fantastic, all-around play for Southern Connecticut. These are the first all-conference honors for Fox in her career. In addition, she is the first player in program history to be named to the All-NE10 Defensive Team, as the team was established in the 2022-23 season. Fox leads the NE10 in free-throw percentage with 87%, is third in the conference in assist/turnover ratio with a ratio of 1.6, is third in steals with an average of 2.5 steals per game and is seventh in the NE10 in assists with an average of 3.1 assists per game. So far, she averages 9.5 points per game, 5.4 boards per game, 3.1 assists per game with a total of 257 points, 146 rebounds, 85 assists and 67 steals. In the 61-42 victory over Franklin Pierce, she recorded a career-best of nine steals, which are the second-most steals in a game in program history and the tied for the most steals in a game in the NE10 this season. In the 67-47 victory over Saint Anselm, Fox had her second career double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, with two three-pointers and nine field goals from the floor against the Hawks.
 
Jillian Martin earned All-NE10 Third Team honors, for her outstanding play with the Owls this season. This is the first all-conference honor for Martin in her career. Martin is third in the NE10 in assists, with an average of 4.5 assists per game and is second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio, with a ratio of 2.0. So far, she averages 4.5 assists per game and 7.0 points per game, with a total of 190 points, 121 assists, 70 rebounds and 34 steals. Martin has recorded a career-best of 10 assists, twice, in victories against American International and Mercy. 10 assists are tied for the second-most assists in a single game this season in the NE10. In addition, she has two career double doubles, this season. She also recorded a career-best of 21 points, shooting a career-best of 8-for-11 from the floor, 5-for-7 from beyond the arc, dished out seven assists and grabbed four rebounds against the Eagles. In the 74-59 victory over American International, she had 12 points, 10 assists, a team-best of five steals, two rebounds, was 4-for-8 from the floor and was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line against the Yellow Jackets.
 
Blackwood, Steinauer, Fox and Martin will all be back in action with the SCSU Women's Basketball Team on Thursday, March 5 as they will face no. 6 seed, Southern New Hampshire in the Northeast 10 Conference Championship Semifinals, presented by Visit Central Florida, at 5:30 pm in the James Moore Field House.