Hall of Fame
Jessica Berry ’11 stormed onto the Utica College basketball scene in 2007, and from that point forward she began her ascent to the top of the women’s basketball record books through hard work, dedication and unmatched athleticism. The Rome, NY native not only turned the College’s record books upside down, she solidified herself as one of the best NCAA Division III players in history after becoming just the 11th woman to score more than 2,000 points and register more than 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Berry played a major role in lifting the Lady Pioneers to unparalleled success, as they garnered four consecutive Empire 8 Conference Tournament appearances, two Empire 8 Conference titles, and two NCAA Division III Tournament selections. All told, she helped Head Coach Michele Davis and the Pioneers win 72 games.
Following her senior campaign she was named to the prestigious Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division III All-American Team. Just ten players from a pool of 441 teams were selected for what is considered to be the nation’s elite All-American team. In her final year with the Pioneers, she gathered five other post-season awards, including the 2011 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III Upstate Player of the Year, D3hoops.com 2nd Team All-American, D3hoops.com East Region Player of the Year, Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year and Empire 8 All-Conference First Team recognition. She also earned two of the College’s highest athletic honors, the Dick Miller and Kiwanis Student-Athlete awards.
Berry wrapped up her amazing four-year career with a school-record 2,111 points and 1,065 rebounds. Finalist for the Jostens Trophy (National Player of the Year), she was a two-time Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year and a four-time all-conference first team selection.
In her senior campaign, she led the conference and ranked 10th nationally with an average of 21.6 points per game. She also led the conference and ranked 39th nationally with 10.5 rebounds per game. In her junior season, she guided UC to a program-best 22-7 overall record, as the Pioneers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
