Titus Named Female Athlete of the Year

AMHERST, N.Y. – Basketball standout Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) has been named the 2021-22 Daemen University Female Athlete of the Year. The announcement was made this evening at the Wildcat Night of Honors, an annual event held on campus to recognize the achievements of the university's intercollegiate teams and student-athletes.

Titus, who was a finalist for the award in 2021, led the Wildcats to their third consecutive East Coast Conference regular season title and NCAA tournament berth, their second ECC tournament title in the last three years and a second straight trip to the NCAA East Regional championship game as part of a 22-5 campaign. Dating back to early December, Titus and Daemen were one of the top teams in the region, winning 20 of their last 22 games and posting a 21-4 against East Region opponents. The senior forward was also named the 2021-22 East Coast Conference Player of the Year and selected to the All-ECC First Team for the third and final time of her career (four-time selection overall).

Titus closed out the season as one of only four players to appear in and start all 27 games and was Daemen's leader in points (554), rebounds (226), field goals made (212), three-point field goals made (66), steals (42), blocks (33), points per game (20.5) and rebounds per game (8.4.) She also ranked second on the team in minutes played (31.1) and free throws made (64) and fourth in assists (55.) Titus finished as the ECC leader in points per game (20.5) and made field goals (212), while also ranking third in made third-point field goals (66), fourth in field goal percentage (46.2) and top 10 finishes in rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.2) per game. Even more impressive, Titus was one of 14 Division II players to average at 20.0 points per game this season (ninth among national leaders), and the first Daemen player to do so since Sarah Soroka (23.6 ppg) during the 2010-11 season.

This season, Titus scored in double-figures 25 times, including in 22 of the Wildcats' last 23 games. Titus scored 20 or more points in 12 contests and also crossed the 30-point plateau six times – five of which came after the start of the calendar year. Titus also recorded 10 double-doubles, including in six of the Wildcats' first eight games of the season. In Daemen's 97-83 win versus Bridgeport on December 12, Titus recorded a career-high 38 points along with 11 rebounds on 15-of-22 shooting and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. The 38-point outing tied the program record for most points in a game during Daemen's NCAA Division II era set by long-time teammate Tiara Filbert during a 77-74 loss to Nova Southeastern University on November 29, 2019. Later, in a 71-54 win at Molloy on February 24 to clinch the program's third straight ECC regular season title, Titus dropped 37 points and went 7-of-9 from downtown, tying former teammate Ashli Jeune '20 (vs. Queens, January 10, 2020) and current teammate Alahna Paige (vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, February 28, 2021) for Daemen's program record for the most three-point conversions in their NCAA-era.

In postseason play, Titus strung together a stretch of memorable performances with four consecutive double-doubles. Her 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 74-67 win versus Molloy on March 6 helped the Wildcats cut down the nets as ECC tournament champs. In a 70-59 win on March 11 vs. Southern New Hampshire, the host and top-seeded team of the NCAA East Regional, Titus finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Titus expanded her scoring proudction one night later in the East Regional semifinals against Jefferson (70-52 win) and finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds on 15-of-21 shooting. Titus then concluded this stretch – and, ultimately, her Daemen career – with a 27-point, 15-rebound effort in a nail-biting 67-65 loss versus Pace in the East Regional championship on March 14.

Another notable achievement for Titus this season came during a 54-53 win over Angelo State on November 19. By converting a free-throw in the second quarter against the Rams, Titus became the 27th member of Daemen's 1,000-point club.

In addition to her ECC accolades, Titus was named the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2 CCA) Women's Basketball East Region Player of the Year, becoming the first Daemen player to be selected. Titus was also named a Division II First Team All-American by the D2 CCA. In the classroom, Titus was named to the Academic All-America Second Team by the College Sports information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Titus was also part of a Daemen team that finished the 2021-22 season ranked 23rd in the final Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) national media poll and received votes in the final Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) top 25 coaches' poll.

Over a four-year career, Titus appeared in 100 games (92 as a starter) and totaled 1,512 points (15.1 ppg), 799 rebounds (8.0 rpg), 196 made three-point field goals, 160 blocks and 141 steals. She finishes her career ranked seventh on Daemen's career scoring list and scored in double figures 73 times in her career. Titus also stands seventh among all Daemen players in career rebounding, sixth in career blocks, third in career three-point field goals and is the program leader in free-throw percentage (.855.) She is also one of five Daemen players to finish with more than 100 steals and 100 blocks in a career. Titus also walks away as the first player in program history to reach 1,400 points, 750 rebounds, 150 blocks and 150 made three-pointers. Titus led the Wildcats to an overall 77-23 record in her career.

Historically, Titus becomes the fourth women's basketball player to earn the award, which was instituted in 2012, joining former teammate Caroline White (2021), Sarah Saba (2018) and Monica Kosior (2013). Additional past recipients include soccer players Jamie Boyar (2019, 2020) and Lindsay Miller (2012), cross country/track standout Mackenzie Donohue (2017, 2016, 2015) and volleyball player Ye Wang (2014).

Additional nominees for the 2021-22 Female Athlete of the Year award were volleyball players Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) and Caitlyn Meyer (Clarence, N.Y.), track and field thrower Skye Dorcely (Buffalo, N.Y.), cross country/track and field runner Kassandra Nolet (Fort Erie, Ont.) and soccer player Tatyjana Scalisi (Williamsville, N.Y.). 

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.