** PORTRAIT SHOT COURTESY OF DREAM TEAM STUDIOS **

SANBORN, NY — Women’s basketball guard Azriel Hall was named the 2025-26 SUNY Niagara Female Newcomer of the Year. The announcement was made by the campus’ athletic department Monday.

The freshman and Lockport resident helped the Thunderwolves advance to their eighth consecutive NJCAA Region III Division II championship appearance in a 15-10 campaign and became the program’s ninth all-time NJCAA All-American selection since the 1977-78 season. Dating back to December, Hall and SUNY Niagara won nine of their last 15 games, clinching the No. 1 seed in the three-team regional tournament before an 84-76 overtime loss to Monroe Community College.

One of only three players to appear and start in all 25 games, Hall finished as SUNY Niagara’s leader in five different categories — total points (492), points per game (19.7), field-goal percentage (54.1%), 3-point percentage (43.9%) and made free throws (109). Hall ranked second on the Thunderwolves in total minutes played (738) and made 3-pointers (29) and third in both total rebounds (125) and assists (43).

This season, Hall reached double-digit scoring in all 25 games and her 19.7 points per game were tied for 16th with Beaver County Community College’s Brooklynn Medina and Madison College’s Serinity Metcalfe in NJCAA Division II. Hall recorded 11 games with at least 20 points, including in six of her first 11 SUNY Niagara games.

(Courtesy of Geoff Schneider Photography, GMS Photography)

Hall also made single-game history when she recorded a season-high 40 points in SUNY Niagara’s 100-59 win versus Lakeland Community College on February 1 and earned NJCAA Region III Athlete of the Week honors. She became the program’s first 40-point scorer since 1998 graduate Michelle Milleville did in a 72-46 win versus Niagara College (Ont.) on Dec. 15, 1997.

Along with making her presence known by scoring, Hall snatched five or more rebounds in a contest 17 times. Hall recorded a season-high nine rebounds in a 92-41 win versus Allegany College of Maryland on Nov. 9. 

Following the contest with Allegany College of Maryland, Hall matched her single-game best of four assists two more times. These came in a home win versus Villa Maria College on Nov. 23 and a road win at Jamestown Community College on Jan. 28, where she also converted a season-high 5-of-7 3-point attempts. 

Hall also recorded a season-high five steals plus 13 points and five rebounds in a 91-54 loss to Pima Community College on Nov. 15. She also posted four steals in a game four times in wins against Lackawanna College (Nov. 1), Allegany College of Maryland (Nov. 9). Lorain County Community College (Dec. 20) and Herkimer College (Jan. 6).

(Courtesy of Geoff Schneider, GMS Photography)

Only the 10th 1,000-point scorer in Lockport High School girls basketball history, Hall was named the NJCAA Region III Division II Player of the Year and an all-tournament selection. Hall was the fifth Thunderwolf to win the region’s Player of the Year, joining Kristine Ripson (2013), Welch (2014), Redfern (2019), Emborsky (2020), Forbes (2021) and Alessandra (2024). 

Hall is now the ninth NJCAA All-American in SUNY Niagara women’s basketball history. This includes Michelle Milleville (1998), Jaclyn Welch (2014), Taliyah Hopkins (2017), Kenetria Redfern (2019), Paige Emborsky (2020), Alaina Forbes (2021 & 2022), Aichata Ballo (2023) and Faith Alessandra (2024). 

Hall’s 492 points this season were the second most by a first-year player for SUNY Niagara over the last 10 seasons (since 2016-17), trailing only Emborsky’s total of 530 in 2018-19. The 492 points were also the sixth-most in a single season over the last decade, with Redfern’s 734 in 2018-19 still the most. 

Additional nominees for the 2025-26 SUNY Niagara Female Newcomer of the Year award were volleyball player Sariah Tindal (Rochester, N.Y.) and softball player Miranda Shingleton (North Tonawanda, N.Y.).