Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State Women's Basketball Team had three student-athletes tabbed to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Women's Basketball Team, selected by CSC, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined excellence on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program honors athletes across four divisions: NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.
To qualify for the Academic All-District Team, student-athletes must be sophomores or higher in eligibility, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and have played in at least 90% of the team's games or started 66% of them during the season.
Representing the Red Hawks on the Academic All-District Team are
AMANDA CASTRO,
SHANNON HUGHES, and
ALEXIS STROLLO.
AMANDA CASTRO, a Social Media and PR major, played in all 29 games, making four starts, while maintaining a 3.70 GPA. During the 2024-25 season, she totaled 107 points, 61 rebounds, 26 assists, 24 steals, and 4 blocks. Her standout performance came in an 80-50 home win against Valley Forge on November 21, where she recorded 12 points and six rebounds.
SHANNON HUGHES earns this honor for the second consecutive season. A Physical Education major, she appeared in all 29 games, starting five, while maintaining a 3.75 GPA. She averaged 7.4 points per game, adding 62 rebounds, 19 assists, 21 steals, and 11 blocks. Hughes played a key role as a three-point specialist, leading the team with 44 three-pointers and shooting 30.4% from beyond the arc. Her best game came in the NJAC Championship, where she contributed 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting (3-for-5 from three), four rebounds, and two steals in a 72-63 win at TCNJ.
ALEXIS STROLLO joins Hughes in earning Academic All-District honors for the second straight season. She started 20 of 29 games while maintaining a 3.82 GPA. Strollo had her most efficient season as a Red Hawk, averaging 9.5 points, along with 101 rebounds, 60 assists, 24 steals, and eight blocks. She posted 15 double-digit scoring performances, including a career-high 22 points in a triple-overtime victory at New Jersey City on February 12.
The Montclair State women's basketball team finished the season with a 24-5 overall record and a 15-3 NJAC record, securing its eighth NJAC title in program history and earning its first NCAA playoff victory since 2018.
