Haynes named Region XXI Coach of the Year with five Knights earning all-region honors
March 10, 2023
In an announcement that came as no surprise to its regional peers, the Community College of Rhode Island women’s basketball team dominated the field this year among NJCAA Region XXI award-winners.
Head coach Doug Haynes won the 2022-23 Region XXI Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year Award while five of his players earned All-Region XXI honors. Sophomores Maggie Schwab (North Kingstown, RI), Ashley Lima (Providence, RI), and Chloe Rayko (Coventry, RI) earned First Team All-Region XXI honors while freshman Nysia Ortiz (Providence, RI) and sophomore Michelle Moreno (Providence, RI) were Second Team selections.
Now in his fifth season at CCRI, Haynes continues to bring the college’s women’s basketball program to new heights. A former baseball and basketball standout at the college from 1987–89 and a CCRI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Haynes led the Knights to a 19-6 finish during the 2022-23 regular season and won the NJCAA Division-III Region XXI championship for the second year in a row to earn a return trip to this year’s NJCAA National Championships, which begin March 15.
"I am honored to be named Coach of the Year, none of which would happen without my coaching staff and players," Haynes said. "Getting five players on First and Second Team All-Region is also a great honor. These kids work hard and deserve it."
"On behalf of the department of athletics, I want to congratulate coach Haynes on earning Coach of the Year honors," CCRI Athletic Director Kevin Salisbury said. "Coach Haynes is a positive, enthusiastic, focused, and trusting coach. Most importantly, coach Haynes is a great human being and mentors his student athletes and staff to be the same. Congrats to the entire women's basketball program for back-to-back national tournament appearances."
With a veteran-laden team that includes six sophomores, the Knights entered the season ranked No. 5 in the NJCAA D-III preseason poll and spent six consecutive weeks as the fourth-ranked team in the country amidst an impressive 10-game win streak between November and January. The Knights were stellar offensively during the regular season, ranking among the top 10 in the nation in several key categories: points (4th), points per game (8th), field-goal percentage (2nd), assists per game (7th), and three-point field-goal percentage (1st).
Having coached at the high-school level for nearly two decades in Rhode Island, Haynes brought a wealth of knowledge to CCRI upon his hiring in 2018-19 and continues to make significant strides each year. The 2018-19 Knights won 12 games and advanced to the regional championship game in Haynes’ first year; when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of 2020-21 season, he hit the recruiting trail harder than ever, returning in 2021-22 with mostly freshmen – nine total – and winning 17 games in addition to a trip to the NJCAAs. In four seasons, Haynes has won 56 games, an average of 14 per season.
The Knights’ five All-Region selections were consistent contributors throughout the 2022-23 season. Schwab led the Knights with 15.6 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, finishing with 16 double doubles. She also finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in field-goal percentage (59.4) and ninth in offensive rebounds with 120.
Rayko was exceptional from beyond the arc, leading the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (45.3) and sixth in total three-pointers, connecting on 72 in 26 games. Lima started 23 of 25 games and averaged 9.2 points per game and ranked 16th in the nation with 40 blocked shots. Ortiz was the Knights’ top reserve in 2022-23, finishing third on the team with 10.8 points per game, while Moreno started 23 games with a solid, all-around stat line of 8.6 points per game, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists.
The Knights, currently ranked No. 7 in the nation, begin NJCAA tournament play as the sixth seed next Wednesday, March 15, at 7 pm ET against No. 11 seed Onondaga Community College in Rochester, MN. All games stream live on the NJCAA Network.