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News Release

Cheri Eleazer, Jessica Anger Named Assistant Women’s Basketball Coaches at UMBC

7/1/2010

Cheri Eleazer

Jessica Anger

BALTIMORE—UMBC head women’s basketball coach Phil Stern today announced that Cheri Eleazer and Jessica Anger will join the Retriever staff as assistant coaches.

Eleazer spent three seasons at Division III St. Joseph’s College on Long Island, which earned a berth in the 2010 ECAC Metro Tournament after posting a 15-12 record, its best mark in the last 10 years. She developed and implemented the Golden Eagles’ strength and conditioning program and also worked closely with the post players, including Trish McMahon, who broke the school’s all-time scoring record last season.

“I’m grateful that I have this opportunity to finally be a part of Coach Stern’s staff and to be a part of the team’s success,” Eleazer said.

Prior to St. Joseph’s, Eleazer served as the director of basketball operations at Hofstra from 2006-07, where she was a part of the Pride’s record-setting season, as the team posted a program-best 24-7 mark and advanced to the fourth round of the postseason WNIT. Eleazer began her career in 2004-05 as assistant coach at Nassau Community College in Uniondale, N.Y.

Eleazer was a four-year letter-winner at Hartford from 1999-2003, averaging 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 99 games, including 58 starts. She was a member of the Hawk team that won the program’s first-ever America East title in 2002 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

“I recruited Cheri 15 years ago on Long Island, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with her,” Stern said. “She has great passion for the game and will do a great job working with our guards.”

A native of Coram, N.Y., Eleazer graduated from Hartford in May 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in performing arts management.

Anger spent the last two seasons as the director of basketball operations at her alma mater, Iona College, where she orchestrated team travel arrangements and film exchange and served as the team’s coordinator of community service and school outreach initiatives. She was also responsible for program marketing duties, as well as producing a periodic newsletter. The Gaels were 36-27 during her tenure and made an appearance in the postseason WNIT in 2010.

“I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity that Coach Stern has given me to continue to develop my career here at UMBC,” said Anger, a native of nearby Arbutus who attended Seton Keough High School. “It’s great to be a part of the Retriever family and to be back in the Baltimore area.”

Anger played two seasons at Iona after transferring from Winthrop, starting 28 games at center and compiling totals of 370 points, 177 rebounds and 39 blocks while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 84.6 percent from the foul line. She was the Gaels’ third-leading scorer as a junior, and she helped lead her team to the program’s first-ever postseason appearance during her senior year with a berth in the 2007 WNIT and a first-round victory.

A two-time team captain at Iona, Anger was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic Team twice and earned the Gael’s Scholar-Athlete Award in 2006.

Prior to Iona, Anger played two years at Winthrop, where she was named to the 2003 Big South All-Rookie Team. She averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks and shot 48.1 percent from the floor in 34 games with the Eagles.

“Jess has spent the last couple of years working for one of the best coaches in the country (Iona head coach Tony Bozzella),” Stern said. “She brings a great work ethic and has worked with some great post players at Iona, and we’re excited that she’s coming home to Baltimore.”

Anger graduated magna cum laude from Iona in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and she earned her MBA from Iona in 2007.