(Long Island, NY) SUNY Old Westbury Panthers women’s basketball guard, Raven Pentz of Walkill, NY, helped Team USA win the gold at the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship this July in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Pentz, a rising senior majoring in Adolescence Education: Mathematics, was one of 12 players that had the honor to represent the United States, which competed against teams from Taiwan, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine.
“The game is completely different, but it allowed me to progress as a player both mentally and physically because it forced me to adapt,” said Pentz of playing in the World Championship. “It felt surreal to represent the United States. I am grateful that I was able to have this experience.”
Team USA registered a perfect 7-0 record, which included a victory over Lithuania to secure the championship on July 12. Pentz was named to the All-World Deaf Basketball Championships Team for the second-consecutive year, having also earned a gold medal as a member of the U.S. team in the 2014 championships in Turkey.
“Earning a second gold medal illustrates the power of Raven’s conviction and stands as testimony to her hard work both on and off the court,” said College President Calvin O. Butts, III. “She exemplifies what we who teach and work at Old Westbury hope for all of our students – that she is willing and prepared to stand tall and own the future she wants for herself.”
In between her international experiences, Pentz played her junior season for the Panther women’s basketball team, ranking 23rd in assists per game in NCAA Division III and enjoying career-highs in points per game (10.3), rebounds per game (5.4), assists per game (5.1) and steals per game (1.9).
SUNY Old Westbury is a selective public liberal arts college with more than 4,500 students studying in more than 40 undergraduate degree opportunities in its liberal arts and professional programs and 16 graduate programs in business, education liberal studies and mental health counseling. On the College’s 604-acre campus, students are challenged to take ownership of their futures through an environment that demands academic excellence, fosters intercultural understanding, and endeavors to stimulate a passion for learning and a commitment to building a more just and sustainable world. For more information on SUNY Old Westbury, visit www.oldwestbury.edu.
