|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Women’s Basketball: Green Named LSWA Newcomer of the Year
NATCHITOCHES–A strong second half to the LSU Lady Tiger season and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament impressed enough voters to allow the Lady Tigers take two of the four top honors with LSU-Shreveport garnering another on the 2009 All-Louisiana Women’s College Basketball Team as chosen by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The team was selected based on nominations by the women’s basketball sports information directors of the state and then voted on by a panel of LSWA members. All stats and voting was based on totals through the playing of conference tournaments and NCAA post-season play.
LSU’s Allison Hightower was named Player of the Year while teammate LaSondra Barrett was selected at the state’s Freshman of the Year. LSU-Shreveport’s Ronnie Howell was voted Coach of the Year and Alexis Green of Louisiana earned Newcomer of the Year accolades.
Louisiana’s Green, a junior college transfer from Blinn Junior College, tabbed more than half the votes to gain Newcomer of the Year honors. The junior from Dallas led the Ragin Cajuns in scoring at 15.7 ppg. An All-Sun Belt Conference performer, she scored double-digits in all 17 SBC games and topped 20 points seven times. She was the only play in the Sun Belt to lead her team in 12 statistical categories.
Hightower, a 5-10 junior from Fort Worth, Tex., edged out Louisiana Tech’s Shanavia Dowdell by one vote for Player of the Year honors.
She earned first team All-SEC honors after guiding the Lady Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She became the first player in school history to lead LSU in points (14.9 ppg), assists (3.0 apg), steals (1.9 spg) and blocked shots (1.2 bpg) in a single season. With those numbers, Hightower ranked fifth in the SEC in points, fifth in field goal percentage (45.7), second in minutes played (35.0 mpg) and third in assist/turnover ratio. She led all SEC guards in blocked shots and was the only guard to rank in the top 11 in both blocks and steals. She averaged 23.5 points and 4.0 assists in two NCAA tourney games.
Barrett garnered nearly half of the votes for Freshman of the Year honors. A 6-2 forward from Jackson, Miss., Barrett was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She ranked second on the team in rebounds and scored in double-figures in 19 games She scored a true freshman SEC record 27 points in her conference debut at Arkansas and became the only multi-time SEC Freshman of the Week in school history after being named four times.
Powell beat out LSU’s Van Chancellor by one vote to garner Coach of the Year honors. He guided the Lady Pilots to a school record 27 wins after finishing the 2008-09 campaign 27-6. That included a school record 14 game winning streak. He also guided the Lady Pilots to their first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament after placing second in the GCAC – the highest finish in school history.
Joining Hightower on the first team were Dowdell and Adrienne Johnson who helped the Lady Techsters to a piece of the WAC regular season championship and a second round appearance in the WNIT. They were joined by Southeastern Louisiana’s Kristy Carlin and Shante’ Perry of McNeese State. Dowdell was named the WAC’s Player of the Year; Johnson first team All-WAC; Carlin earned first team All-SLC; and Perry third team All-SLC honors.
LSWA All-Louisiana Women’s Basketball Team
First Team Allison Hightower, LSU Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech Kristy Carlin, Southeastern Louisiana Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech Shante’ Perry, McNeese State
Player of the Year – Allison Hightower, LSU Freshman of the Year – LaSondra Barrett, LSU Newcomer of the Year – Alexis Green, Louisiana Coach of the Year – Ronnie Howell, LSU-Shreveport
Second Team Trenese Smith, Loyola Tillisha Givens, Louisiana College Jada Frazier, New Orleans LaSondra Barrett, LSU Alexis Green, Louisiana
Third Team Demetria White, Northwestern State Deidra Jackson, Southern Ashley Langford, Tulane Valerie Huizar, LSU-Shreveport Lottie Moore, ULM
Honorable Mention Whitney Jones, Louisiana Tech; Trenell Smith, Loyola; Brett Benzio, Tulane; Rachele Dobbins, Grambling; Brittany Powell, Xavier
-www.RaginCajuns.com-
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
