NORFOLK, VA. - The Colonial Athletic Association tonight announced membersofits all-conference women's basketball team as well as its Player, Coach,Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year as selected by the league's nineheadcoaches.
Old Dominion University senior forward Hamchetou Maiga captured CAA Playerofthe Year honors after leading the Lady Monarchs to a 15-1 mark inconferenceplay and the top seed in this week's ALLTEL - CAA Women's BasketballChampionship in Norfolk, Va. 2001 marks the tenth consecutive year thatODUhas produced the award winner.
An ODU tri-captain, Maiga ranked fifth in the CAA in scoring (14.1ppg),fourthin rebounding (7.6rpg), first in field goal accuracy (156-270, 57.8%),fifthin steals (2.2spg) and eighth in blocked shots (0.8bpg). She was alsovotedto the CAA All-Defensive and All-Academic Teams.
Joining Maiga on the All-CAA First team are James Madison Universitysophomoreforward Nadine Morgan, University of Richmond guard Michele Koclanes andODUsophomore guard Okeisha Howard. East Carolina University senior forwardTamilla Murray and Virginia Commonwealth University junior guard RochelleLuckett tied in the voting for the final spot on the team.
Morgan topped the Dukes in both scoring (13.4ppg) and rebounding (7.1rpg)andwas an integral part of a JMU squad that finished second in the regularseasonCAA standings and snapped ODU's 113-game winning streak against conferencecompetition. Koclanes, a 5-0 point guard led the Spiders in scoring(12.1ppg)and ranked first in the CAA in assists (7.4apg). Only a junior, Koclanesiscurrently eighth in the nation in steals and ranks fourth in the CAA recordbook with 572 career assists. Howard, a 5-5 sophomore, was second in theCAAin both scoring (14.8ppg) and free throws made (125).
Murray led the LadyPirates in scoring (13.7ppg), rebounding (5.2rpg) and steals (2.8spg) wasalsoa CAA All-Defensive pick.
Luckett, the CAA's leading scorer (14.9ppg), was named the CAA's DefensivePlayer of the Year for the second consecutive season after topping theconference in steals (4.3spg). Only a junior, the 5-7 catalyst ranksfourthin the CAA record book for career steals (319) and is eighth in careerassists(495). According to the latest NCAA stats, Luckett ranks second in thenationin steals.
George Mason University's Debbie Taneyhill garnered CAA Coach of the Yearhonors after guiding the Patriots to a regular season record of 20-7 and a11-5 mark in CAA play. Picked to finish fifth in the pre-season, GMU postednon-conference wins over such teams as Georgetown, Delaware and Ball State andfinished third in the CAA standings. GMU's current winning percentage(74.5%)is the program's best and the 20-win season is just the fourth in schoolhistory. The Patriots have been especially tough on the defensive end andlead the CAA and rank 13th nationally in scoring defense (58.3ppg). Athree-time All-Academic Team member as a GMU undergraduate (1990-92), Taneyhillisthe first women's basketball player to rise through the CAA ranks as bothplayer and head coach at the same school since the league was formed in1985.
GMU freshman standout Jen Derevjanik was voted CAA Rookie of the Year. A5-10guard, Derevjanik has started all 27 games for the Patriots and isaveraging9.9 points per contest. She tops GMU in both assists (102) and steals (50)and ranks in the CAA Top 10 in both categories.
VCU senior guard Liz Remus was honored with the Dean Ehlers LeadershipAwardwhich recognizes the basketball student-athlete who "embodies the higheststandards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship through her academicandathletic achievement." A pre-season All-CAA selection, Remus startedVCU'sfirst 23 games before being sidelined with a leg fracture. The pre-medmajoraveraged 12.4 points per contest and led the CAA in both free throwaccuracy(84.8%) and assist/turnover ratio (1.91).