March 9, 2011
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Senior guard Jasmine Parker was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the year to highlight Old Dominion's honorees at the 2011 CAA Women's Basketball Awards Banquet held Wednesday evening at the Gaylord National Hotel. The banquet was held on the eve of the conference championships, which begin Thursday afternoon.
Parker was also named to the All-CAA second team and All-CAA Defensive team. Junior forward Tia Lewis was an All-CAA third team selection, while junior center Mairi Buchan garnered All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.
James Madison senior guard Dawn Evans was selected as the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball Player of the Year, while UNC Wilmington's Cynthia Cooper-Dyke was chosen as CAA Coach of the Year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Parker led the CAA and ranked sixth in the nation with 3.2 steals per game this season. The senior guard, who has swiped six or more steals in a game on four occasions this year, grabbed the team's third-most defensive rebounds (87) en route to 109 total boards. Parker, who was also named to the CAA All-Defensive Team a year ago, is just the third Old Dominion player to earn Defensive Player of the year honors.
Offensively, Parker is second on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game and she's scored in double-figures in 22 of 29 games. The Norfolk native led the Lady Monarchs with 124 assists this year and she's drilled a team-high 52 three-point field goals. This is the third time Parker has been honored by the CAA as the guard was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2007-08 and was an All-CAA second team member last year as well.
Lewis has been one of ODU's most consistent performers this season, pacing the Lady Monarchs in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg). The forward ranks in the Top 7 in the CAA in rebounding, field goal percentage (51.3%), double-doubles (8) and blocks (30). The Poulan, Ga. native has led ODU in scoring eight times this year and she's been the team's leading rebounder on 18 separate occasions.
Buchan carries a 3.97 GPA in biology. The 6-2 junior center out of Stirlingshire, Scotland has missed the entire 2010-11 season with a foot injury.
William & Mary's Lindsey Moller was the recipient of the Dean Ehlers Leadership award, which is presented annually to the women's basketball student-athlete who "embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship in conjunction with her academic athletic achievement." Moller, a senior guard, started 10 games this season and was third on the Tribe with 44 assists. She also scored 27 points and made 24 steals.
This year's awards were based on a vote by the league's 12 head coaches.
Old Dominion enters the 2011 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of Thursday's Delaware/Northeastern game in the quarterfinals. That game will take place on Friday at 5 p.m. and can be heard live on ESPN Radio 94.1 FM.
2010-11 CAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS
2011 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dawn Evans, James Madison2011 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, UNC Wilmington2011 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Alisha Andrews, UNC Wilmington2011 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jasmine Parker, Old Dominion2011 DEAN EHLERS LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Lindsey Moller, William & Mary
ALL-CAA FIRST TEAMBrittany Blackwell, UNC WilmingtonSr.G/FElena Delle Donne, DelawareSo.F/GDawn Evans, James MadisonSr.GShante Evans, HofstraJr.FCourtney Hurt, VCUJr.F
All-CAA SECOND TEAMAndrea Barbour, VCUJr.GLauren Jimenez, James MadisonSr.CKamile Nacickaite, DrexelJr.FJasmine Parker, Old DominionSr.GMartha White, UNC WilmingtonSr.C
ALL-CAA THIRD TEAMLauren Carra, DelawareSo.GChan Harris, Georgia StateJr.FTia Lewis, Old DominionJr.C/FTaysha Pye, Willima & MaryJr.GJasmina Rosseel, DrexelSr.G
CAA ALL-ROOKIE TEAMAlisha Andrews, UNC WilmingtonFr.GJacqueline Brewer, VCUFr.GKendra Long, Georgia StateFr.GKate Loper, HofstraFr.GKaityln Mathieu, William & MaryFr.C
CAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMAlisha Andrews, UNC WilmingtonFr.GBrittany Blackwell, UNC WilmingtonSr.G/FCandace Bond, HofstraSo.GJasmine Parker, Old DominionSr.GMartha White, UNC WilmingtonSr.C
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