Robinson Garners First Team NCCSIA All-State Honors
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Coming off a career year, junior Mercedes Robinson (Baltimore, Md.) added yet another postseason award to her list of honors with a spot on the first team of the fourth annual North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State women's basketball team today.
Robinson, who earlier this month was a first-team member of both the media and coaches Southern Conference teams, was one of two SoCon players to be named to the all-state first team.
It also marked the fourth straight year Davidson placed at least one player on either the second or first team, and she became the first Wildcat since senior Katie Hamilton (Lilburn, Ga.) in 2005 to earn a spot on the first team.
The junior forward led Davidson to a 19-11 overall record by averaging team and career bests of 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. She had a league-leading 14 double doubles and recorded 11 of them against SoCon opponents. She closed out the regular season with back-to-back double doubles in wins over Georgia Southern and College of Charleston to earn player of the week honors.
She ranked among the top-five players in the SoCon in points (3rd), rebounds (3rd) and field goal percentage (2nd/53.1). During the Wildcats' 18-game conference schedule, the forward averaged nearly 14 points and nine rebounds against league opponents, while draining 55.6 percent of her field goals, including 45.2 percent from downtown.
Robinson led the team 11 times combined in both scoring and rebounding this season, while hitting the double-digit mark in points a team-high 18 times.
Davidson's 19 victories were the second-most in school history after a 23-win season the year before set the school bench mark. The Wildcats season ended on Mar. 8 in the quarterfinals of the SoCon tournament with a loss to Elon.
The all-state squads consist of student-athletes from NCAA Division I colleges and universities throughout the state. North Carolina sports information professionals submitted nominees and NCCSIA members selected the teams. The all-state basketball units consist of the top-10 vote-getters and include all students involved in ties.
Founded in 2002, NCCSIA is comprised of sports information professionals from North Carolina?s NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions for the purpose of promoting college athletics in the state. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina whose responsibilities include sports information.
2007-08 University Division All-State Women's Teams
First Team
Brittany Blackwell, UNC Wilmington
Amber Bland, N.C. A&T State
Chevon Keith, Western Carolina
Mackenzie Maier, High Point
Mercedes Robinson, Davidson
Second Team
Tierra Bumbrey, Elon
Ta'Wuana Cook, N.C. A&T State
Sabrina Gregory, Charlotte
Marlena Murphy, Campbell
Sahsha Taylor, UNC Wilmington
WCU’s Chevon Keith Named NCCSIA First Team All-State
CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Western Carolina women’s basketball senior guard Chevon Keith was named First Team All-State University Division by the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) Monday.
Keith had a stellar senior season capped off by being named the inaugural Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She was also voted SCSMA All-Conference First Team and All-Southern Conference.
This season, Keith became just the second player in Western Carolina women’s basketball school history to go over 1,000 points and 900 rebounds. She led the Southern Conference averaging 8.6 rebounds per game and snapped her single-season record with seven double-doubles.
Western Carolina ended the season with a school record 25 wins and its nine losses were the second least in school history. The Catamounts loose two starters from the 2007-08 squad, but return three starters for next season as well as a total of seven returning players. WCU will have five freshman for 2008-09 and also welcome transfer Jessica Jackson who sat out this season due to transfer rules.
Bumbrey Named to NCCSIA Second-Team All State
CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Senior guard Tierra Bumbrey was named to the fourth annual North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State women’s basketball second team.
Bumbrey, who also garnered All-Conference and All-Tournament honors this season, averaged 32 minutes per game. She also led the team in scoring with 12.6 per game. Bumbrey was among the conference leaders in scoring, minutes played, steals (2.8/game), assists (3.4/game), and three-point field goal percentage (32.8).
Bumbrey, a native of Stafford, Va., became a member of the 1,000-point club and set the school record for three-pointers in a game, minutes played in a game, and points in a game in the 4OT loss to Western Carolina. Bumbrey also tied the Southern Conference record for three-pointers in a game and minutes played. Finally, Bumbrey tied the SoCon Tournament record for three-pointers in a game with seven in the semi-final round against Western Carolina.
The squads consist of student-athletes from NCAA Division I colleges and universities throughout the state. North Carolina sports information professionals submitted nominees and NCCSIA members selected the teams. The all-state basketball units consist of the top-10 vote-getters and include all students involved in ties.
NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the university (NCAA Division I) and college (Division II, III, NAIA, NCCAA) divisions for women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and baseball. Over 500 student-athletes have been recognized on all-state teams since 2003.