SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Chattanooga senior forward Alex Anderson was selected by the Southern Conference women’s basketball coaches as the league’s player of the year for the second consecutive season, garnering a maximum of nine first place votes (coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players). The coaches also selected a 10-member all-conference team, an all-freshman team and five superlative awards.
Western Carolina’s Chevon Keith was tabbed by the coaches as the SoCon’s first Defensive Player of the Year. The SoCon’s leading rebounder led her Lady Catamounts’ squad to a second place finish in the regular season.
Chattanooga mentor Wes Moore was selected by his peers as Coach of the Year, following the Lady Mocs’ third perfect regular season in the past five years. Chattanooga (26-3, 18-0) enters the SoCon Tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak at 21 games.
Wofford’s Mahagony Williams, the league’s leading scorer (8.3 points per game) and rebounder (6.6 rebounds per game) among freshmen, was honored as the Freshman of the Year. The 6-0 forward from Little Rock, Ark., ranks as the SoCon’s leading shot blocker with 2.03 swats per game.
Elon junior forward Kitara McMoore was chosen as the initial recipient of the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award. This award honors a student-athlete or coach who has shown outstanding courage or service. This award is presented in memory of former Elon women’s basketball associate head coach Ann Lashley, who passed away on November 10, 2005 after a six-month battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. McMoore has overcome six knee surgeries during her time at Elon to become a consistent scoring and rebounding force.
In addition to her Player of the Year nod, Anderson was also selected to the All-Southern Conference team. Joining her from Chattanooga were guard Brooke Hand and forward Shanara Hollinquest. Western Carolina (Monique Dawson and Chevon Keith) and Georgia Southern (Shawnda Atwood and Tiffany Brown) each placed two players on the squad while Appalachian State (Whitney Tossie), Davidson (Mercedes Robinson) and Elon (Tierra Bumbrey) all placed one player each on the all-conference team.
Joining Williams on the all-freshman team was Sam Ramirez of Appalachian State, Tonia Gerty of College of Charleston, Monique Floyd of UNC Greensboro and Emily Clarke of Western Carolina.
Coaches’ All-Conference Team
Whitney Tossie, Appalachian State
Alex Anderson, Chattanooga
Brooke Hand, Chattanooga
Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga
Mercedes Robinson, Davidson
Tierra Bumbrey, Elon
Shawnda Atwood, Georgia Southern
Tiffany Brown, Georgia Southern
Monique Dawson, Western Carolina
Chevon Keith, Western Carolina
All-Freshman Team
Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Tonia Gerty, College of Charleston
Monique Floyd, UNC Greensboro
Emily Clarke, Western Carolina
Mahagony Williams, Wofford
Player of the Year ? Alex Anderson, Chattanooga
Defensive Player of the Year ? Chevon Keith, Western Carolina
Coach of the Year ? Wes Moore, Chattanooga
Freshman of the Year ? Mahagony Williams, Wofford
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award ? Kitara McMoore, Elon