WBB Report - Feb. 18

WBB Report - Feb. 18

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CAA 4-1-1:

        • Delaware is the last undefeated team in conference play at 13-0, while James Madison follows with a 11-2 record and Drexel right behind at 9-3. Hofstra is now in fourth among the league standings with an 8-5 record.

        • Delaware's Elena Delle Donne re-entered the NCAA and CAA stat leaders after missing the minimum number of games played (75%) and leads the conference in scoring (24.7 ppg) and second nationally, just behind FIU's Jerica Coley  (25.4 ppg).

        • Delle Donne became the CAA's all-time leading scorer on Feb. 10 during the Blue Hens' win at JMU and currently has 2,708 career points. She is also closing in on a number of other CAA career marks, full list on Page 13.

        • Hofstra's Shante Evans became the first player in Hofstra WBB history to score 2,000 career points on Feb. 10.  She is also closing in on a few CAA career records, after recently becoming the Pride's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

        • Delaware improved to No. 18 in the most recent AP Top 25 Poll and the Blue Hens jumped in the USA Today/Coaches Poll this week to No. 22. The Blue Hens were picked No. 1 for the 5th consecutive week in the CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Poll & Drexel was at #23.

        • The CAA Women's Basketball Championship will return to the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland in 2013 for the third straight season (Mar. 14-17).  Credential forms have been sent out -- if you have not received one, please contact Niki DeSantis at the CAA office.

        • The 11 CAA teams have posted a 64-60 record in the season in non-conference play.

        • The most recent RPIRatings.com report posted that the CAA was ranked 14th among the 33 conferences with Delaware ranked at 26 leading the CAA.

        • The College of Charleston has accepted an invitation of membership to join the CAA beginning July 2013.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:

Tarik Hislop • James Madison           

Silver Spring, Md., Sr., Guard

Hislop was selected as CAA Player of the Week after leading the Dukes to a pair of road wins over Old Dominion and Hofstra. The senior guard averaged 23.0 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting (18-41) from the floor. She scored a game-high 22 points against ODU, including 18 points in the second half. Hislop also poured in a game-high 24 points at Hofstra, including a career-high four three-pointers (4-7).  The senior guard dished out a team-best eight assists on the week to go along with two steals and five rebounds.

 

Karneshia Garrett • UNCW

Hoover, Ala./Hoover, Sr., Forward

Garrett earned CAA Player of the Week honors after a strong week averaging 18.5 points and 19.5 rebounds per game as the Seahawks went 1-1 snapping a nine-game losing streak. The senior forward shot 51.9 percent (14-27) from the floor and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw line. She posted double-doubles in both contests, including an impressive career highs of 22 points and 20 rebounds in the overtime win over Georgia State. Garrett became the first UNCW player to finish with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game since the 1987-88 season. She also added a career-high six blocked shots in the victory versus the Panthers to go along with three assists on the week.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:

Dominique Johnson • Towson         

Laurel, Md./Riverdale Baptist, Fr., Guard

Johnson picked up her second consecutive CAA Rookie of the Week honors after helping the Tigers to a 1-1 week, snapping a five-game losing streak. The freshman guard averaged 14.0 points per game for the second straight week, including a team-high 17 points in the Tigers victory over the Patriots in Fairfax. Johnson finished the week recording 4.5 steals per game, including snatching a season-best six steals against Georgia State on Thursday. The rookie finished the week with four rebounds and three assists during 73 minutes of action.     

CAA AT NO. 14 IN RPI RANKING (Through Feb. 17): The CAA is ranked 14th among the nation's 33 Division I conferences in women's basketball according to the RPI report compiled by Collegiate Basketball News. Delaware jumped to No. 26 in the team RPI ranking. Drexel (76) and James Madison (84) both joined UD in the Top 100, while Old Dominion (118), Hofstra (120)  and Northeastern (127) round out the CAA teams in the Top 200.

CAA IN THE TOP 25: The Delaware Blue Hens, who are now 22-3, improved to No. 18 in the Associated Press Poll Top 25 after returning to the poll four weeks ago. The Blue Hens also improved in the USA Today Coaches Poll to No. 22. Delaware opened the 2011-12 and 2010-11 seasons receiving votes in the AP Poll, but it was the first time in program history that the Blue Hens were ranked in the preseason. The Blue Hens were ranked in the AP Top 25 for 16 weeks during their record-setting season a year ago. UD went undefeated (18-0) in league play and claimed the conference tournament title in 2012. Delaware, which finished last season with a 31-2 record, climbed as high as seventh in the national rankings and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round following its first postseason win in school history. All-American Elena Delle Donne recently returned after missing six contests this season, as she had been sitting out during treatment for Lyme Disease.

TWO CAA TEAMS RANKED NO. 1 IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR POLL: Delaware improved to No. 1 in the CollegeInsider.com Feb. 12 edition of the mid-major poll with 25 first-place votes, while Drexel continued to be ranked in the Top 25 and steadied at No. 22. James Madison (61) and Hofstra (5) also received votes. The women's Mid-Major Top 25 is comprised of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast Conferences.

JONES WILL BE REMEMBERED: Sara Jones, a volunteer assistant to Old Dominion University head women's basketball coach Karen Barefoot, passed away Friday (Feb. 15) morning after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Jones served as Barefoot's volunteer assistant the past two seasons and was an incredible motivator for the Lady Monarch team. Jones, 40, fought breast cancer the last 12 years of her life. The Lady Monarchs celebrated Sara's life and breast cancer survivors on Sunday at the 11th annual Hoops for the Cure game.

WBCA PLAY4KAY - FIGHT BREAST CANCER: The CAA, all 11 women's basketball programs and the WBCA teamed up to fight breast cancer. The CAA women's basketball programs committed to participate in a variety of different ways to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. A large number of schools committed to participate nationwide in the 2012 WBCA's Play4Kay initiative. The CAA and the women's basketball programs are asking fans to attend one of the CAA's Play4Kay women's basketball games and donate to help fight breast cancer and increase early detection and prevention.

DELLE DONNE TOPS CAA HISTORY MARKS: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne is just notches away from hitting the number one spot in numerous categories in the CAA record books (list on page 13). Delle Donne recently became the league's all-time scoring leader career points surpassing James Madison's Dawn Evans for first in the CAA history with 2,667 career points on Feb. 10 and currently has 2,727 career points. The senior earned the records for CAA field goals made (921) and free throws made (694) on Feb. 14 against the Lady Monarchs, passing Drexel's Gabriela Marginean in both categories. The senior forward/guard is just six free throw attempts away from tying new record holder Hofstra's Shante Evans (770) in a career, who earned the top spot on Feb. 17 -- the chase is on. 

DELLE DONNE MAKES TOP 20 WOODEN AWARD MID-SEASON LIST: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne was named to the John R. Wooden Award Women's Mid-Season Top 20. The senior landed herself on another prestigious honor list as the only non-BCS nominee listed.  The Big East led all conferences with six selections, followed by the ACC with four, the Big 12 and Big 10 with three each, the SEC has two, the CAA and Pac-12 with one apiece.

HOFSTRA'S HISTORY BOOKS: Senior forward Shante Evans set the program's all-time scoring record on Jan. 13 against George Mason and currently has 2,031 career points. Evans, who is averaging a team-leading 17.2 points, became Hofstra's first 2,000-career point scorer on Feb. 10. Evans became Hofstra's all-time leading rebounder on Nov. 28 and currently has 1,269 rebounds and ranks second among the CAA all-time leaders. Entering this season, Evans has averaged over 330 rebounds per year during her career with the Pride. The CAA record is held by James Madison's Meredith Alexis (2004-07) with 1,313 and Evans is on pace to challenge Alexis' mark this season.

HIGH-NUMBERS: Hofstra's Shante Evans, who currently has 2,031 career points and 1,269 career rebounds, ranks among some of the top current players in the nation regarding her career numbers. Evans is third among active players who have passed 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, as Howard's Saadia Doyle (2,172 pts, 1,118 rbs) and Baylor's Brittney Griner (2,975 pts, 1,181 rbs) rank higher than her, but Evans is the only active player with over 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds in a career. Evans currently ranks at #18 among the all-time list with 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds all-time dating back to 1999-00.

DOUBLE-TROUBLE PROGRAM ALL-TIME LEADERS: In addition to Hofstra's Shante Evans, there are only three other active women's players who are also their school's all-time scoring and rebounding leader. Sametria Gideon from Kennesaw State, Loyola Marymount's Alex Cowling and Northern Arizona's Amy Patton are their program's all-time scoring and rebound leaders.

IN THE [CAA RECORD] BOOKS: Hofstra's Shante Evans now owns a spot in the CAA all-time top 10 lists in six career categories (points scores, field goals made, field goals attempted, free throws made, free throws attempted and rebounds)--including the top spot in free throws attempted (770). Delaware's Elena Delle Donne became the league's all-time leading scorer on Feb. 10 and also holds the record for free throws made in a career and field goals made. Delle Donne is ranked in the CAA's top 10 career lists in three other categories -- field goals attempts, free throws attempts and blocked shots.  Georgia State's Cody Paulk entered the league's top 10 list in blocked shots during the week ending Dec. 30 and is climbing the all-time chart. On the first weekend of the 2012-13 season the league had two women's basketball players crack the CAA all-time record books -- JMU's Kirby Burkholder sank seven three pointers against Virginia, while William & Mary's Emily Correal grabbed 21 rebounds against East Carolina. Kirby's seven trey's ranks her tied for ninth in the CAA record books, while Correal's 21 rebounds is tied for fifth for rebounds in a single game. Hofstra's Shante Evans jumped into the CAA record books in career rebounds on Nov. 28th. Full list of updated CAA career record book listings are on page 13 of these notes.

REACHING THE MILESTONE - 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Delaware's Danielle Parker became the most recent CAA player to register her 1,000th career point on Feb. 7 as she became the 24th player in Delaware WBB history to reach the milestone.  The Blue Hens now have three 1k career scorers currently on the team. Northeastern's Deanna Kerkhof is the 15th player in Northeastern's program to reach 1,000 career points as she passed the milestone on Jan. 24 with a three-pointer in the contest against Drexel. Drexel's Hollie Mershon became the Dragon's 20th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Dec. 21 after pouring in a team-high 23 points. Delaware's Lauren Carra reached 1,000 career points as she tallied 16 against nationally-ranked Maryland on Dec. 20. Carra became the 23rd Blue Hens to reach the plateau. William & Mary's Emily Correal poured in a career-high 28 points against Radford on Dec. 8th and in the same outing became the Tribe's 17th WBB player to reach 1,000 career points. George Mason's Amber Easter and William & Mary's Janine Aldridge have scored their 1,000th career points this season. 

MVPs ALL AROUND: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne led the Blue Hens to the Blue Sky Classic title with averaging 20.0 ppg and 12.5 rpg to earn MVP honors (Dec. 30). Hofstra's Shante Evans received the MVP award at the New York Life Holiday Tournament (Dec. 23) after leading the Pride to a pair of victories over Mississippi and Northwestern. She poured in 23.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. Drexel's Nicki Jones earned the TD Bank Classic Most Valuable Player honors (Dec. 1) after the Dragons took home their second tournament title of the season. Jones played just 20 minutes against Rhode Island, and scored 20 points in 32 minutes of the championship game against Vermont. The senior shot 10-for-14 (.714) against Vermont to go along with nine rebounds, two blocks and four steals. She joins teammate Hollie Mershon and Georgia State's Cody Paulk as they earned Most Valuable Player honors at their respective tournaments over the Thanksgiving weekend. Drexel won the Long Island University Tournament as Mershon led the team pouring in 16.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg. She added eight assists and three steals helping the Dragons earn their first in-season tournament victory since the Big Apple Classic in December 2000.  Paulk led the Panthers to the GSU Thanksgiving Classic title scoring 15.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg. She also tied a personal best six blocks against Georgia Southern on the first day and finished with nine total blocks on the week to go along with four assists and three steals. Paulk also shot 65 % (13-for-20) from the floor in 43 minutes of action.

DELAWARE'S DELLE DONNE ESPNW WOMEN'S HOOPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, a senior forward/guard from Wilmington, Del., is the ESPNW national player of the week (Feb. 3) after her outstanding performance in UD's past three-game week. The senior averaged 28.7 points in the three games over six days. In Sunday's 79-63 win over Hofstra, Delle Donne scored 35 points on 10-of-20 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. Her 26-point effort against Northeastern and 25-point performance at Georgia State were so good that she didn't have to play much in the second half of two easy victories. Thanks to Delle Donne's efforts -- she has averaged more than 25 points per game since her complete return. Charlie Creme, Graham Hays, Michelle Smith and Mechelle Voepel each vote to determine ESPNW's national player of the week, which is awarded every Monday of the women's college basketball season.

JMU'S HISLOP ESPNW WOMEN'S HOOPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: James Madison's Tarik Hislop, a senior guard from Silver Springs, Md., is the ESPNW national player of the week (Nov. 26) after her outstanding performance in the Cancun Challenge. Hislop set the pace in a three-games-in-three-days marathon for the Dukes. She scored a career-high 32 points in 40 minutes, including seven of her team's 10 points in overtime, as James Madison posted an 89-86 victory over Green Bay to open the tournament. Hislop closed it with 30 points in a 63-58 win over Wichita State, including a pair of free throws with 7.3 seconds to go to ice the game.

AP ALL-AMERICAN HONORS: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne was a unanimous choice on the Associated Press women's basketball preseason All-America team, receiving all 40 votes from a national media panel. Delle Donne becomes the first player from a non-BCS conference to earn preseason All-America honors since Amanda Wilson of Louisiana Tech in 1998-99.

DELLE DONNE, EVANS NAMED CANDIDATES FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne and Hofstra's Shante Evans, join CAA's men's basketball standout Jonathan Lee from Northeastern on the initial list of candidates. Delle Donne is studying early childhood education and has excelled on the court as well as in the community.  Evans, a history major, is entering her final year with the Pride with 1,618 career points and 992 career rebounds, edging fifth and second all-time for HU, respectively. The selection will be narrowed down to 10 male and 10 female finalist midway through the regular season.

NAISMITH EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne and Hofstra's Shante Evans pair up again on the Naismith Women's Early Season Watch List. The 50 player watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2012-2013 college basketball season. The Naismith Women's College Player of the Year presented by AT&T will be awarded on April 8, 2013, in New Orleans, La.

DELLE DONNE ON THE WADE WATCH LIST: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne was named to the 2012-13 Preseason Wade Watch list of candidates for the prestigious award in September and continued on the list in February. The senior forward/guard was one of 25 preseason candidates. The preseason list is composed of top NCAA Division I women's basketball players who best embody Wade's spirit from 18 institutions and eight conferences. A committee of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States compiled the list using the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.

DELLE DONNE, EVANS CHALK UP A SPOT ON EARLY WOODEN AWARD WATCH LIST: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne and Hofstra's Shante Evans were named to the John R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 30. The duo landed themselves on another prestigious honor list and they join last year's award winner Baylor's Brittany Griner along with a number of other top candidates.  The Big East led all conferences with seven selections, followed by the ACC with six, the Big 12 and Big 10 with five each, the SEC, Pac-12 and the CAA with two and the Ivy League with one.

2013 CAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: The CAA Women's Basketball Championship will return to The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md., for the third straight season in 2013. The teams played in front of 8,100 fans during the 2012 four-day event (2011 - 7,727). 


TV EXPOSURE: The CAA saw a record-best of a 43 games on television last season, including three televised games during the CAA championship. All 12 teams will make at least one television appearance during the 2012-13 season. The CAA women's basketball television package has aired over 20 games for the last four seasons. The CAA also enjoyed a record amount of exposure through new media efforts.

UNCW HIRES ADELL HARRIS AS WBB HEAD COACH: Former Wake Forest standout and current Tusculum College head coach Adell Harris has been named the 10th coach in UNCW's women's basketball history. Harris, 31, takes over the Seahawk program after a successful three-year stint as head coach of the Pioneers, guiding the NCAA Division II school to a 61-30 overall record, back-to-back Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament championships (2010 & 2011) and three straight appearances to the NCAA Tournament. Harris replaces Cynthia Cooper-Dyke who resigned to take a head coaching position at Texas State University. Cooper-Dyke posted a 44-22 overall record, including a school-record 24 victories in 2010-11, and back-to-back trips to the postseason.

DELAWARE, OLD DOMINION SELECTED TO HOST 2013 NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON ROUNDS:  The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee has announced the selections of the first and second-round as well as regional sites for the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Delaware, located in Newark, Del., received a first and second-round games in 2013. Old Dominion, located in Norfolk, Va., was selected as a host for a Regional Site. ODU has hosted the NCAA tournament 22 total times, including five Regionals - most recently in 2004. Delaware is set to host the first and second round on March 24-26 at the Bob Carpenter Center, while Old Dominion will host their regional on March 31 and April 2.