2009-10 All-PSAC Women's Basketball Teams (pdf)
Lock Haven, Pa. - Shippensburg’s Lauren Beckley has been named the PSAC East Athlete of the Year for the second straight year while Kristina Freeman, the leading scorer on Gannon’s undefeated and No. 1 nationally ranked team has been named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year as that duo highlights the 2009-10 All-PSAC women’s basketball teams as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Freeman’s selection marks Gannon’s first-ever major award winner in the school’s second year in the PSAC while the award for Beckley marks the third time that she has been named a PSAC Athlete of the Year in her career.
For the second straight year, the PSAC East Freshman of the Year award goes to a Bloomsburg freshman, as Dana Wieller is this year’s East Freshman of the Year following teammate Kelsey Gallagher last year. IUP’s Sarah Pastorek is the PSAC West Freshman of the Year. She is the first IUP player to be named the West’s top freshman since Jahzinga Tracey in 2006. The two Coaches of the Year came from the two divisional champions as Millersville’s Mary Fleig and Gannon’s Cleve Wright are the East and West Coaches of the Year, respectively.
Gannon led all teams with four total all-conference selections, led by Freeman and Brittany Tabron on the West first team, while teammate Carrie Nolan and Tiffany Crocker were named to the second team. PSAC East champion Millersville led the East with three All-PSAC picks, led by first team honoree Raquel Green, who led the Marauders in scoring. Teammates Jenna Craig and Ashley Moyer were named to the second team. Edinboro out of the PSAC West also had three all-conference honorees as Samantha Reimer was named to the first team and teammates Kelsey Conklin and Renee’ Brown were named to the second team.
In addition to her Player of the Year honor, Beckley closes out her career as a four-time All-PSAC first team selection, twice in the PSAC West and twice in the Eastern Division as Shippensburg switched divisions last year. In addition to also being named the PSAC East Player of the Year last year, she was also the PSAC West Athlete of the Year as a sophomore in Shippensburg’s last year in the Western Division. Beckley also closes out her career having won a major PSAC award in each year of her career, as in addition to her three Player of the Year awards, she was also the 2007 PSAC West Rookie of the Year. Her 21.8 scoring average once again led the PSAC through the end of the regular season this year and her 10.1 rebounding average made her one of just two players in the PSAC to average a double-double this year. It marks the third time in her career that she has averaged a double-double for the season and it also marks the third time that she has averaged over 20 points per game. If she is able to hold onto the league’s scoring lead through the end of the season with some other top scorers still playing in the postseason, it will mark the third time in her career that she has led the PSAC in scoring. The native of Fairfield, Pa. broke the PSAC all-time scoring record earlier this season and finished her career with 2,407 career points and an amazing 59 career double-doubles. She is also the only player in PSAC history to win a Player of the Year award in both divisions and one of just five players in PSAC history with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
Freeman has helped lead Gannon to a perfect 33-0 record this season as the Golden Knights will enter the NCAA Tournament as the PSAC West and tournament champions and the lone remaining undefeated team in Division II. Her 14.0 scoring average this year leads the team and ranks 14th in the PSAC as she leads a balanced scoring attack for Gannon. She also ranks second on the team in rebounding, leads the team in steals and is second in assists while sporting a positive assist-turnover ratio. She has led Gannon in scoring 12 times this year, topped out by her 31 points against Henderson State back in November and she has also led the Knights in rebounding in six games. In addition to her being the first Gannon player to earn PSAC Player of the Year honors or any major award from the PSAC, she is also on the All-PSAC West first team for the second straight year.
In addition to becoming the second straight Bloomsburg freshman to claim the PSAC East Freshman of the Year award, Wieller is also the second straight freshman to lead the Huskies in scoring, as her 16.0 scoring average was tops on the Huskies and also placed her seventh in the PSAC and made her the top freshman scorer in the conference. Her 79 made three-pointers led the PSAC, as did her 3.0 per game average and she also ranked fourth in three-point percentage at 42.2 percent. In addition to her individual exploits, Wieller helped a Bloomsburg team whose roster featured 10 freshman (out of 13 total players) qualify for its first PSAC Tournament since 2004-05.
Like Wieller, IUP’s Pastorek helped lead a young team that went through a large roster turnover from last year to this year to the conference tournament as she received more playing time especially toward the end of the season. Pastorek led the Crimson Hawks in scoring in conference games with a 12.9 average and overall averaged 10.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also led the team in blocked shots and led the team in scoring in four games, all after January 30, and led the team in rebounding in four games as well, all after January 23. Her improved play helped the Crimson Hawks down the stretch especially, after the team lost two players during the season who had been starters.
The East first team included only one other repeat selection in addition to Beckley, that being Kutztown’s Melissa McQuade, who is on the East first team for the second straight year. Cheyney’s Angel Stephens and Bloomsburg’s Kelsey Gallagher, both second team picks last year, made the first team this year, as did Shippensburg’s Kasey Gardner, a junior who made the West second team as a freshman two years ago. Millersville senior Raquel Green garners her first all-conference selection to round out the first team. The East second team, which is made up of all seniors, includes four previous all-conference selections, led by West Chester’s Janelle Garber, a first team selection last year. Joining her are Millersville’s Jenna Craig, Cheyney’s Lutfiyya Muhammad and Kutztown’s Rachel Wisemiller, who were all second team picks last year as well. Millersville’s Ashley Moyer and East Stroudsburg’s DeAnna Rayam round out the second team as they are all-league picks for the first time in their careers.
Of the West’s six first team selections, five are previous all-conference honorees, including the Player of the Year in Freeman. Joining her is teammate Brittany Tabron, a second team selection last year. California’s dynamic duo of Brooque Williams and Kayla Smith also dots the first team. It marks the third straight year for both of them on the first team as they teamed up to help lead the Vulcans to the PSAC Tournament championship game for the 10th straight season this year. Smith currently leads the PSAC and Division II in rebounding while Williams, last season’s co-West Player of the Year, broke California’s school record for career points earlier this year. Edinboro’s Samantha Reimer rejoins the first team for the second time in her career. She was a first team pick two years ago before being a second team selection last year. Reimer led the PSAC in free throw shooting percentage this year and was second in assists, third in assist-turnover ratio and fifth in scoring. Clarion’s Lizzie Suwala rounds out the first team after finishing fourth in the PSAC in scoring. The second team features the other half of Gannon’s four total honorees in Carrie Nolan and Tiffany Crocker. Nolan was also a second team selection last year. Edinboro also placed duo in the second team in Kelsey Conklin and Renee’ Brown. It marks the third career all-conference honor for Conklin, who was a first team pick last year and a second team pick two years ago, while it marks the first career all-conference selection for Brown, who was the PSAC West Freshman of the Year last year. Rounding out the squad is Mercyhurst junior Amy Achesinski, who is on the second team for the second straight season, and IUP’s Lacey Claar, a junior who earns her first career all-conference recognition.
Fleig is the PSAC East Coach of the Year for the sixth time in her career, but for the first time since 2005. The six Coach of the Year awards marks the most of any coach in PSAC history since women’s basketball major awards started in the 1987-88 season. She guided the Marauders this year to their third straight PSAC East championship after also winning the title outright two years ago and sharing the title last year. Millersville’s 23-5 record also marked the third straight season with 20 or more wins and the Marauders also qualified for the PSAC Tournament for the 14th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the PSAC.
Wright is the first Gannon coach to be named the PSAC West Coach of the Year in just Gannon’s second year in the league. He has guided the Golden Knights to a perfect 33-0 record so far this year as the Knights enter the NCAA Tournament this weekend as the lone remaining unbeaten team in Division II and ranked No. 1 nationally. The No. 1 national ranking is the first in school history and Gannon is also one of just five teams in all NCAA divisions that are currently undefeated. In addition to the Golden Knights’ impressive current 33-game winning streak, Gannon has also won 15 straight home contests and 48 straight when leading at halftime. The 33 wins in a season is currently a school record and just one shy of the all-time Division II record for consecutive wins in a season. The Golden Knights have also not lost a regular season game in over a calendar year, with their last regular season loss coming in January of last year.
2009-10 All-PSAC East Women’s Basketball Team
First Team
Lauren Beckley*** Shippensburg Sr. Fairfield, Pa./Fairfield
Kelsey Gallagher^ Bloomsburg So. East Stroudsburg, Pa./ES South
Kasey Gardner^ Shippensburg Jr. Sharpsville, Pa./Sharpsville
Raquel Green Millersville Sr. Philadelphia, Pa./Engineering & Science
Melissa McQuade* Kutztown Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler
Angel Stephens^ Cheyney Sr. Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem
Second Team
Jenna Craig^ Millersville Sr. Lewistown, Pa./Lewistown
Janelle Garber*^ West Chester Sr. Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown
Ashley Moyer Millersville Sr. Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest
Lutfiyya Muhammad^ Cheyney Sr. Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware State
DeAnna Rayam East Stroudsburg Sr. Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom
Rachel Wisemiller^ Kutztown Sr. Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton
PSAC East Player of the Year
Lauren Beckley Shippensburg Sr. Fairfield, Pa./Fairfield
PSAC East Freshman of the Year
Dana Wieller Bloomsburg Fr. Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty
PSAC East Coach of the Year
Mary Fleig Millersville
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection
2009-10 All-PSAC West Women’s Basketball Team
First Team
Kristina Freeman* Gannon Sr. Yonkers, N.Y./Pelham Memorial
Samantha Reimer^* Edinboro Sr. Altoona, Pa./Altoona
Kayla Smith** California Jr. Elkins, W.Va./Elkins
Lizzie Suwala Clarion Sr. Ford City, Pa./Ford City
Brittany Tabron^ Gannon Sr. Canton, Ohio/Central Catholic
Brooque Williams** California Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry
Second Team
Amy Achesinski^ Mercyhurst Jr. Butler, Pa./Butler
Renee’ Brown Edinboro So. Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Alvernia Catholic
Lacey Claar IUP Jr. Imler, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel
Kelsey Conklin*^ Edinboro Sr. Edinboro, Pa./General McLane
Tiffany Crocker Gannon Sr. Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman
Carrie Nolan^ Gannon Sr. Girard, Pa./Girard
PSAC West Player of the Year
Kristina Freeman Gannon Sr. Yonkers, N.Y./Pelham Memorial
PSAC West Freshman of the Year
Sarah Pastorek IUP Fr. Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort
PSAC West Coach of the Year
Cleve Wright Gannon
* Indicates previous All-PSAC first team selection
^ Indicates previous All-PSAC second team selection