Megan Herbert Named Southland Women?s Basketball Player of the Year
KATY, Texas - Central Arkansas
sophomore forward Megan Herbert has been named the 2010-11 Southland Conference
Women's Basketball Player of the Year by vote of the league's head coaches and
sports information directors, the conference office announced Monday in
conjunction with the release of the all-conference basketball teams.
Lamar
junior Monique Whittaker was named newcomer of the year, Nicholls' guard KK
Babin was named the league's freshman of the year, while UT Arlington senior
Shalyn Martin was named defensive player of the year and McNeese State's Brooks
Donald Williams the coach of the year.
Herbert, a
native of Rogers, Ark., is the first Central Arkansas student-athlete to be named
the women's basketball player of the year. A two-time first-team all-conference
selection, Herbert is the first player in Southland history to lead the
conference in scoring (18.1) and rebounding (11.1) in consecutive seasons. Herbert
finished the season as the only player in the league ranked in the top 10 in
three NCAA categories. She ranked fourth in double-doubles (19), seventh in
rebounds and eighth in field goal percentage (.590).
Whittaker,
a third-team all-conference selection, is the third consecutive Lamar
student-athlete named newcomer of the year, following Darika Hill (2009) and
Jenna Plumley (2010). A native of Livingston, Texas, Whittaker ranks eighth in
field goal percentage (.455), 11th in scoring (14.1) and 12th in free throw
percentage (.768).
Babin is
the first Nicholls player selected freshman of the year since Heidi Broussard
(1999). A native of Gonzales, La., Babin anchored the Colonels with a
league-best 1,164 minutes played, which ranks fourth for a single season in
conference history. Babin currently ranks in the top 15 in four league
categories and led all Southland freshmen in 3-pointers (2.5), steals (2.4),
assists (3.6) and scoring (12.9).
Martin, a
second-team all-conference selection, is the first player in league history
named defensive player of the year in consecutive seasons. A native of Arlington,
Texas, Martin is currently ranked third in the conference in steals (2.5) and
blocks (1.6) and ranked 13th in rebounds (6.5).
McNeese
State coach Brooks Donald Williams was named the conference coach of the year
after leading the Cowgirls to their best season in the last 30 years. Williams
led McNeese to its first outright conference title and No. 1 seed in the 2011
State Farm Southland Conference Tournament, which begins Tuesday at the Leonard
E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Cowgirls set a team record with a 15-1
mark in conference play and tied the program record of 23 wins set in 1981.
Joining
Herbert on the first team is Lamar senior Jenna Plumley, McNeese State
sophomore Ashlyn Baggett, Sam Houston State junior Britni Martin and Lamar
sophomore Kalis Loyd. Plumley earned first-team honors for the second
consecutive season while Baggett, Martin and Loyd earn first team honors for
the first time. Baggett is the first Cowgirl selected to the league's top unit
since 1997 and Martin is the first Bearkat to receive top honors since 2003.
Second-team
honorees include Martin, Stephen F. Austin junior Tammara Marion, UTSA senior
Amber Gregg, Sam Houston State sophomore Sequeena Thomas and McNeese State
sophomore Caitlyn Baggett. Third-team selections include Whittaker, UTSA senior
Ashleigh Franklin, Southeastern Louisiana senior Rashima Jenkins, Northwestern
State senior Brittiany Houston and UT Arlington senior Tamara Simmons.
Lamar led
all teams with three all-conference selections including two first-team
members. McNeese State, Sam Houston State, UT Arlington and UTSA had two each
while Central Arkansas, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and Stephen
F. Austin had one apiece.
The 2011 State Farm
Southland Conference Basketball Tournament will be played this week at the
Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. Four women's quarterfinal games will be played
Tuesday beginning at noon with semifinal games Thursday at 12:05 p.m. and
approximately 2:33 p.m. The championship game will be played Friday at 7:05
p.m. The semifinals and championship game will be broadcast by the Southland
Conference Television Network, SLCNOW, ESPN Full Court and ESPN3.com. Tickets are available
through Ticketmaster or at the Merrell Center box office beginning Monday at 10
a.m.
2011 All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams
Player of
the Year: Megan Herbert, Central Arkansas
Newcomer
of the Year: Monique Whittaker, Lamar
Freshman
of the Year: KK Babin, Nicholls
Defensive
Player of the Year: Shalyn Martin, UT Arlington
Coach of
the Year: Brooks Donald Williams, McNeese State
|
First Team
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Megan
Herbert
|
Central
Arkansas
|
F
|
So.
|
Rogers,
Ark.
|
|
Jenna
Plumley
|
Lamar
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Red
Rock, Okla.
|
|
Ashlyn
Baggett
|
McNeese
State
|
G
|
So.
|
Iota,
La.
|
|
Britni
Martin
|
Sam
Houston State
|
G
|
So.
|
Conroe,
Texas
|
|
Kalis
Loyd
|
Lamar
|
G/F
|
So.
|
Malmoe,
Sweden
|
|
Second Team
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Tammara
Marion
|
Stephen
F. Austin
|
G
|
Jr.
|
Houston,
Texas
|
|
Amber
Gregg
|
UTSA
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Austin,
Texas
|
|
Shalyn
Martin
|
UT
Arlington
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Arlington,
Texas
|
|
Sequeena
Thomas
|
Sam
Houston State
|
F
|
So.
|
Allentown,
Pa.
|
|
Caitlyn Baggett
|
McNeese
State
|
G
|
So.
|
Iota,
La.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Third Team
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Monique
Whittaker
|
Lamar
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Livingston,
Texas
|
|
Ashleigh
Franklin
|
UTSA
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Dallas,
Texas
|
|
Rashima
Jenkins
|
Southeastern
Louisiana
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Bossier
City, La.
|
|
Brittiany
Houston
|
Northwestern
State
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Shreveport,
La.
|
|
Tamara
Simmons
|
UT
Arlington
|
G
|
Sr.
|
Arlington,
Texas
|
Honorable
Mention: Adrienne Scott, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Diamond Ford, Texas State;
Jordan Ford, Stephen F. Austin; Ricshanda Bickham, Nicholls; KK Babin, Nicholls;
Nakeia Guiden, Central Arkansas