Horizon League announces postseason women's basketball awards

March 8, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

INDIANAPOLIS -- Nineteen individuals have earned 2008-09 Horizon League women's basketball postseason honors. The list is highlighted by seven specialty award winners -- Matt Bollant (Coach of the Year), Traci Edwards (Co-Player of the Year), Kailey Klein (Co-Player of the Year), Jasmine Bailey (Newcomer of the Year), Dominique Butler (Co-Defensive Player of the Year), Shawnita Garland (Co-Defensive Player of the Year) and Kayla Tetschlag (Sixth Player of the Year).

Bollant earns the League's top coaching honor after guiding the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to a 26-3 regular-season record and 18-0 conference mark. He is now 52-9 overall and 35-1 in conference games since taking over the Green Bay program two years ago.

The Phoenix becomes just the third team in League history to run the table in conference action and the first to win 18 affairs. Green Bay has won at least 20 contests in 10 straight seasons, and has received a postseason berth each year since 1998.

Edwards, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is the Horizon League's all-time leading scorer (2,274 points) and the first woman in school, League or state history to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

The Menasha, Wis., native becomes a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year (2008) and four-time, first-team selection (2006, 2007, 2008). She leads the circuit in scoring (17.9) and rebounding (9.1) while ranking second in blocked shots (1.4) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.545).

Klein, a junior at Cleveland State University, ranks second in the League in scoring (17.1), third in free-throw percentage (.819) and sixth in assists (3.2).

The Cherry, Ill., native has helped Cleveland State improve its conference record in each of the past three seasons. The defending Horizon League Tournament-champion Vikings enter this week having won 11 of their last 15 affairs.

Bailey, a freshman at the University of Illinois at Chicago, leads all Horizon League freshmen in scoring (10.6), rebounding (6.5), steals (1.6) and field-goal percentage (.494). The St. Louis native has reached the 10-point plateau on 17 occasions this season, including her last seven outings.

Garland and Butler have helped Cleveland State to Horizon League top-four rankings in scoring defense (4th, 59.9), field-goal percentage defense (4th, .391) and three-point percentage defense (4th, .330).

Garland, a sophomore from Charleston, W.Va., and Butler, a senior from Milwaukee, have also contributed in other ways this season. Garland ranks second in the League in steals (2.9), fifth in three-point percentage (.405) and seventh in scoring (12.3). Butler places fourth in rebounding (6.8) and seventh in free-throw accuracy (.772).

Edwards and Klein are joined on the Horizon League's first team by a trio of seniors -- Green Bay's Rachel Porath and Lavesa Glover, and Valparaiso University's Launa Hochstetler.

Hochstetler ranks 10th in the League in scoring (11.5), while Glover places 12th (10.9) and Porath is tied for 16th (10.6). Hochstetler also leads the loop in assists (4.7), while Porath paces the circuit in three-point percentage (.453).

Garland is joined on the Horizon League's second team by UIC junior Jessie Miller, Wright State University sophomore Shey Peddy, University of Detroit Mercy senior Sandi Brown and Green Bay sophomore Celeste Hoewisch.

Brown ranks third in the conference in scoring (13.0), while Miller ranks fourth (12.9), Peddy occupies sixth (12.4) and Hoewisch is knotted for 16th (10.6). Peddy also tops the loop chart in steals (2.9).

Bailey is joined on the All-Newcomer Team by Valparaiso junior transfer Lauren Kenney, UIC freshman Shameia Green, Wright State freshman Molly Fox and Milwaukee sophomore Ashley Imperiale.

Butler, Garland, Porath and Peddy are joined on the All-Defensive Team by Butler University junior Melanie Thornton.

The 2009 Speedway Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship kicks off with two first-round games on Monday -- #9 Loyola University Chicago at #8 Detroit (7 p.m. ET) and #10 Youngstown State University at #7 Milwaukee (8 p.m.).

Wednesday's schedule includes four quarterfinal contests -- the #8/9 winner at Green Bay (8 p.m.), the #7/10 winner at Butler (7 p.m.), UIC at Cleveland State (7 p.m.) and Wright State at Valparaiso (8 p.m.).

Friday's semifinal affairs will be hosted by the highest remaining seed at 5:30 and 8 p.m. local time. Sunday's championship game, on ESPNU at 1 p.m., will be held at the site of the semifinals.

  

CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Traci Edwards (Milwaukee)
Kailey Klein (Cleveland State)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Jasmine Bailey (UIC)

CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Dominique Butler (Cleveland State)
Shawnita Garland (Cleveland State)

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kayla Tetschlag (Green Bay)

COACH OF THE YEAR
Matt Bollant (Green Bay)

FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Traci Edwards (Milwaukee)
Kailey Klein (Cleveland State)
Rachel Porath (Green Bay)
Launa Hochstetler (Valparaiso)
Lavesa Glover (Green Bay)

SECOND TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Shawnita Garland (Cleveland State)
Jessie Miller (UIC)
Shey Peddy (Wright State)
Sandi Brown (Detroit)
Celeste Hoewisch (Green Bay)

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Jasmine Bailey (UIC)
Lauren Kenney (Valparaiso)
Shameia Green (UIC)
Molly Fox (Wright State)
Ashley Imperiale (Milwaukee)

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Dominique Butler (Cleveland State)
Shawnita Garland (Cleveland State)
Melanie Thornton (Butler)
Shey Peddy (Wright State)
Rachel Porath (Green Bay)