UD's Enabosi Headlines WBB Postseason Awards

3/7/2018 10:00:00 AM

Kelly McCarthy

RICHMOND, Va. (March 7, 2018) – University of Delaware junior forward Nicole Enabosi was selected as the 2017-18 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, headlining the conference’s postseason awards as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Drexel University Head Coach Denise Dillon was the unanimous choice for CAA Coach of the Year award while Dragons guard Hannah Nihill was chosen CAA Rookie of the Year. Elon University sophomore guard Jada Graves was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year while teammate Ra’Shika White received the inaugural CAA Sixth Player of the Year award.

Also taking home accolades was Drexel senior Kelsi Lidge who receive the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award and UNCW senior Rebekah Banks who was named the CAA Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Enabosi also landed on the All-CAA First Team for the second consecutive season. She led the league in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game, and in rebounding, averaged 12.2 boards per contest. Enabosi registered 22 double-doubles in 29 games played, a figure which ranks her fifth nationally. Enabosi is third in the league in field goal percentage (.515), fourth in blocks (1.4/g), sixth in steals (2.0/g), and leads all players with 155 made free throws. She is the first Blue Hen to be named CAA Player of the Year since 2013 when Elena Delle Donne took home her third such honor.

Nihill stepped into a starting role in the Drexel backcourt, getting the nod in 27 out of 29 appearances. She leads all rookies with 5.7 points per game. The four-time CAA Rookie of the Week, posted 50 steals, 81 rebounds and dished out 70 assists to become the first Dragon since Gabriela Marginean in 2007 to win Rookie of the Year.

Graves led the CAA in steals, posting 70 takeaways for an average of 2.5 per game. She’s helped the Elon hold opponents to just 58.1 points per game this season. On the glass, she averages 4.4 caroms per contest. Offensively, she’s averaging 6.8 points while dishing out a total of 61 assists.

White is the first-ever recipient of the CAA Sixth Player of the Year award which is bestowed upon a player which plays a significant role off the bench and has started less than 50 percent of conference games. White, who has appeared in all 28 games off the bench, is sixth in the CAA in scoring (13.2ppg), field goal percentage (.484) and blocks (1.4/g). She’s also in the top-20 in rebounding (6.1/g).

Dillon guided the Dragons to a program-record 24 victories, a share of the CAA Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the CAA Championship tournament. Drexel, which returned on starter from one season ago, finished the year with a 24-6 overall record and a 16-2 mark in CAA play. The Dragons led the league in scoring defensive, allowing 55.8 points per game. The is second CAA Coach of the Year honor for Dillon, who also received the award in 2009.

The Dean Ehlers Leadership Award is named after the former JMU athletic director to recognize the women’s basketball player who “embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic and athletic achievements.” A three-time CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award recipient, Lidge has made the Dean’s List every year and sports a 3.52 GPA as an elementary education major. Lidge, who is active in the local community, is applying to be a Fulbright Scholar with hopes of teaching children in Malaysia if accepted. On the court, the team captain is averaging 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Lidge is the sixth Drexel Dragon to be the recipient of the Ehlers Award, the most of any institution.

The CAA Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award a student-athlete, as nominated by her institution, that excels in the classroom. Banks has a 3.96 grade point average as a double major in economic and business administration, concentrating in marketing, while minoring in Spanish. Banks is a three-time CAA Commissioner Academic Award honoree.

Elon guard Shay Burnett earned her third consecutive All-CAA First Team nod, as one of the most balanced players in the league. Burnett, who had a pair of triple-doubles this season, averaged 13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, a league-best 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. James Madison guard Kamiah Smalls, William & Mary guard Bianca Boggs, and Northeastern guard Jess Genco all earned First Team status for the first time in their careers. Smalls, a sophomore, and Boggs, a junior, were tied for second in the CAA in scoring with 15.6 points per game. Smalls also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals while Boggs posted 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Genco, a junior, leads the CAA with 75 three pointers made and a 36.6 three-point field goal percentage, and is fourth in scoring (14.3ppg) and third in assists (5.3/g).

The All-CAA Second Team is comprised of Drexel senior Kelsi Lidge (11.5ppg, 6.4rpg) and sophomore Bailey Greenberg (11.3ppg, 5.0rpg), Elon’s White and senior center Malaya Johnson (11.8ppg, 6.0rpg), Towson senior forward Mary Cuevas (13.1ppg, 8.8rpg) and James Madison sophomore guard Lexie Barrier (11.3ppg, 4.3rpg).

The All-CAA Third Team features Northeastern senior guard Claudia Ortiz (11.3ppg, 4.3rpg), Charleston redshirt senior forward Tanisha Brown (12.0ppg, 8.2rpg), James Madison redshirt sophomore Kelly Koshuta (11.9ppg, 4.2rpg), Towson sophomore Nukiya Mayo (12.9ppg, 9.1rpg) and William & Mary senior center Abby Rendle (11.8ppg, 7.7rpg, 127 blocks).

CAA Women’s Basketball Postseason Awards
2017-18 All-CAA First Team
Bianca Boggs	William & Mary	Jr.	G	5-8	Waldorf, Md./St. Mary's Ryken
Shay Burnett	Elon	Sr.	G	5-9	Graham, N.C./Southern Alamance
Nicole Enabosi	Delaware	Jr.	F	6-0	Gaithersburg, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel
Jess Genco	Northeastern	Jr.	G	5-5	Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep
Kamiah Smalls	James Madison	So.	G	5-10	Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti

2017-18 All-CAA Second Team
Lexie Barrier	James Madison	So.	G	5-10	Ironton, Ohio/Ironton
Mary Cuevas	Towson	Sr.	F	6-4	Madrid, Spain
Bailey Greenberg	Drexel	So.	F	5-11	Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Wood
Malaya Johnson	Elon	Sr.	C	6-3	Mount Airy, N.C./North Surry
Kelsi Lidge	Drexel	Sr.	F	5-8	Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit
Ra'Shika White	Elon	So.	C	6-4	Charlotte, N.C./Phillip O. Berry Academy

2017-18 All-CAA Third Team
Tanisha Brown	Charleston	R-Sr.	F	5-11	Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach
Kelly Koshuta	James Madison	R-So.	F	6-2	Vienna, Va./James Madison H.S.
Nukiya Mayo	Towson	So.	G/F	6-3	Bronx, N.Y./Monsignor Scanlon
Claudia Ortiz	Northeastern	Sr.	G	5-8	Carolina, Puerto Rico
Abby Rendle	William & Mary	Sr.	C	6-4	Reston, Va./South Lakes

2017-18 CAA Player of the Year: Nicole Enabosi, Delaware
2017-18 CAA Rookie of the Year: Hannah Nihill, Drexel
2017-18 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Jada Graves, Elon
2017-18 CAA Sixth Player of the Year: Ra'Shika White, Elon
2017-18 CAA Coach of the Year: Denise Dillon, Drexel
2017-18 Dean Ehlers Recipient: Kelsi Lidge, Drexel
2017-18 CAA Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rebekah Banks, UNCW

2017-18 CAA All-Rookie Team
Stella Clark	Northeastern	Fr.	G	5-4	Sea Girt, N.J./Manasquan
Hannah Nihill	Drexel	Fr.	G	5-3	Drexel Hill, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara
Saadia Munford	Elon	Fr.	G	5-6	Atlanta, Ga./Jonesboro
Lizzie Oleary	Delaware	Fr.	F	6-2	Willow Grove, Pa./Abington Senior
Nyla Pollard	William & Mary	Fr.	G	5-9	Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne

2017-18 CAA All-Defensive Team
Bianca Boggs	William & Mary	Jr.	G	5-8	Waldorf, Md./St. Mary's Ryken
Mary Cuevas	Towson	Sr.	F	6-4	Madrid, Spain
Nicole Enabosi	Delaware	Jr.	F	6-0	Gaithersburg, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel
Jada Graves	Elon	So.	G.	5-9	Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison
Kelsi Lidge	Drexel	Sr.	F	5-8	Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit
Abby Rendle	William & Mary	Sr.	C	6-4	Reston, Va./South Lakes