WBB Report - Mar. 4
CAA 4-1-1:
• Delaware is the last undefeated team in
conference play at 17-0, and has earned the top-seed of the CAA Championship.
James Madison stands in second with a 14-3 mark and Drexel is close behind at
13-4 as the Dukes and the Dragons will meet in the final regular season contest
of the year on March 6. Northeastern jumped into fourth place with a 9-7 mark,
but has two games left before tournament time.
• Hofstra's Shante Evans became the league's
all-time leading rebounder on March 3 passing former JMU all-star Meredith
Alexis with 1,314 career boards. Evans became the first player in Hofstra WBB
history to score 2,000 career points on Feb. 10. The senior, who had her
jersey retired on March 3, became the Pride's all-time leading scorer and
rebounder this season.
• Evans and Delaware's Elena Delle Donne were
named among the Top 30 on the Naismith Midseason Watch list, while Delle Donne
was named a candidate on the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award midseason watch
list this past week.
• Delle Donne was named 2012-13 Capital One
Academic All-America Division I Women's Basketball Member of the Year for the
second straight season. She is just the fourth scholar-athlete to win the
Academic All-America of the Year honor for WBB in back-to-back years, joining
Maya Moore (UConn), Kara Jennings (Nebraska) and Michelle Flamoe (Oregon).
• Delle Donne became the CAA's all-time leading
scorer on Feb. 10 during the Blue Hens' win at JMU and currently has 2,846
career points. She is also closing in on a number of other CAA career marks,
full list on Page 14.
• Delaware improved to No. 16 in the most recent AP
Top 25 Poll and the Blue Hens jumped in the USA Today/Coaches Poll to No. 18 on
Feb. 26. The Blue Hens were picked No. 1 for the 6th consecutive week in the
CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Poll & Drexel & JMU were also ranked.
• 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).
• The 11 CAA teams have posted a 64-60 record in
the season in non-conference play.
•
The College of Charleston has accepted an invitation of membership to join the
CAA beginning July 2013.
PLAYERS
OF THE WEEK:
Tanisha
McTiller • Towson
Chicago,
Ill./Lincoln Park, Jr., Guard
McTiller
collected CAA Player of the Week after a monster week leading the Tigers to a
pair of home victories while averaging 32.0 points per game, including a
career-high 36 points in an overtime victory over Northeastern. The junior
guard shot 55.6 percent (20-36) from the floor, 66.7 percent (6-9) from beyond
the arc and 78.3 percent (18-23) from the foul line. McTiller helped the Tigers
overcome a 26-point deficit with 10:37 left in regulation to earn the OT win
against NU as she scored 32 of her points in the final 25 minutes of the
contest. She recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 10 rebounds
to go along with her 36 points, which was the third most points in a
single-game at Towson. The Chicago, Ill., native added 28 points in the win over
William & Mary. Her final bucket of the game versus the Tribe was the final
points ever scored in the Towson Center, which put McTiller over the 1,000
plateau in career points.
ROOKIE
OF THE WEEK:
Precious
Hall • James Madison
Tallahassee,
Fla./Maclay School, Fr., Guard
Hall
earned picked up her fifth CAA Rookie of the Week honor this season after
helping the Dukes to a 2-0 week with victories over Old Dominion and George
Mason. The freshman guard posted a career-high 23 points and a game-high three
steals in Madison's 77-61 win over Old Dominion. The Tallahassee, Fla., native
added eight points with one assist and four rebounds in the Dukes' 67-56
victory over the Patriots. Hall finished the week averaging 15.5 points per
game, while shooting 54.5 percent (12-22) from the field, 33.3 percent (2-6)
from long range, and 83.3 percent (5-6) from the free throw line. She
finished with two assists, three steals and five rebounds during 66 minutes of
action.
CAA
AT NO. 14 IN RPI RANKING (Through Mar. 3): 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. 17 in the team RPI ranking. James Madison (82) and
Drexel (86) both joined UD in the Top 100, while Northeastern (122), Old
Dominion (130), and Hofstra (157) round out the CAA teams in the Top 200.
CAA
IN THE TOP 25: The Delaware Blue Hens,
who are now 26-3, improved to No. 16 in the Associated Press Poll Top 25 after
returning to the poll six weeks ago. The Blue Hens improved in the USA Today
Coaches Poll to No. 18 also on Feb. 26. 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.
THREE
CAA TEAMS RANKED NO. 1 IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR POLL: Delaware improved to No. 1 in the CollegeInsider.com Feb. 26
edition of the mid-major poll with 27 first-place votes, while Drexel (No. 21)
and James Madison (No. 23) followed. 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.
CAPITAL
ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TOP HONOR: Delaware's
Elena Delle Donne, a senior human services major with a 3.62 GPA, was named
2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America Division I Women's Basketball Member
of the Year for the second straight season. She is just the fourth
scholar-athlete to win the Academic All-America of the Year honor for WBB in
back-to-back years, joining Maya Moore (UConn, 2010 & 11), Kara Jennings
(Nebraska, 1992 & 93) and Michelle Flamoe (Oregon, 1988 & 89).
DELLE DONNE TOPS CAA HISTORY MARKS: Delaware's Elena Delle Donne is just notches away from hitting
the number one spot a just a few more categories in the CAA record books (list
on page 14). 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 2,846 career
points. The senior now holds the records for CAA field goals made (961) and
free throws made (728) earning the marks on Feb. 14, passing Drexel's Gabriela
Marginean in both categories. Delle Donne is currently tied with Hofstra's
Shante Evans for the top spot in free throws attempted (800). Delle Donne also
passed William & Mary's Tiffany Benson in career blocked shots for the top
spot in the CAA on Feb. 28 now with 262.
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 2,082 career points. Evans, who is averaging a team-leading
16.6 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 1,314
rebounds and became the CAA's all-time rebounding leader on Mar. 3 when she
surpassed former James Madison's Meredith Alexis (2004-07).
HIGH-NUMBERS: Hofstra's Shante Evans, who currently has 2,082 career
points and 1,314 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
(2,242 pts, 1,144 rbs) and Baylor's Brittney Griner (3,073 pts, 1,226 rbs) rank
higher than her, but Evans is the only active player with over 2,000 points and
1,300 rebounds in a career. Evans currently ranks at #19 among the all-time
list with 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds all-time dating back to 1999-00, just
below former CAA all-star Courtney Hurt from VCU, who finished her career with
2,092 pts and 1,243 rbs.
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, field goals made, field goals attempted, free throws made, free throws
attempted and rebounds)--including the top spot in free throws attempted (800)
and rebounds (1,314). 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, field goals made and shares the top spot with Evans in free throws
attempted. Delle Donne is ranked in the CAA's top 10 career lists in two other
categories -- field goals 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 WBB 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 records are on page 14
of these notes.
REACHING
THE MILESTONE - 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Towson's
Tanisha McTiller became the league's most recent player to cross the 1,000 career
point milestone, as she became the Tigers' 15th player in program history to do
so on March 2. Northeastern's Kashaia Cannon reached the milestone on Feb. 24,
joining teammate Deanna Kerkhof (Jan. 24)--they are the 15th and 16th in NU's
program history to cross the 1,000 point plateau. Old Dominion's Jackie Cook
reached the mark on Feb. 21. Delaware's Danielle Parker became the UD's 24th
player in program history to register her 1,000th career point on Feb. 7.
The Blue Hens now have three 1k career scorers currently on the team. 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.
HOFSTRA'S EVANS JERSEY RETIRED: On March 3, Hofstra
surprised senior Shante Evans before the game and retired her jersey number
(#30). Evans becomes the third Hofstra Women's Basketball player to have
her number retired following Liz Irwin (1978-1982) and Dia LaBella (1978-82),
who had their numbers retired in March, 2009. Evans, a two-time (2010-12)
Associated Press All-American, becomes the 26th Hofstra student-athlete to have
her jersey number retired. Evans, a native of West Chester, PA, is
Hofstra's all-time career record holder in points, with 2,082 following her 19
points against UNCW Sunday, and rebounds, with 1,314 after 19 boards on Sunday.
She is now also tied for third, with teammate Candace Bond, in career games
played with 124. Evans, a three-time All-CAA selection including first team
picks as a sophomore and junior, broke the CAA's all-time career rebounding
mark Sunday, pulling down 19 caroms to pass James Madison's Meredith Alexis
(2004-07), who recorded 1,313 in her career. Evans is currently seventh on the
CAA's all-time scoring chart. She also ranks fifth in career field goals made
(774) and sixth in free throws made in a career with 516. Heading into the
Pride's regular season finale on Wednesday at Northeastern, Evans is also one
of just three active players, along with Baylor's Brittney Griner and Howard's
Saadia Doyle, who have amassed 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their career.
She also has the most career double-doubles among active Division I women's
players, according to STATS, LLC.