Laura Murray and Sophia Aleksandravicius
Laura Murray Named SoCon Freshman of Year by Media; Aleksandravicius Tabbed 1st Team
2/28/2011 6:42:04 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin -- Assistant SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Freshman Laura Murray (Harrisburg, Pa.) was honored by the Southern Conference Sports Media Association (SCSMA) as she was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year, while sophomore Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) earned a spot on the media's first team as voted on today and announced by the league office.
Murray becomes the second Davidson women's basketball player to pick up the league's freshman of the year honor and is the first to be named by the media. Katie Hamilton was the freshman of the year in 2004-05 as voted on by the league's coaches.
For Aleksandravicius, it marks the seventh straight season a Davidson player has been named to the media's first or second team. She is the first Wildcat to pick up first-team honors by the media since Mercedes Robinson made it on the team in back-to-back years (2008 & 2009).
Murray and Aleksandravicius led the Wildcats in scoring and were two of the top players in the league this year. Murray busted onto the season just three games into the start of her collegiate career, scoring 26 points at home in a win over William & Mary, Nov. 19. She did not let up from there, clipping the 20-point mark four more times this year, including dropping in a season-best 27 points at Appalachian State to start the month of February.
The freshman raned second on the team in scoring during the regular season at 11.9 points per game. She scored in double figures in 18 of her 29 games played and finished out her home slate of games by scoring in double digits in 10 straight contests.
Murray ranks just outside the top-10 in the league in scoring and is third in free throw percentage at 82.8 percent. She led all freshmen in the SoCon in scoring, made three-pointers (42), free-throw percentage and assists (71- second-best on the team).
A 6-foot-4 forward, Aleksandravicius one-upped her outstanding freshman campaign with a stellar second year. The sophomore has had career highs in nearly every category, including scoring (16.4 ppg- 2nd in SoCon), rebounding (9 rpg- 1st in SoCon) and blocks (91- 1st in SoCon). She currently ranks eighth in the nation in blocks per game.
This year, Aleksandravicius practically rewrote the Davidson single-season record books, while also setting the single-game and career records in blocks. The forward set the single-game record for blocks when she swatted away seven vs. North Texas, and then on Jan. 28 at Longwood, she set the single-season mark for blocks with her 62nd to surpass Sally Howell's 61 set during the 1981-82 campaign. Aleksandravicius finished off her record-breaking blocks pace on Feb. 19 vs. Georgia Southern with a pair of blocks to give her 134 for her career to set the all-time Wildcat mark.
In addition to the blocks records, Aleksandravicius has set the single-season mark for made field goals (181) and free throws (111), while closing in on scoring (477- 488 record) and rebounding (262- 288).
Named to the league's coaches freshman team last year, Aleksandravicius has registered eight double-doubles this year, while scoring in double figures 25 times. She has reached the 20-point mark eight times and had a career-best 31-point outing in a win vs. Radford, Dec. 4.
The SCSMA named Samford's Emily London the SoCon Player of the Year and head coach Darcie Vincent of Appalachian State was voted the league's Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. London, a preseason player of the year pick by the coaches, averaged 16.3 points to help lead the Bulldogs to a 22-7 mark and 15-5 in the SoCon.
In her third year at the helm, Vincent guided the Mountaineers to 23 wins, with 17 coming in the league. It was the most regular season conference games ever won by the Mountaineers, who also set a school record with its 10 home wins this season.
Davidson gears up for a first-round game against ninth-seeded College of Charleston on Thursday, Mar. 3 to open up the SoCon Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.
2010-11 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Team
First Team
Ashlen Dewart, Appalachian State
Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Emily London, Samford
Second Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Ali Ford, Elon
Monique Floyd, UNCG
Savannah Hill, Samford
All-Freshman Team
Janae Smith, College of Charleston
Laura Murray, Davidson
MiMi DuBose, Georgia Southern
Janae' Stevenson, UNCG
Shelby Campbell, Samford
Player of the Year
Emily London, Samford
Freshman of the Year
Laura Murray, Davidson
Coach of the Year
Darcie Vincent, Appalachian State
Murray becomes the second Davidson women's basketball player to pick up the league's freshman of the year honor and is the first to be named by the media. Katie Hamilton was the freshman of the year in 2004-05 as voted on by the league's coaches.
For Aleksandravicius, it marks the seventh straight season a Davidson player has been named to the media's first or second team. She is the first Wildcat to pick up first-team honors by the media since Mercedes Robinson made it on the team in back-to-back years (2008 & 2009).
Murray and Aleksandravicius led the Wildcats in scoring and were two of the top players in the league this year. Murray busted onto the season just three games into the start of her collegiate career, scoring 26 points at home in a win over William & Mary, Nov. 19. She did not let up from there, clipping the 20-point mark four more times this year, including dropping in a season-best 27 points at Appalachian State to start the month of February.
The freshman raned second on the team in scoring during the regular season at 11.9 points per game. She scored in double figures in 18 of her 29 games played and finished out her home slate of games by scoring in double digits in 10 straight contests.
Murray ranks just outside the top-10 in the league in scoring and is third in free throw percentage at 82.8 percent. She led all freshmen in the SoCon in scoring, made three-pointers (42), free-throw percentage and assists (71- second-best on the team).
A 6-foot-4 forward, Aleksandravicius one-upped her outstanding freshman campaign with a stellar second year. The sophomore has had career highs in nearly every category, including scoring (16.4 ppg- 2nd in SoCon), rebounding (9 rpg- 1st in SoCon) and blocks (91- 1st in SoCon). She currently ranks eighth in the nation in blocks per game.
This year, Aleksandravicius practically rewrote the Davidson single-season record books, while also setting the single-game and career records in blocks. The forward set the single-game record for blocks when she swatted away seven vs. North Texas, and then on Jan. 28 at Longwood, she set the single-season mark for blocks with her 62nd to surpass Sally Howell's 61 set during the 1981-82 campaign. Aleksandravicius finished off her record-breaking blocks pace on Feb. 19 vs. Georgia Southern with a pair of blocks to give her 134 for her career to set the all-time Wildcat mark.
In addition to the blocks records, Aleksandravicius has set the single-season mark for made field goals (181) and free throws (111), while closing in on scoring (477- 488 record) and rebounding (262- 288).
Named to the league's coaches freshman team last year, Aleksandravicius has registered eight double-doubles this year, while scoring in double figures 25 times. She has reached the 20-point mark eight times and had a career-best 31-point outing in a win vs. Radford, Dec. 4.
The SCSMA named Samford's Emily London the SoCon Player of the Year and head coach Darcie Vincent of Appalachian State was voted the league's Coach of the Year for the second season in a row. London, a preseason player of the year pick by the coaches, averaged 16.3 points to help lead the Bulldogs to a 22-7 mark and 15-5 in the SoCon.
In her third year at the helm, Vincent guided the Mountaineers to 23 wins, with 17 coming in the league. It was the most regular season conference games ever won by the Mountaineers, who also set a school record with its 10 home wins this season.
Davidson gears up for a first-round game against ninth-seeded College of Charleston on Thursday, Mar. 3 to open up the SoCon Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.
2010-11 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Team
First Team
Ashlen Dewart, Appalachian State
Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Emily London, Samford
Second Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Ali Ford, Elon
Monique Floyd, UNCG
Savannah Hill, Samford
All-Freshman Team
Janae Smith, College of Charleston
Laura Murray, Davidson
MiMi DuBose, Georgia Southern
Janae' Stevenson, UNCG
Shelby Campbell, Samford
Player of the Year
Emily London, Samford
Freshman of the Year
Laura Murray, Davidson
Coach of the Year
Darcie Vincent, Appalachian State
Women's Basketball Preseason Virtual Tip-off (10-21-25)
Wednesday, October 29
The Inside Out Show - Episode 7
Friday, January 31
Women's Basketball vs UMass Highlights
Thursday, January 25
Riana Doctor '26 - 'Cats on Tour Testimonial
Sunday, April 02
