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Sophia Aleksandravicius (1st Team), head coach Michele Savage (Coach of the Year) and Laura Murray (1st Team) were each honored by the SoCon media.
Savage Tabbed Coach of Year By Media; Aleksandravicis and Murray Named First Team
3/1/2012 12:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. — A day after being tabbed the Southern Conference Coach of the Year by her peers, head coach Michele Savage was named the media's Coach of the Year, while Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) and Laura Murray (Harrisburg, Pa.) were each named to the media's first team as announced today by the league office.
Savage, who was the first coach in program history to garner coach of the year honors by the coaches, becomes the second coach to get the top award by the media, joining Annette Watts who was the media's top pick during the 2004-05 season.
Aleksandravicius earns her second straight All-SoCon First Team nod by the media and this is Murray's first after she was named the media's Freshman of the Year a season ago. Aleksandravicius, who became the second player in Wildcat history to earn SoCon Player of the Year honors as picked by the coaches, joins Mercedes Robinson and Katie Hamilton as the only 'Cats to be named to the media's first team twice.
In just her second year at the helm, Savage guided the Wildcats to one of their best season's in program history. They captured their first regular-season SoCon title, tying Appalachian State with a school-best mark of 17-3 in league play. Davidson's 21-8 record is the second-most wins next to the 23 collected by the 2006-07 team that advanced to the program's first postseason, an invite to the Women's NIT.
Aleksandravicius and Murray led the way, finishing second and first, respectively, on the team in scoring. The 6-foot-4 Aleksandravicius became the program's 15th player to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier this year as she accomplished the feat in a 72-48 triumph at home vs. Georgia Southern. She currently is fifth all-time with 1,254, while ranking third in total rebounds at 774.
The junior was fourth in the league in scoring (13.7), while pacing the SoCon in defensive rebounds (197) and overall rebounds (9.1 per game), and blocks (3.1 per game, 89 total). She ranks eighth nationally in blocks per game.
Aleksandravicius was twice named the SoCon's Player of the Month, while garnering player of the week honors, Jan. 24-30.
Murray followed up her SoCon Freshman of the Year honors a season ago with an outstanding second year. Her 14.3 scoring average was good for third in the league, while she ranked second in the SoCon in three-point shooting at a career-best 40.7 (59-145). The sophomore's 59 made triples are seven away from tying the single-season record set by Ashley Lax in 2008-09.
The shooting guard hit the 20-point mark seven times this year and scored in double figures in 24 of the 'Cats 29 games overall to push her career total to 43 in just two years. Defensively, Murray hauled in close to four rebounds a game, while tying Aleksandravicius for second on the team with 49 steals.
Appalachian State's Anna Freeman was named the media's Player of the Year, while Maryah Sydnor was the Freshman of the Year.
Davidson (21-8), the top seed in the SoCon Tournament, will play the winner of No. 8 College of Charleston and No. 9 Wofford on Saturday, March 3, at 12 p.m. in Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville.
Media All-Conference Team
First Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Laura Murray, Davidson
Ali Ford, Elon
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Second Team
Courtney Freeman, Appalachian State
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Raegan Thompson, Furman
Paige Anderson, Samford
Kaila'Shea Menendez, Western Carolina
Media All-Freshmen Team
Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State
Sam Coffer, Elon
Brittany Hodges, Furman
Anna Claire Knight, Georgia Southern
Taylor Reece, Samford
Media Player of the Year
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Media Freshman of the Year
Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State
Media Coach of the Year
Michele Savage, Davidson
Savage, who was the first coach in program history to garner coach of the year honors by the coaches, becomes the second coach to get the top award by the media, joining Annette Watts who was the media's top pick during the 2004-05 season.
Aleksandravicius earns her second straight All-SoCon First Team nod by the media and this is Murray's first after she was named the media's Freshman of the Year a season ago. Aleksandravicius, who became the second player in Wildcat history to earn SoCon Player of the Year honors as picked by the coaches, joins Mercedes Robinson and Katie Hamilton as the only 'Cats to be named to the media's first team twice.
In just her second year at the helm, Savage guided the Wildcats to one of their best season's in program history. They captured their first regular-season SoCon title, tying Appalachian State with a school-best mark of 17-3 in league play. Davidson's 21-8 record is the second-most wins next to the 23 collected by the 2006-07 team that advanced to the program's first postseason, an invite to the Women's NIT.
Aleksandravicius and Murray led the way, finishing second and first, respectively, on the team in scoring. The 6-foot-4 Aleksandravicius became the program's 15th player to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier this year as she accomplished the feat in a 72-48 triumph at home vs. Georgia Southern. She currently is fifth all-time with 1,254, while ranking third in total rebounds at 774.
The junior was fourth in the league in scoring (13.7), while pacing the SoCon in defensive rebounds (197) and overall rebounds (9.1 per game), and blocks (3.1 per game, 89 total). She ranks eighth nationally in blocks per game.
Aleksandravicius was twice named the SoCon's Player of the Month, while garnering player of the week honors, Jan. 24-30.
Murray followed up her SoCon Freshman of the Year honors a season ago with an outstanding second year. Her 14.3 scoring average was good for third in the league, while she ranked second in the SoCon in three-point shooting at a career-best 40.7 (59-145). The sophomore's 59 made triples are seven away from tying the single-season record set by Ashley Lax in 2008-09.
The shooting guard hit the 20-point mark seven times this year and scored in double figures in 24 of the 'Cats 29 games overall to push her career total to 43 in just two years. Defensively, Murray hauled in close to four rebounds a game, while tying Aleksandravicius for second on the team with 49 steals.
Appalachian State's Anna Freeman was named the media's Player of the Year, while Maryah Sydnor was the Freshman of the Year.
Davidson (21-8), the top seed in the SoCon Tournament, will play the winner of No. 8 College of Charleston and No. 9 Wofford on Saturday, March 3, at 12 p.m. in Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC Asheville.
Media All-Conference Team
First Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Laura Murray, Davidson
Ali Ford, Elon
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Second Team
Courtney Freeman, Appalachian State
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Raegan Thompson, Furman
Paige Anderson, Samford
Kaila'Shea Menendez, Western Carolina
Media All-Freshmen Team
Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State
Sam Coffer, Elon
Brittany Hodges, Furman
Anna Claire Knight, Georgia Southern
Taylor Reece, Samford
Media Player of the Year
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Media Freshman of the Year
Maryah Sydnor, Appalachian State
Media Coach of the Year
Michele Savage, Davidson
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