March 28, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The 2003-04 Maryland women's basketball team gathered with friends and family for the team's annual banquet on Sunday afternoon where head coach Brenda Frese announced the team awards. Among the honors handed out, senior Delvona Oliver was named the Terps' Most Valuable Player and freshman Kalika France was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year.
Coming to Maryland as a junior transfer last season, Oliver (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) had her best season in a Terrapin uniform, averaging 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In ACC play, she was even better, averaging 12.4 ppg and 6.1 rpg en route to Honorable Mention All-ACC accolades. She also averaged 13.5 ppg and a team-high 8.0 rpg at the ACC Tournament and was named to the All-ACC Tournament second team.
A guard, France (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) led the team in steals (1.42) and rebounds (6.0), ranking in the top 15 in the ACC in both categories. She is the third person in school history to lead the team in rebounding as a freshman. France was also named Honorable Mention All-ACC and the ACC All-Freshman team.
A fifth-year senior, Vicki Brick (Timonium, Md./McDonogh) was awarded the team's Heart and Hustle Award for her hard work and dedication throughout the season and for overcoming the adversity that came with tearing her ACL during her sophomore season, Classmate Crystal Washington (Clinton, Md./Bishop McNamara) was given the Courage Award after becoming a full-time starter despite suffering Graves Disease which was diagnosed last year.
Sophomore Chrissy Fisher (Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven) was honored with the team's Utility Award. Fisher was third on the team in rebounding (5.3) and fifth in scoring (7.9). One of the all-time great three-point shooters in school history, she was seventh in the ACC with a .339 three-point shooting percentage. Earlier in the season, Fisher was tabbed the Terrapin Classic Most Valuable Player.
Junior Anesia Smith (Alexandria, Va./Hayfield) captured the team's Most Assists Award after leading the team with 2.9 assists per game, which ranked 12th in the ACC, and a 1.9 assists-to-turnover ratio.
A third-team All-ACC honoree and first team All-ACC Tournament, freshman Shay Doron (Great Neck, N.Y./Christ the King) garnered the team's Most Charges honor. She drew an offensive foul in the first 11 games of the season and in 26 games overall, including three in both games vs. Clemson.
Brick, sophomore Charmaine Carr (Accokeek, Md.) and freshman Aurelie Noirez (Vandoeuvre, France/Lycee Francois Arago) earned the team's Academic Award for earning at least a 3.0 grade point average.
The Terps ended the season 18-13, the most wins since the 1996-97 campaign, and tied for third in the ACC after being picked to finish eighth. The Terps' 8-8 mark in conference action equaled or surpassed the team's conference win totals from nine of the last 10 years. Maryland earned an at-large NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2000-01, winning an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 12 years when it defeated Miami (Fla.), 85-86, in the first round.
