May 1, 2011
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland women's basketball team held its annual end-of-year awards and honors banquet Sunday afternoon at the Marriott Inn & Conference Center, where family members, boosters and Terrapin supporters gathered to pay tribute to the 2010-11 team.
Team Most Valuable Player honors were bestowed upon ACC Rookie of the Year Alyssa Thomas. She was named ACC Rookie of the Week a school-record seven times over the course of the season and also earned All-ACC Second Team honors. Thomas led the team in scoring and steals and was second in rebounding.
Freshman guard Laurin Mincy was the recipient of the team's Most Improved award. Mincy started the year recuperating from a knee injury suffered in her senior season in high school. She averaged over 24.0 minutes a game in the Terps' postseason run and doubled her season scoring averaged in the same time.
Freshman center Alicia DeVaughn was honored with the Terp Award, the honor given to the student-athlete who embodies the Terrapins' core values consistently, and fully. The core values include passion, discipline, academic commitment, honesty, respect, gratitude, commitment to the community and loyalty to each other.
The team's top rebounder this year, junior center Lynetta Kizer, was awarded the Rebound Award. She averaged over 7.8 per game and over eight per ACC contest. She finished the season second in the league in offensive boards and No. 9 in total rebounds. Kizer was also named to the All-ACC Second Team.
Sophomore forward Tianna Hawkins was honored with the team's Free Throw Shooter Award. Hawkins averaged over 75 percent from the foul line, more than 13 percent than her average in the 2009-10 season.
Redshirt junior guard Anjale Barrett and redshirt freshman forward Whitney Bays were both honored with Biggest Turnaround Awards. Barrett started in 31 of 32 games this season, after starting in just 11 last year. She led all ACC guards in assist to turnover ratio in conference games (2.3). Bays redshirted for the 2010-11 season to fully recover from a knee injury suffered in her senior season. Bays increased her strength and improved her game to become one of the hardest workers on the team.
Freshman guard Sequoia Austin earned the team's Selfless Award. Throughout every game, Austin became one of the team's most vocal leaders, always supporting her teammates. In January, head coach Brenda Frese and the staff gave Austin a full scholarship for the 2011 spring semester for her hard work every day and dedication to the team.
Sophomore center Essence Townsend earned the Academic Achievement Award for her hard work in the classroom.
Freshmen guards Sequoia Austin and Natasha Cloud, redshirt junior guard Kim Rodgers, sophomore forward Diandra Tchatchouang were all honored with the Terps' Scholar Athlete Awards for their performance in the classroom this season.
Frese and the Terps earned an overall record of 24-8 and a fourth-place ACC finish. They finished the year as one of the top rebounding teams in the country and earned their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance under Frese.
Join the Terps for the second annual Miniature Golf Day on Saturday, May 14 at Columbia SportsPark, 5453 Harpers Farm Road, Columbia. The event, coordinated by the Rebounders- the official booster group of Maryland women's basketball, will feature a Terp themed course, along with a moon bounce, batting cages, games, prizes, a silent auction and lunch. Former players, assistant coaches, former coaches and more, will be on hand for a day of mini-golf, food, fun and friendship! The event fee is $40 for an individual golfer or $120 for a foursome. Proceeds benefit the Maryland Women's basketball program. Pre-registration is required. For additional information, visit UMRebounders.com!
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