April 28, 2012
Photo Gallery
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The ACC champion Maryland women's basketball team celebrated its 2011-12 season Friday night with its annual banquet in Greenbelt. Members of the team and staff, family members, boosters, and Terrapin supporters gathered to pay tribute to the 2011-12 season.
Maryland ended the season with a 31-5 overall record, winning 10 of its last 11 games. The Terrapins won the program's 10th ACC title in March and notched the fourth 30-win season in school history. They advanced to their ninth Elite Eight and fourth in head coach Brenda Frese's 10 years.
Team Most Valuable Player honors were bestowed upon ACC Player of the Year and conference leading score Alyssa Thomas. She was the second sophomore in history to earn the league's top honor and the first underclassman in school history to be named a WBCA Division I Coaches' All-American. She also garnered First Team Associated Press and USBWA All-America honors.
For the second straight year, sophomore guard Laurin Mincy was the recipient of the team's Most Improved award. After her freshman season, Mincy averaged 4.9 points per game and in her second season, she upped that to 13.1 points per contest. She shot 40 percent from outside the arc, which was up from her 27.4 percent as a sophomore.
Junior center Essence Townsend 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 forward Tianna Hawkins, was awarded the Rebound Award. She averaged 9.1 per game and was one of the ACC's top rebounders. In a January game vs. Wake Forest, she pulled in a school-record 24 boards. Hawkins was also named to the All-ACC Second Team.
Redshirt senior point guard Anjale Barrett was given the Top Playmaker Award for her ability to run the Terrapins' prolific and efficient offense. She organized and ran the Terps' multiple weapons on the floor and was one of the ACC's leaders in assists with five per game. Barrett, who helped lead the Terps to two ACC titles and two Elite Eights, was drafted by the Washington Mystics earlier this month.
Sophomore center Alicia DeVaughn earned the Top Defensive Player award, as she led the Terrapins in blocks and was known for being the Terps' last line of defense. She was voted to the ACC's All-Defensive Team by the league's head coaches and was the first Terp to earn that honor since 2003.
Redshirt senior guard Kim Rodgers earned the team's Selfless Award. Rodgers' made a name for herself throughout her career as one of the ACC's top three-point threats and was known for hitting bigtime shots when the Terps needed them most. She fought back from numerous knee injuries to help Terrapin teams win two ACC titles and advance to two Elite Eights.
Senior center Lynetta Kizer was honored with the Appreciation Award for her outstanding efforts in her four years in College Park. Kizer finished her Terrapin career eighth in school history in scoring with 1,621 career points and fourth in rebounds with 958. She helped the Terps to two ACC titles and two Elite Eights as well and was drafted to the Tulsa Shock earlier this month.
Freshman guard Brene Moseley earned the Top Three-Point Shooter Award, as her three-point percentage of 40.5 led the team. She made 37 on the year and hit big shots in some of the Terps' closest games down the stretch.
Barrett, Rodgers and Moseley earned Academic Achievement Awards for their hard work in the classroom. Barrett graduated with her degree in American Studies in December, while Rodgers graduated with a degree in communications in 2011 and is working on her degree in psychology. Rodgers and Moseley were named to the ACC All-Academic Team earlier this spring.
Rodgers and sophomore guard Sequoia Austin were honored for being on the Dean's List.
Senior manager Libby Ellis was awarded the Dedication & Service Award for her countless hours to the women's basketball program over her four years. In her senior year, Ellis took on an intern role with director of operations Chris Campbell and worked on much of the team's travel plans, in addition to helping other staff members on numerous projects.
Join the Terps for the second annual Miniature Golf Day on Saturday, May 5 at Columbia SportsPark. For more information, log on to http://www.umrebounders.com/news/2012MiniGolfFlyer.pdf.
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