OGDEN, Utah (March 11)- The Big Sky Conference has announced the Women’s Basketball All-Conference team and individual award winners for the 2007-08 season. The awards were decided following a vote by the league’s nine head coaches.
Idaho State’s Natalie Doma, Montana’s Mandy Morales and Portland State’s Claire Faucher were unanimous selections to the first team. The honor was the third-consecutive for Morales and Doma and the first for sophomore Faucher. Montana State senior Rebecca Mercer earned first-team honors this year. Weber States’ Sara Tuomi and Idaho State’s Andrea Lightfoot were also named to the first team for the third year in a row.
Doma was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for 2007-08. The 6-3 center is averaging 24.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game this season and is the only player in the nation ranked in the Top Five in the NCAA statistics in both scoring and rebounding. The senior was officially named to the final ballot for the John Wooden Award this week, becoming the first women’s basketball player in Idaho State and Big Sky history to ever be a finalist for a National Player of the Year Award.
The 2007-08 campaign was a historical one all around for the native of Victoria, British Columbia. Doma wrote her name all over the conference record books as she became the Big Sky’s all-time leading scorer with 2,249 career points. She passed former Montana standout Shannon Cate on the all-time conference list on Feb. 28 in Pocatello, Idaho when she notched 34 points in a win over Sacramento State. Earlier in the season, she became Idaho State’s all-time leading scorer, regardless of gender.
Doma is Big Sky’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,138 career boards, all-time field goal leader with 844 and all-time free throw leader with 506 as well. She has scored 30 or more points six times this season and leads the conference in double-doubles with 24. Doma also received Big Sky Player of the Week honors six times.
Northern Colorado’s Jamie Schroeder was tabbed the Top Newcomer of 2007-08. The junior JC transfer helped lead the Bears to a 14-15 overall and 8-8 Big Sky record this season. Schroeder, a native of Douglas, Wyo., is shooting 83.2 percent from the free-throw line and 47.1 percent from the field, which is ranked fifth and sixth in the Big Sky respectively. She is also eighth in scoring with 13.5 points a game.
Britney Lohman, a Montana forward, was named this year’s Defensive Player of the Year. Lohman has averaged 5.8 rebounds per game for a Montana squad that currently leads the league in rebounding. Lohman is also ranked ninth in the conference with 1.22 steals per game. The junior, from Bozeman, Mont., added 8.5 points a game and has gone 44.1 percent from the field on the season.
Portland State’s Kelli Valentine received the Outstanding Freshman Award. Valentine played in all 29 games and started 21 as the Vikings went 21-8 overall, a program-best at the Division I level. The native of Spokane, Wash. averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game at forward this season. She also posted two 20 + point games.
Idaho State’s Natalie Doma, Montana’s Mandy Morales and Portland State’s Claire Faucher were unanimous selections to the first team. The honor was the third-consecutive for Morales and Doma and the first for sophomore Faucher. Montana State senior Rebecca Mercer earned first-team honors this year. Weber States’ Sara Tuomi and Idaho State’s Andrea Lightfoot were also named to the first team for the third year in a row.
Doma was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for 2007-08. The 6-3 center is averaging 24.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game this season and is the only player in the nation ranked in the Top Five in the NCAA statistics in both scoring and rebounding. The senior was officially named to the final ballot for the John Wooden Award this week, becoming the first women’s basketball player in Idaho State and Big Sky history to ever be a finalist for a National Player of the Year Award.
The 2007-08 campaign was a historical one all around for the native of Victoria, British Columbia. Doma wrote her name all over the conference record books as she became the Big Sky’s all-time leading scorer with 2,249 career points. She passed former Montana standout Shannon Cate on the all-time conference list on Feb. 28 in Pocatello, Idaho when she notched 34 points in a win over Sacramento State. Earlier in the season, she became Idaho State’s all-time leading scorer, regardless of gender.
Doma is Big Sky’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,138 career boards, all-time field goal leader with 844 and all-time free throw leader with 506 as well. She has scored 30 or more points six times this season and leads the conference in double-doubles with 24. Doma also received Big Sky Player of the Week honors six times.
Northern Colorado’s Jamie Schroeder was tabbed the Top Newcomer of 2007-08. The junior JC transfer helped lead the Bears to a 14-15 overall and 8-8 Big Sky record this season. Schroeder, a native of Douglas, Wyo., is shooting 83.2 percent from the free-throw line and 47.1 percent from the field, which is ranked fifth and sixth in the Big Sky respectively. She is also eighth in scoring with 13.5 points a game.
Britney Lohman, a Montana forward, was named this year’s Defensive Player of the Year. Lohman has averaged 5.8 rebounds per game for a Montana squad that currently leads the league in rebounding. Lohman is also ranked ninth in the conference with 1.22 steals per game. The junior, from Bozeman, Mont., added 8.5 points a game and has gone 44.1 percent from the field on the season.
Portland State’s Kelli Valentine received the Outstanding Freshman Award. Valentine played in all 29 games and started 21 as the Vikings went 21-8 overall, a program-best at the Division I level. The native of Spokane, Wash. averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game at forward this season. She also posted two 20 + point games.
