Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tavelyn James Selected as the MAC Player of the Year
3/6/2012 10:37:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Paige Redditt and Natachia Watkins earn All-MAC honors as well
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) — Members of the Eastern Michigan University women's basketball program picked up some major hardware Tuesday, March 9, as the league office announced the 2011-2012 All-Mid-American Conference teams and specialty award winners. Senior Tavelyn James (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford) was named the MAC's Player of the Year, while senior Paige Redditt (Kansas City, Mo.-Belton) and sophomore Natachia Watkins (South Euclid, Ohio-Brush) were selected third-team All-MAC.
James becomes the first EMU women's basketball player to earn the distinguished honor. Meanwhile, Defensive Player of the Year went to the University of Toledo's Andola Dortch, Central Michigan University's Jalisa Olive was picked the Sixth Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year honors went to Northern Illinois University's Claire Jakubicek and rounding out the list Bowling Green State University's Curt Miller was again chosen as the Coach of the Year.
The Player-, Coach- and Freshman-of-the-Year awards are the result of balloting by a select group of media members as well as the league's head coaches. The All-MAC and All-Freshman Teams, Sixth-Man-of-the-Year and Defensive-Player-of-the-Year awards were the result of voting by the 12 head coaches only.
James becomes only the second player in EMU history to earn All-MAC First-Team accolades as many as three times in a career. Ryan Coleman (2004-06) was an all-league first-team choice in her final three seasons in Ypsilanti.
James, a native of Detroit, Mich., leads the Eagles in scoring with 24.4 points per game this season to date, while also ranking first on the team in field goals made, three-pointers made, free-throws made, steals and minutes played She ranks second in the nation in scoring average, and also ranks among the top-40 in the country in free throw percentage (26th) and three-point field goals made (35th).
James is Eastern Michigan's all-time scoring leader, and ranks third in MAC history with 2,417 career points entering the MAC Tournament. She also holds the EMU career records for three-point field goals made (287) and games played (126). James ranks third in conference history in field goals made, three-point field goals made and scoring average.
The senior broke the EMU women's career scoring record against the University of Michigan, Dec. 11, and became the first player in Eastern history to score more than 500 points in three consecutive seasons. James also set the single-game record for three-point buckets with 10 triples against Kent State University, Feb. 11, which is also tops in a single-game for MAC-only tilts. She has been named MAC Player of the Week six times this season.
The senior has scored in double digits in 107 of her 126 career games, including 54 contests of 20 points or more. James was also recently named the recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding NCAA Division I female basketball player who stands 5-foot-8 tall or under and attends a NCAA Division I institution.
James was joined on the All-MAC First Team by BGSU's Alexis Rogers, Buffalo's Brittany Hedderson, Miami's Courtney Osborn and Ohio's Tenishia Benson.
The second team consisted of the Akron's Sina King, Bowling Green's Jessica Slagle, BGSU's Chrissy Steffen, Toledo's Andola Dortch and UT's Yolanda Richardson.
After starting all 29 games for EMU this season, Redditt averaged 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Kansas City, Mo. native notched seven double-doubles in her senior campaign, including a 17-point and 18-rebound performance against Loyola, Nov. 20, and a 21-point and 13-rebound game against Miami, Feb. 4. The senior leads the Eagles in blocks with 36, as she moved her way up the career EMU blocks list with 123, ranking second all-time. Redditt became one of two players in school history to post more than 900 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career. Along with ranking second in blocks, Redditt ranks seventh all-time in rebounds and 20th in scoring. Redditt also ranks 21st in the MAC in scoring while also ranking third in rebounding this season.
In her sophomore campaign with the Eagles, Watkins proved to fill a complimentary offensive role for the Green and White. Watkins averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Eagles, while boasting a 42.6 field goal percentage. The South Euclid, Ohio native has posted 19 double-digit point performances this season, including three double-doubles where she notched double-figure points and rebounds. The sophomore scored a career-high 28 points against Detroit, Dec. 20. Watkins' 6.7 rebounds rank ninth in the MAC, while she also ranks 11th in scoring.
The EMU duo was joined on the third team by Miami's Kirsten Olowinski and Maggie Boyer and Toledo's Courtney Ingersoll.
Honorable mention went to Akron's Taylor Ruper, Central Michigan's Taylor Johnson, CMU's Crystal Bradford, Kent State's Diamon Beckford and Western Michigan's Maria Iaquaniello.
The All-Freshman team consisted of Bowling Green's Jasmine Matthews, CMU's Crystal Bradford, Jessica Green and Jasmine Bracey and Northern Illinois' Claire Jakubicek.
Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert enters the MAC Tournament with an overall record of 92-63 in her fifth season at EMU, and has a MAC record of 49-31 through the 2011-12 regular season. She is already the third winningest coach in school history, and is 15th on the MAC's all-time winning percentage list. In MAC games only, she is 15th among conference coaches.
Her 2011-12 Eagles won 13 MAC contests, which ranks second-best in program history. The 2005-06 club holds the EMU standard with a 15-1 record. Additionally, with the 74-43 victory against Ball State, Feb. 25, the Eagles captured a share of the team's fourth MAC West Division championship. Since the league switched to the current division format for the 1997-98 campaign, EMU has claimed MAC West titles in 2004, 2006, 2008 and now 2012. EMU shared this season's honor with the University of Toledo as both posted identical MAC records.
EMU begins its post-season run Friday, March 9, in the semifinal round of the 2012 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. The contest is the finale of the two semifinal tilts and is scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m. from Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
The Eagles, seeded second in the tournament, will have enjoyed 10 days from the court due to the team's “triple bye” and need just one victory to advance to their third MAC Championship game in the past nine seasons. The West Division co-Champions boast an overall mark of 21-8 and 13-3 in MAC play.
The complete list of 2012 conference women's basketball awards follows...
2012 All-Mid-American Conference Teams
First Team All MAC
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Alexis Rogers, Bowling Green, Forward
Brittany Hedderson, Buffalo, Guard
Courtney Osborn, Miami, Guard
Tenishia Benson, Ohio, Guard
Second Team All MAC
Sina King, Akron, Forward
Jessica Slagle, Bowling Green, Point Guard
Chrissy Steffen, Bowling Green, Guard
Andola Dortch, Toledo, Guard
Yolanda Richardson, Toledo Center
Third Team All-MAC
Paige Redditt, Eastern Michigan, Forward
Natachia Watkins, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Kirsten Olowinski, Miami, Forward
Maggie Boyer, Miami, Guard
Courtney Ingersoll, Toledo, Guard
Honorable Mention
Taylor Ruper, Akron, Guard
Taylor Johnson, Central Michigan, Forward
Crystal Bradford, Central Michigan, Guard/Forward
Diamon Beckford, Kent State, Forward
Maria Iaquaniello, Western Michigan, Guard
Player of the Year
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Defensive Player of the Year
Andola Dortch, Toledo, Guard
Sixth Player of the Year
Jalisa Olive, Central Michigan, Guard
Freshman of the Year
Claire Jakubicek, Northern Illinois, Forward
Coach of the Year
Curt Miller, Bowling Green
All-Freshman
Jasmine Matthews, Bowling Green, Guard
Crystal Bradford, Central Michigan, Guard/Forward
Jessica Green, Central Michigan, Guard
Jasmine Bracey, Central Michigan, Center
Claire Jakubicek, Northern Illinois, Forward
James becomes the first EMU women's basketball player to earn the distinguished honor. Meanwhile, Defensive Player of the Year went to the University of Toledo's Andola Dortch, Central Michigan University's Jalisa Olive was picked the Sixth Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year honors went to Northern Illinois University's Claire Jakubicek and rounding out the list Bowling Green State University's Curt Miller was again chosen as the Coach of the Year.
The Player-, Coach- and Freshman-of-the-Year awards are the result of balloting by a select group of media members as well as the league's head coaches. The All-MAC and All-Freshman Teams, Sixth-Man-of-the-Year and Defensive-Player-of-the-Year awards were the result of voting by the 12 head coaches only.
James becomes only the second player in EMU history to earn All-MAC First-Team accolades as many as three times in a career. Ryan Coleman (2004-06) was an all-league first-team choice in her final three seasons in Ypsilanti.
James, a native of Detroit, Mich., leads the Eagles in scoring with 24.4 points per game this season to date, while also ranking first on the team in field goals made, three-pointers made, free-throws made, steals and minutes played She ranks second in the nation in scoring average, and also ranks among the top-40 in the country in free throw percentage (26th) and three-point field goals made (35th).
James is Eastern Michigan's all-time scoring leader, and ranks third in MAC history with 2,417 career points entering the MAC Tournament. She also holds the EMU career records for three-point field goals made (287) and games played (126). James ranks third in conference history in field goals made, three-point field goals made and scoring average.
The senior broke the EMU women's career scoring record against the University of Michigan, Dec. 11, and became the first player in Eastern history to score more than 500 points in three consecutive seasons. James also set the single-game record for three-point buckets with 10 triples against Kent State University, Feb. 11, which is also tops in a single-game for MAC-only tilts. She has been named MAC Player of the Week six times this season.
The senior has scored in double digits in 107 of her 126 career games, including 54 contests of 20 points or more. James was also recently named the recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding NCAA Division I female basketball player who stands 5-foot-8 tall or under and attends a NCAA Division I institution.
James was joined on the All-MAC First Team by BGSU's Alexis Rogers, Buffalo's Brittany Hedderson, Miami's Courtney Osborn and Ohio's Tenishia Benson.
The second team consisted of the Akron's Sina King, Bowling Green's Jessica Slagle, BGSU's Chrissy Steffen, Toledo's Andola Dortch and UT's Yolanda Richardson.
After starting all 29 games for EMU this season, Redditt averaged 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Kansas City, Mo. native notched seven double-doubles in her senior campaign, including a 17-point and 18-rebound performance against Loyola, Nov. 20, and a 21-point and 13-rebound game against Miami, Feb. 4. The senior leads the Eagles in blocks with 36, as she moved her way up the career EMU blocks list with 123, ranking second all-time. Redditt became one of two players in school history to post more than 900 points, 700 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career. Along with ranking second in blocks, Redditt ranks seventh all-time in rebounds and 20th in scoring. Redditt also ranks 21st in the MAC in scoring while also ranking third in rebounding this season.
In her sophomore campaign with the Eagles, Watkins proved to fill a complimentary offensive role for the Green and White. Watkins averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Eagles, while boasting a 42.6 field goal percentage. The South Euclid, Ohio native has posted 19 double-digit point performances this season, including three double-doubles where she notched double-figure points and rebounds. The sophomore scored a career-high 28 points against Detroit, Dec. 20. Watkins' 6.7 rebounds rank ninth in the MAC, while she also ranks 11th in scoring.
The EMU duo was joined on the third team by Miami's Kirsten Olowinski and Maggie Boyer and Toledo's Courtney Ingersoll.
Honorable mention went to Akron's Taylor Ruper, Central Michigan's Taylor Johnson, CMU's Crystal Bradford, Kent State's Diamon Beckford and Western Michigan's Maria Iaquaniello.
The All-Freshman team consisted of Bowling Green's Jasmine Matthews, CMU's Crystal Bradford, Jessica Green and Jasmine Bracey and Northern Illinois' Claire Jakubicek.
Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert enters the MAC Tournament with an overall record of 92-63 in her fifth season at EMU, and has a MAC record of 49-31 through the 2011-12 regular season. She is already the third winningest coach in school history, and is 15th on the MAC's all-time winning percentage list. In MAC games only, she is 15th among conference coaches.
Her 2011-12 Eagles won 13 MAC contests, which ranks second-best in program history. The 2005-06 club holds the EMU standard with a 15-1 record. Additionally, with the 74-43 victory against Ball State, Feb. 25, the Eagles captured a share of the team's fourth MAC West Division championship. Since the league switched to the current division format for the 1997-98 campaign, EMU has claimed MAC West titles in 2004, 2006, 2008 and now 2012. EMU shared this season's honor with the University of Toledo as both posted identical MAC records.
EMU begins its post-season run Friday, March 9, in the semifinal round of the 2012 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. The contest is the finale of the two semifinal tilts and is scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m. from Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
The Eagles, seeded second in the tournament, will have enjoyed 10 days from the court due to the team's “triple bye” and need just one victory to advance to their third MAC Championship game in the past nine seasons. The West Division co-Champions boast an overall mark of 21-8 and 13-3 in MAC play.
The complete list of 2012 conference women's basketball awards follows...
2012 All-Mid-American Conference Teams
First Team All MAC
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Alexis Rogers, Bowling Green, Forward
Brittany Hedderson, Buffalo, Guard
Courtney Osborn, Miami, Guard
Tenishia Benson, Ohio, Guard
Second Team All MAC
Sina King, Akron, Forward
Jessica Slagle, Bowling Green, Point Guard
Chrissy Steffen, Bowling Green, Guard
Andola Dortch, Toledo, Guard
Yolanda Richardson, Toledo Center
Third Team All-MAC
Paige Redditt, Eastern Michigan, Forward
Natachia Watkins, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Kirsten Olowinski, Miami, Forward
Maggie Boyer, Miami, Guard
Courtney Ingersoll, Toledo, Guard
Honorable Mention
Taylor Ruper, Akron, Guard
Taylor Johnson, Central Michigan, Forward
Crystal Bradford, Central Michigan, Guard/Forward
Diamon Beckford, Kent State, Forward
Maria Iaquaniello, Western Michigan, Guard
Player of the Year
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Defensive Player of the Year
Andola Dortch, Toledo, Guard
Sixth Player of the Year
Jalisa Olive, Central Michigan, Guard
Freshman of the Year
Claire Jakubicek, Northern Illinois, Forward
Coach of the Year
Curt Miller, Bowling Green
All-Freshman
Jasmine Matthews, Bowling Green, Guard
Crystal Bradford, Central Michigan, Guard/Forward
Jessica Green, Central Michigan, Guard
Jasmine Bracey, Central Michigan, Center
Claire Jakubicek, Northern Illinois, Forward
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