Miami Earns BIG EAST Awards

March 5, 2004

HARTFORD, Conn.-University of Miami sophomore Tamara James (Dania, Fla.) became the first player since the 1998-99 season to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors announced at the BIG EAST banquet in Hartford, Conn. Friday night.

James is just the fifth Miami player all-time to earn first team honors. Senior Chanivia Broussard (Miami, Fla.) was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, while junior Yalonda McCormick (Miami, Fla.) was named to the honorable mention team.

James leads Miami averaging 16.9 points per game and has scored in double-digits in 21 games this season. She earned BIG EAST Player of the Week two times this season. Last season she was named to the All-BIG EAST Rookie Team and second team. She was a preseason first team selection.

Broussard averages 15.1 points per game and 6.2 rebounds. She has scored in double digits in 23 games this season, including three double-doubles. She was a second team member during the 2001-02 season and named to the rookie team in 2000-01.

McCormick earns her first BIG EAST honor as one of three players named to the honorable mention team. She averages 11.8 points and 5.4 assists per game. She has scored in double-digits in 16 games this season.

Miami opens BIG EAST tournament play with the winner of the Syracuse/Boston College game Sunday at Noon.

2003-04 ALL-BIG EAST AWARDS

BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (Sr., G, Chino, Calif.)
BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Meg Bulger, West Virginia (Fr., G, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR – Mike Carey, West Virginia (third season)
BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Rebekkah Brunson, Georgetown (Sr., F, Oxon Hill, Md.)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – Megan Duffy, Notre Dame (So., G, Dayton, Ohio)
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – Sherri Brown, St. John’s (Sr., G, Willingboro, N.J.)
BIG EAST BASKETBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE – Courtney Mix, Villanova (Sr., F, Perrysburg, Ohio)

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
School Cl. Pos. Hometown High School
Jacqueline Batteast Notre Dame Jr. F South Bend, Ind. Washington
*Rebekkah Brunson Georgetown Sr. F Oxon Hill, Md. Oxon Hill
Jessalyn Deveny Boston College Jr. G Westford, Mass. Westford Academy
Tamara James Miami So. G/F Dania, Fla. South Broward
*Cappie Pondexter Rutgers Jr. G Chicago, Ill. John Marshall
*Diana Taurasi Connecticut Sr. G Chino, Calif. Don Lugo

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Kate Bulger West Virginia Sr. G Pittsburgh, Pa. Oakland Catholic
Amber Jacobs Boston College Sr. G Clarks Summit, Pa. Abington Heights
Ieva Kublina Virginia Tech Sr. F/C Riga, Latvia Trinity Episcopal
Courtney Mix Villanova Sr. F Perrysburg, Ohio Toledo Central Catholic
Barbara Turner Connecticut So. F Cleveland, Ohio East Tech

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Chanivia Broussard Miami Sr. F Miami, Fla. Miami Northwestern
Julie McBride Syracuse Sr. G Mechanicville, N.Y. Catholic Central
Yolanda Paige West Virginia Jr. G Virginia Beach, Va. Bayside
Ann Strother Connecticut So. G Castle Rock, Colo. Highlands Ranch
Liad Suez Villanova So. F Even-Yehuda, Israel Ostrovsky

HONORABLE MENTION
Megan Duffy Notre Dame So. G Dayton, Ohio Chaminade-Julienne
Latoya Kincaid Pittsburgh Sr. F West Helena, Ark. Central
Yalonda McCormick Miami Jr. G Miami, Fla. Monsignor Pace

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Monique Blake Seton Hall Fr. F Union, N.J. Union
*Meg Bulger West Virginia Fr. G Pittsburgh, Pa. Oakland Catholic
*Angie Clark St. John’s Fr. F Copiague, N.Y. Copiague
Lauren Kohn Syracuse Fr. G Adrian, Mich. Adrian
Heta Korpivaara Seton Hall Fr. F Espoo, Finland Etela-Tapiolan Lukio
Liz Sherwood Connecticut Fr. C Castle Rock, Colo. Highlands Ranch

* – unanimous selection
Note: due to a tie in the voting there are six members of the All-Freshman Team