Wednesday, March 5, 2003

Cotton, Shafer named first team All-Sun Belt

eniors Cormisha Cotton and Mandy Shafer have been voted to the Sun Belt Conference's First Team as announced by the league office today. It is the first such award for both players.

Cotton started all 27 regular season games at forward for the Golden Panthers, ranking 15th in the conference in scoring at 11.8 points per game, fourth in rebounding with 8.8 boards per contest and third in blocked shots with 1.74 blocks a game.

Shafer, a 6-0 shooting guard, also started all 27 contests and finished the regular season sixth in the conference in scoring with 16.1 points per contest, 16th in rebounding with 5.9 caroms a game and ranked in the top 10 in every three-point shooting category. She was also ninth in blocked shots with 25 swats and second in Sun Belt play with 2.8 steals a contest.

Cotton and Shafer are the fifth and sixth individuals to be honored All-Sun Belt since FIU joined the league in 1998-99.

The Golden Panthers (18-9, 9-5) will face Louisiana-Lafayette (8-18, 4-11) on Thursday in the play-in round of the 2003 Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky. Tip off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. EST.

2003 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball
First Team
Kim Blanton, Jr., P, North Texas
Cormisha Cotton, Sr., P, Florida International
Sinnamonn Garrett, Jr., G, New Mexico State
Patrice Holmes, So., G, Middle Tennessee
Leslie Logsdon, Jr., G, Western Kentucky
Jolie McKiernan, Sr., F, Arkansas State
Shala Reese, Sr., F, Western Kentucky
Taneisha Russell, Sr., F, South Alabama
Mandy Shafer, Sr., G, Florida International
Monique Taylor, Jr., G, New Orleans

Honorable Mention
Ashley Atkinson, Sr., G, Denver
Kristina Covington, Sr., G, Western Kentucky
Casie Lowman, Sr., G, Arkansas State
Lora Ruddy, Sr., F, New Orleans
Mari Sanchez, Sr., G, New Mexico State

Player of the Year: Shala Reese, Sr., F, Western Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Patrice Holmes, So., G, Middle Tennessee
Freshman of the Year: Tiffany Porter-Talbert, Fr., G, Western Kentucky
Newcomer of the Year: Monique Taylor, Jr., G, New Orleans
Coach of the Year: Mary Taylor-Cowles, Western Kentucky