SPARTANBURG, S.C. --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga junior Whitney Hood (Meridian, Miss.) was selected to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Conference First Team the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Hood, a redshirt junior transfer from Clemson University, saw her first action this season for Chattanooga and led the Southern Conference in scoring with an average 19.2 points per game and ranks first in field goal shooting making 53.6 percent of her shots. She posted six double-doubles this season and drained a career-high 40 points against Wofford at the Roundhouse on Jan. 2.
Joining Hood on the first team is Southern Confernce Player of the Year Emily London of Samford, Appalachian State's Ashlen Dewart and Sam Ramirez and Davidson's Sophia Aleksandravicius.
London averaged 16.3 points, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest to help lead the Bulldogs their third consecutive second-place finish in the regular season. The senior from Lexington, Ky., led the nation in free throw percentage, connecting on 93.2 percent from the line. She also ranked fourth in the nation from behind the arc, shooting 49.0 percent and third in the conference in field goal percentage (.524). London is a two-time media first-team all-conference selection.
Dewart and Ramirez led the Mountaineers to their first regular season title since the 1995-96 season. Dewart averaged 16.0 points per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field. Ramirez was fourth in the conference in points per game (16.4), averaged 2.6 steals a contest and led the SoCon with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Aleksandravicius was a power inside for the Wildcats, as she led the conference in rebounds (9.0 rpg) and blocks (3.1 bpg). The Davidson sophomore was also second in the conference in scoring with 16.4 points per game and shot a consistent 81.6 percent from the charity line.
The All-Conference second team includes Appalachian State's Anna Freeman, Elon's duo of Kelsey Evans and Ali Ford and Samford's Savannah Hill.
Picking up Freshman of the Year honors was Murray, who averaged 11.9 points and shot an impressive 82.8 percent from the free-throw line, which is third best in the SoCon. The guard from Harrisburg, Pa., led all freshmen in scoring, made three-pointers and free-throw percentage.
Along with Murray, the All-Freshman team features College of Charleston's Janae Smith, Georgia Southern's MiMi DuBose, UNCG's Janae' Stevenson and Samford's Shelby Campbell.
The SCSMA selected Appalachian State's Darcie Vincent as Coach of the Year. In her third year at the helm, the Mountaineers won 23 games overall and 17 league contests. It was the most regular season conference games ever won by the Mountaineers. Appalachian State also set a school record with its ten home wins this season.
2010-11 SCSMA All-Southern Conference Team
First Team
Ashlen Dewart, Appalachian State
Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Emily London, Samford
Second Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Ali Ford, Elon
Monique Floyd, UNCG
Savannah Hill, Samford
All-Freshman Team
Janae Smith, College of Charleston
Laura Murray, Davidson
MiMi DuBose, Georgia Southern
Janae' Stevenson, UNCG
Shelby Campbell, Samford
Player of the Year
Emily London, Samford
Freshman of the Year
Laura Murray, Davidson
Coach of the Year,
Darcie Vincent, Appalachian State
