AMANDA GRAPPE NAMED GSC WEST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE YEAR; REPEATS AS FIRST-TEAM ALL-GSC SELECTION

        BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Arkansas Tech Golden Sun Basketball senior All-American forward Amanda Grappe (Benton, Ark.) has been named the Gulf South Conference’s West Division Player of the Year and a repeat First-Team All-GSC West Division selection.

Grappe joins former Golden Sun Heather Campbell (1996-97) as the only Tech players to be named GSC West Division Player of the Year. In addition, Grappe becomes the second Golden Sun to be named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection three times and the first since Angie Harris earned first team honors from 1999-01.  

The All-GSC teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches in their own respective divisions and the coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

“Amanda was really deserving of this tremendous recognition from the West Division coaches,” Golden Suns Head Coach Dave Wilbers said Monday. “She had a tremendous season for our basketball teams and I’m proud of her for all that she’s accomplished.”

East Division champion West Georgia and West Division champion Delta State were the other big winners in this season’s postseason awards. Delta State freshman forward Veronica Walker was named the West Division Freshman of the Year, while Delta State’s Sandra Rushing earned her fourth consecutive West Division Coach of the Year honor. Meanwhile in the East Division, West Georgia senior guard Dominic Cranford repeated as the division’s Player of the Year, while West Georgia’s Craig Roden was named the division’s Coach of the Year for the second straight season and North Alabama guard Dana Jackson took home the division’s Freshman of the Year honor.

It was the third consecutive season that Grappe has been named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection as she also earned first-team honors as a sophomore in 2006-07 and also in 2007-08.

Grappe, who played in and started all 27 of Tech’s regular season games, averaged a team-best 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and shot 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. In GSC play, Grappe averaged 18.1 points and 8.3 boards per game. She recorded eight double-doubles, scored in double-figures in 26 of Tech’s 27 games and had 20 or more points in 12 games this past season. In addition, Grappe, who is the 10th all-time leading scorer in Tech history (1,715 points) and is fourth in career rebounding (782 boards), was named a GSC West Division Player of the Week three times this season and 10 times in her career. She also has recorded 21 career double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 93 career games and has had 23 career double-digit rebounding games.   

Joining Grappe on the West Division First-Team was Delta State sophomore guard Bug Cooper, Harding junior forward Stacey Owens and Arkansas-Monticello’s duo of senior guard Andrea Dubose and junior forward Monica Perkins-Miller. Meanwhile, Walker, Delta State sophomore guard Moe Bell, Delta State senior forward Lamaesha McAdory, Harding senior forward Ashley Anderson and Southern Arkansas junior guard Goldie White were named Second-Team All-GSC West Division selections.

Cranford in joined on the East Division First-Team by North Alabama senior forward Amber Rutherford, Montevallo junior guard Alicia Lewis, Alabama-Huntsville guard Ashley Boykin and West Georgia senior forward Ashley Huff. The East Division second-team consists of North Alabama junior guard Jameica York, West Alabama senior forward Valerie Harris, West Florida junior guard Amy Drake, West Georgia senior guard Tia Jackson and Valdosta State’s duo of senior forward Brittany Hudson and junior guard Leschelle Matthews.

Tech, who is 19-8 overall and 9-5 in the GSC West Division, will return to action Thursday, March 5 when they face Valdosta State (20-7, 9-3 GSC East Division) in the second of four quarterfinal games of the 2009 GSC Tournament. Tip-off is set for 2:45 p.m. CST at the DeSoto County Civic Center in Southaven, Miss.

          Complete 2008-09 All-GSC Women's Basketball Teams

-- Tech Athletics --