AMANDA GRAPPE, KRISHNA BAKER NAMED DAKTRONICS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-SOUTH REGION SELECTIONS

        MAGNOLIA, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Sun Basketball players Amanda Grappe and Krishna Baker were named to one of the two Daktronics All-South Region teams that were released on Wednesday, two days prior to the beginning of the 2008 NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament in Cleveland, Miss.

Grappe, who is a junior forward, was named a First-Team All-South Region selection, while Baker, a senior forward, was named a Second-Team All-South Region honoree.

The nomination and voting for the Daktronics All-South Region Teams was conducted by the sports information directors from the South Region schools. The five members of the first team from each of the eight regions across the country advance to the national ballot for consideration on the 2007-08 Daktronics Women’s Basketball All-America team. All NCAA Division II sports information directors will select the All-America team, which will be announced on March 25.

 Grappe, who is a native of Benton, was named a first team selection after helping lead Tech to a 25-5 overall record and a No. 2 seed in this coming weekend’s NCAA South Regional. On the season, Grappe has played in all 30 of Tech’s games and is averaging a GSC-best 17.4 points per game and has pulled down 8.5 rebounds per contest and is shooting 47 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line. In GSC play, Grappe averaged 15.8 points and 9.1 boards per game. She has recorded a team-high 10 double-doubles and had 26 double figure scoring games and scored 20 or more points in 11 games, including scoring a career-high 36 points in Tech’s 80-61 loss to No. 1 ranked in the GSC Tournament Championship game. In addition, Grappe, who became the 14th Golden Sun player to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in her career this season, was named a five-time GSC West Division Player of the Week. So far this season, Grappe has been named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection and a member of the GSC All-Tournament Team for the second consecutive season and was also named as one of the five finalists from Region 5 for the NCAA Division II WBCA State Farm All-America team.

Baker, who is a native of Little Rock, Ark., and was named a First-Team All-GSC West Division selection, is averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 55 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the foul line. She has tallied eight double-doubles and has had 25 double figure scoring games, including scoring a career-high 34 points in Tech’s 94-53 win at Southern Arkansas. In GSC play, Baker, who was a two-time GSC West Division Player of the Week and was als named to the All-GSC Tournament Team for the second straight year, averaged 17.8 points and pulled down 8.3 rebounds per game and shot 60 percent from the floor.  

Joining Grappe on the Daktronics All-South Region First-Team are Delta State senior guard Jennifer Rushing, Nova Southeastern sophomore center Stephanie Sarosi, Florida Southern freshman guard Chelsea Johnson and Tampa senior center Sheena Walton, who was named the South Region’s Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Baker was joined on the Daktronics All-South Region Second-Team by Fort Valley State sophomore guard Takesha Riggs, Eckerd College junior center Olivia Nagle, Rollins College senior guard Jennifer Musgrove and Delta State senior center Lakira Boyd.

Grappe and Baker and the rest of their teammates return to the court on Friday, March 14, when they face Tuskegee in the first round of the NCAA D-II South Regional Tournament. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Walter Sillers Coliseum on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.

 -- Tech Athletics --