Complete Notebook in .pdf format
A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Safi Mojidi - Rhode Island
Senior, Guard
Silver Spring, Md. / Bullis Prep
Mojidi averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals in a 1-1 week for the
Rams ... shot an impressive 61% from the floor on the week, including a 10-of-13
performance in a 56-48 win over St. Bonaventure on Jan. 19 ... scored a
season-high 30 of URI's 56 points versus SBU ... was a perfect 8-of-8 from the
free throw line and added six rebounds and two steals ... led the Rams with 16
points and had a game-high four steals in a 48-45 loss to #13 George Washington
on Jan. 16 ... finished with six three-point field goals in two games.
A-10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ta'Shia Phillips - Xavier
Freshman, Forward/Center
Indianapolis, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit HS
Phillips averaged a double-double of 15.0 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per
game in a 2-0 week for the Musketeers ... scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds
in Xavier's 66-57 win over Richmond on Jan. 16 ... followed with an 18-point,
13-rebound effort in XU's 71-53 win over Saint Joseph's on Jan. 19 ... also tied
a career-high with three blocked shots against the Hawks ... has now tallied 10 double-doubles and has scored in double-figures 13 times ... leading the league in rebounds per game (11.4) and field goal percentage (.605) ... seventh Rookie of the Week honor.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE ATLANTIC 10
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
- Duquesne junior guard Kristi Little averaged 20 points, six assists and 4.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week for the Dukes. Freshman teammate Samantha Pollino added 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game
- Temple senior guard Ashley Morris averaged 10 points, seven assists and 4.5 rebounds in a 2-0 week for the Owls. Freshman guard Lindsay Kimmel connected on eight three-pointers on the week to average 14 points per games
- Fordham junior guard Annie Zopf averaged 13 points and 5.5 assists on the week. Freshman guard Megan Mahoney averaged 19.5 points per game on the week
- GW senior guard Kimberly Beck averaged 20 points in two games, including a career-high 25 points versus URI
- Saint Joseph's junior guard Jenna Loschiavo averaged 15.5 points in a 1-1 week. Freshman center Sarah Acker added 19.5 points and six rebounds per game
- Dayton senior Nikki Oakland averaged a double-double of 10.5 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Kristin Daugherty averaged 14 points and five rebounds on the week
- Senior forward Dana Mitchell averaged 17 points and six rebounds for St. Bonaventure
- Richmond redshirt junior guard Johanna McKnight averaged 19.5 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists on the week. Freshman guard Brittani Shells finished with 15.5 points, five rebounds and three assists per game
- Junior guard Traci Ray averaged 13 points and 4.5 rebounds to help Charlotte remain unbeaten in A-10 play.
ATTENDANCE STARTS WITH A-10
All 14 A-10 women's basketball teams will participate in the first-ever A-10 Attendance Challenge during the 2008 Conference regular season to help promote the sport of women's basketball. A-10 programs play a 14-game Conference schedule hosting seven home games from Jan. 12 through March 1. The institution which averages the highest attendance totals for its home Conference games will be declared the league's first-ever Challenge winner. The Challenge encourages each institution to use various promotions and creative campaigns to help increase community interest during the Conference season.
GW IN THE RANKS
The Colonials returned to the Associated Press Top 25 rankings on Dec. 24 and are 20th this week. The previous week, the ladies were 13th, GW's highest AP ranking since being slotted eighth on Feb. 26, 2007 of last year. The Colonials were ranked in the AP top 25 for 21 straight weeks dating back to week three of 2006-07 before dropping out on Dec. lists the Colonials at No. 17.
2008 HONORS
- WOODEN WATCH: Senior guard Kimberly Beck of George Washington and sophomore forward Amber Harris of Xavier are two of 30 student-athletes named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Watch List.
- NAISMITH WATCH: GW's Kimberly Beck was also named one of 50 finalists for the prestigious Naismith Trophy.
- CLASS AWARD NOMINEES: George Washington senior guard Sarah-Jo Lawrence and La Salle senior forward Carlene Hightower are among 30 national nominees for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in women's basketball. The award is presented annually to an NCAA Division I senior women's basketball player who exemplifies being a total student-athlete.
THE ASSISTS CHASE
GW senior All-American Kimberly Beck has led the A-10 in assists at the end of every season since her freshman year and is hoping to become just the second player since Penn State's Suzie McConnell (`88) to lead the league all four years. The point guard helped her cause by posting back-to-back double-digit assist totals on Nov. 23 (10) and Nov. 24 (12), and ranks first in the Conference so far with 5.89 assists per game. Right on her heels? Junior guard Kristi Little (5.78 apg) of Duquesne, coached by first-year head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio.
RIVAL ROOKIES
Last season, then-freshman Amber Harris of Xavier set an A-10 record for the most Rookie of the Week awards in any sport after being named Rookie of the Week 12 times in 2006-07. Current freshman teammate Ta'Shia Phillips is on pace to surpass that record having received seven of the first 10 Rookie of the Week honors. The weekly awards will be given for a total of 17 weeks this season. Phillips entered the week ranked sixth nationally in rebounding (11.4 rpg) and leads the league with 10 double-doubles. She is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points per game.
The BIG 5-0-0
In his 22nd year as head coach and 19th year at GW, Joe McKeown is just four wins shy of 500 for his career. McKeown is the all-time leader in wins in the A-10 with 428 at GW. His 68 other wins came in three seasons at New Mexico State from 1987-89.
A-10 LEADERS
Xavier freshman forward Ta'Shia Phillips has 10 double-doubles to lead the Conference ... junior guard Kristi Little (3.76 spg) of Duquesne is the defensive leader grabbing a career-high and league-leading 10 steals versus NC Central (1/7) ... senior Jerri Taylor of Xavier hit a school-record nine three-point field goals as the league leader ... George Washington senior point guard Kimberly Beck posted a league-best 12 assists on Nov. 24. Beck's 12 assists were the most by an A-10 player since she registered 13 in NCAA play in March of 2006 versus Old Dominion ... Phillips grabbed a school-record 20 rebounds on two different occasions (last 12/9) so far this season. The last time an A-10 player besides Phillips grabbed 20 or more rebounds was on March 17, 2007 when Jessica Adair (GW) had 21 boards in an NCAA Tournament win ... sophomore guard Theresa Lisch tied a school record of 35 points on Dec. 22 which is the most points scored in a game (by an A-10 player) this season ... GW's 98 points over Brown (1/6) were the most scored this season and the most by GW since 2000; the 76 point margin of victory set a new A-10 record.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
While 29 different players have recorded at least one double-double this season, only GW's Kimberly Beck and Duquesne's Kristi Little have done it the non-traditional way. Beck recorded back-to-back double-doubles with assists and points in Nov. accounting for both of her double-doubles while Little grabbed a career-high 10 steals on Jan. 7 for her fourth double-double overall.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Duquesne averaged 59 points per game to rank 13th last season and this season is averaging 70.1 points to rank first in the league. The difference is in the offense from junior guard Kristi Little. Little is second in the Conference averaging 17.8 points per game after scoring just 8.3 points per game last season.
PLAYING BIG
Early in the season, several A-10 players have quickly shown that you don't have to be "big" to play "big." Duquesne lists guard Kristi Little at 5-4, one of the shortest players in the league, and she is third in the Conference in scoring with 17.3 points per game. Temple freshman Ashley Morris, a 5-5 point guard, leads the Owls in scoring with 14.1 points per game while Rhode Island senior guard Safi Mojidi, 5-6, is the Ram's scoring leader at 13.3 points per game. Freshman guard Brittani Shells, 5-7, at Richmond scores 14.4 points per game, good for first on her team. Freshmen guards Megan Mahoney, 5-7, and Kristina Bell, 5-9, of Fordham are the scoring (14.9 ppg) leader and second in rebounding (6.3 rpg) for the Rams, respectively.
WORTH THE WAIT
SLU (7-11) was without the services of its 2006-07 leading scorer, sophomore guard Theresa Lisch, for the first eight contests. She sat out due to a broken finger, but has returned to the line-up and is averaging 18.6 points per game in just 10 contests.
30-POINT SCORERS
Xavier sophomore forward Amber Harris recorded the league's first 30-point performance in a win over Penn State (11/15) and was joined by Carlene Hightower of La Salle with 30 points in a loss at Drexel (11/17). Senior forward Nikki Oakland of Dayton topped both performances with a career-high 32 points in a win over Akron (12/2). Sophomore guard Theresa Lisch of Saint Louis scored a league-high 35 points on Dec. 22 tying a Saint Louis scoring record dating back to 1980. Sophomore forward Dana Mitchell scored a career-high 34 points on Jan. 3. It was her league-leading eighth game above 20 points. Fordham freshman guard Megan Mahoney became the first rookie this season to reach the 30-point plateau, and first player in an A-10 game, when she had 30 points in a double-overtime loss to SLU (1/12). Senior guard Safi Mojidi was the second player to reach 30 points in Conference play with 30 in a win over St. Bonaventure (1/19).
ATLANTIC 10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
11/12 Danielle Burgin Charlotte
11/19 Carlene Hightower La Salle
Kate Mills Massachusetts
11/26 Kimberly Beck George Washington
12/3 Nikki Oakland Dayton
12/10 Nikki Oakland Dayton
12/17 Sabrina Gregory Charlotte
Kate Mills Massachusetts
12/24 Sarah-Jo Lawrence George Washington
Theresa Lisch Saint Louis
12/31 Dana Mitchell St. Bonaventure
1/7 Kate Mills Massachusetts
1/14 Sabrina Gregory Charlotte
Amy Klotz Saint Louis
1/21 Safi Mojidi Rhode Island
ATLANTIC 10 ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
11/12 Kristin Daugherty Dayton
11/19 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
11/26 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
12/3 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
Brittani Shells Richmond
12/10 Sarah Acker Saint Joseph's
Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
12/17 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
12/24 Kristen Daugherty Dayton
Megan Mahoney Fordham
12/31 Kristen Daugherty Dayton
Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
1/7 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier
1/14 Sarah Acker Saint Joseph's
Megan Mahoney Fordham
1/21 Ta'Shia Phillips Xavier