Women's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Team Announced

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Oct. 12, 2005

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CLEVELAND -- Ten returning all-MAC players make up the women's basketball preseason all-MAC team as announced by the league office. Voting was conducted among members of the MAC News Media Association and included five honorees from each division.

Carrie Moore of Western Michigan heads up the West Division squad that includes Ryan Coleman and Nikki Knapp from Eastern Michigan, Stephanie Raymond of Northern Illinois and Danielle Bishop of Toledo. Moore and Coleman were first team all-MAC selections last year while Bishop, Knapp and Raymond were honorable mention.

Defending MAC Champion Bowling Green is represented by two selections in Ali Mann and Liz Honegger as is defending East Division title holder Kent State with Lindsay Shearer and Malika Willoughby. The five member team is rounded out with Miami's Cindi Merrill.

Moore finished second in the league last year in rebounding (8.2), third in scoring (17.6) and fifth in assists (3.75), 12th in field goal percentage (.417) and second in minutes played (37.2). Moore followed her all-freshmen selection in 2004 with first-team all-MAC honors in 2005 as well as the top individual player award.

Coleman and Knapp helped the Eagles to their second consecutive 23-win season and a WNIT post season berth. Coleman finished second in the MAC in scoring (17.9), seventh in assists (3.68), 12th in rebounding (6.7), second in three-point field goal percentage (.425), fourth in steals (2.58) and ninth in free throw percentage (.804). Knapp ranked among league leaders , including 12th in scoring (14.0), eighth in rebounding (7.3) and third in field goal percentage (.525). Coleman was a first-team all-league selection in 2005 and Knapp was tabbed for third-team honors.

Bishop and Raymond both are third-team all-conference members from last year. Bishop led the Rockets in scoring (14.8), which ranked 10th in the MAC. In MAC-only games she posted 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals. Raymond, at 5-feet, 5-inches tall, paced the Huskies with a 15.5 scoring average, the eighth highest point total in the MAC.

Shearer is the lone first-team all-MAC player on the East squad. The senior marked her name in the MAC recordbook with a league-record and MAC tournament record 44 points in the 2005 MAC Tournament championship game vs. Bowling Green. On the season Shearer's 17.2 ppg ranked fourth among MAC players and she was also fourth in field goal percentage (.477) and 11th in rebounding (7.1). Willoughby, her teammate on the Golden Flashes, was tabbed as MAC Defensive Player of the Year after finishing second in the league in steals (2.9). Willoughby headed an effort that resulted in KSU topping the MAC in scoring defense (57.3 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.382) and three-point field goal defense (.303).

Mann and Honegger teamed to spark BG to 23 wins as well as the MAC regular season and tournament championships. Honegger was second in the league in blocked shots (1.69), third in rebounding (8.1) and 11th in scoring (14.5). Mann's 13.8 ppg was the 13th highest total in the conference and she ranked fifth in field goal percentage (.467). Both were second team all-MAC honorees in 2005.

Merrill was named second-team all-MAC for the second consecutive season. Merrill posted the fifth best scoring average in the MAC in 2005 with 17.1 ppg and led the RedHawks in scoring in 18 of the team's 29 games.

The all-MAC preseason selections will be at MAC Women's Basketball Media day scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cleveland from 1-3 p.m. All 12 MAC head coaches will be available for interviews at that same time. The MNMA preseason poll will also be announced at media day. 

2005-06 Preseason All-MAC Team
East Division
Name	                        Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Liz Honegger, Bowling Green	Jr.	F	Lafayette, Ind.
Ali Mann, Bowling Green	        Jr.	F	Chelsea, Mich.
Lindsay Shearer, Kent State	Sr.	F	Minerva, Ohio
Malika Willoughby, Kent State	Sr.	G	Milwaukee, Wis.
Cindi Merrill, Miami	        Sr.	G	Noblesville, Ind.

West Division
Name		                Yr.	Pos.	Hometown
Nikki Knapp, Eastern Michigan	Sr.	F	Blue Springs, Mo.
Ryan Coleman, Eastern Michigan	Sr.	G	Detroit, Mich.
Stephanie Raymond, N. Illinois	Jr.	G	Rockford, Ill.
Danielle Bishop, Toledo	        Jr.	G	Laingsburg, Mich.
Carrie Moore, Western Michigan	Jr.	G	Lathrup, Mich.
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