MAC Announces Women's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Team
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CLEVELAND -- Ten returning women’s basketball players comprise the preseason all-conference team in voting submitted by league coaches and members of the MAC News Media Association as released by the conference office today.
The West Division squad includes Porchia Green and Emily Maggert of Ball State, Britni Houghton of Central Michigan, Allie Clifton of Toledo and Tiera DeLaHoussaye of Western Michigan.
Representing the East Division are Kara Murphy of Akron, Lauren Prochaska of Bowling Green, Anna Kowalska of Kent State, Jenna Schone of Miami and Chandra Myers of Ohio.
The preseason All-MAC teams will be available for interviews at the conference’s Basketball Media Day, which is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30 at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland. The media portion of the schedule is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Fans will also be able to watch the media preview live on the internet at www.mac-sports.com.
Green led the Cardinals to earn the fourth MAC West Division title in program history last season. She finished the 2007-2008 season as the team’s leader in scoring with 13.0 ppg, rebounding with 6.9 rpg and steals with 48. Green was also named to Preseason All-MAC team at the beginning of last season and the All-MAC first team.
BSU’s Maggert was the first Sixth Player recipient for Ball State last season. She played in all 29 games as the top reserve for the Cardinals and has made four starts. Her 274 points are the eighth most in a single season for a Ball State freshman and she scored in double figures in 15 games this season including 13 of the 16 MAC games. Had a streak of 10 straight MAC games in which she scored double figures.
Central Michigan’s Houghton ranked No. 10 in the MAC in scoring at 13.1 and finished among the league leaders in rebounding (5.8) and steals (58) as well. She shot a team-high 48 percent from the field, tormenting opposing defenses from the high post and using her quickness to create mismatches throughout the season. She was also named to Third Team All-MAC at the end of last season.
UT’s Clifton appeared in 22 games of Toledo’s games making 14 starts, after missing eight contests with stress reaction in her foot. She averaged team-high 13.7 points, 6.1 caroms, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.2 minutes per game (9.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg in MAC play). She scored in double figures 17 times for the Rockets.
Western Michigan’s DeLaHoussaye ranked third in the nation in assists (7.8) and eighth in steals (3.3) last year, and has ranked in the top 15 in the country in both categories the past two seasons. She is the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection.
Akron’s Murphy was selected MAC All-Freshman Team and All-MAC Third Team. She was the ninth-highest scoring freshman in the nation last season with an average of 14.5 points per game and also led the team with 5.6 rebounds per contest. In addition to returning as the team’s leading scorer, Murphy will serve as the team’s other co-captain.
BGSU’s Prochaska led the team in scoring, becoming the first Falcon freshman to score more than 500 points, and she also paced the club in assists. She finished the season with 502 points making her fifth in MAC history for point scored by a freshman in a season. Prochaska had 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game en route to earning MAC Freshman-of-the-Year honors.
Prior to an injury, Kent State’s Kowalska averaged 17.8 points and 9.1 rebounds over the first 16 games of last season. She was named to the All-MAC Third Team. The team’s leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker.
Miami’s Schone is the top returning scorer for the RedHawks with an average 13.7 points per game last season. She was also the team’s top three-point shooter with 84 treys. In 2007-08 she set a new Miami single season record as she dished out 175 assists.
Ohio’s Myers returns for her final collegiate season she tied for the team lead with an average of 6.1 rebounds per game a year ago. A starter in all 33 of the Bobcats’ outings in 2007-08, she scored a clip of 7.8 points per contest on 51.7 percent shooting last season.
East Division
Kara Murphy, Akron
Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green
Anna Kowalska, Kent State
Jenna Schone, Miami
Chandra Myers, Ohio
West Division
Porchia Green, Ball State
Emily Maggert, Ball State
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan
Allie Clifton, Toledo
Tiera DeLaHoussaye, Western Michigan
