MAC Announces 2014-15 Player, Coach and Freshman of the Year
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced Tuesday the final regular season awards on the eve of the 2015 MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament moving to Quicken Loans Arena, with unveiling of the 2015 Mid-American Player, Coach and Freshman of the Year, as voted by the head coaches, sports information directors and media members of the Mid-American Conference.
Akron’s Sina King received the top player honors, being named the 2015 MAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in her fifth season. King returned to basketball after missing all of the 2013-14 season due to a health issue. This season, King was the conference’s top scorer, recording 20.7 points per game in league play, as well as, the top three point percentage shooter at 40.7%. Additionally, King was second in conference play in rebounds per game (9.3 rpg), sixth in field goal percentage (47.5%) and 11th free throw percentage (78.8%). The All-MAC first team member becomes only the second Akron Zip in program history to earn the Player of the Year honor, joining Rachel Tecca from two seasons ago.
Ohio University Head Coach, Bob Boldon, was named the 2015 MAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year after the Bobcats ran away with the regular season MAC title. The Bobcats finished the MAC season ranked second in scoring (67.8 ppg), first in scoring defense (55.2) and first in scoring margin (+12.6 ppg). Overall this season, the Bobcats are currently third in MAC history in three-point field goals made at 270 in the 2014-15 season. Boldon’s turnaround of the Bobcats in his second season led Ohio University to their first MAC regular season title since the 1994-95 season. Most impressively, the Bobcats, who were 3-27 overall and 1-15 in the MAC two seasons ago, went 25-4 and 16-2 in the MAC, running away with the regular season title by three games. Boldon becomes the first Bobcats head coach to be named Coach of the Year since Marsha Reall won the honor in back to back seasons in 1994 and 1995. It is the fourth overall coach of the year in program history.
Rounding-out the 2014-15 regular season awards was Toledo’s Jay-Ann Bravo Harriott, who was named the 2015 MAC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Year. In her freshman year, Bravo-Harriott was in the top-20 in scoring (11.0 ppg), field goal percentage (41.1%), three-point percentage (38.6%), and threes made (39 3fg). Over the course of the conference season, Bravo-Harriott led the Rockets in scoring in five of their 18 MAC games, including a season high of 24 in a win over NIU. Jay-Ann Bravo Harriott become the fifth Rocket to be named MAC Freshman of the Year in program history and the first since, now Toledo Rocket and Mid-American Conference Hall of Famer, Kim Knuth.
The MACtion moves to the Q in Cleveland, Ohio beginning Wednesday, March 12th at noon when #5 Western Michigan faces #9 Central Michigan, followed by #6 Eastern Michigan facing #7 Toledo.
