By Staff
ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE — Sophomore guard Jasmine Young was named Most Valuable Player at the 2007 East Carolina women’s basketball awards banquet on Wednesday night in Harvey Hall located inside the Murphy Center. The award is the second straight honor for Young.
A native of Richmond, Va., Young had a sensational sophomore season, leading the team in assists (164), 3-point field goals (43), 3-point field goal percentage (27.9), steals (79), and minutes played (1152).
Young, who ranked 36th in the nation in assists per game (5.0), averaged a team second-best 13.4 ppg and started in 32 of the 33 Lady Pirate contests. In Conference USA, she ranked sixth in steals (2.25 spg), third in assists (5.75) and eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.30).
Young continued to re-write the Pirate record books by moving into the school’s single-season top-10 in three categories. At the conclusion of the season, she ranked tied for ninth in 3-point field goals made (43), fourth in steals (79) and sixth in assists (164).
She racked up on post-season honors in C-USA as she was named to the second-team, All-Defensive Team and the All-Tournament Team. Young was also presented with the Deflection Award.
Head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener also passed out six other awards on that night. Senior Cherie Mills (Ayden, N.C.) received the Rebounding Award for the second straight year.
Mills started 24 games for the Pirates and led the team in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg).
She finished her second season at ECU ranked among C-USA leaders in seven categories: fourth in scoring (16.3 ppg) and field goal percentage (.508), ninth in blocked shots (1.47 bpg), 10th in rebounds per game (7.4), 11th in defensive rebounding (4.80 rpg), and 14th in offensive rebounds per game (2.60 rpg). Mills earned Second Team All-Conference USA for the second consecutive season.
She finished her career at ECU ranked eighth in blocks (64) and ninth in field goal accuracy (.505), after just two seasons.
Junior Nicole Days (Burgaw, N.C.) received the Defensive Award. She started in 32 of the Lady Pirates 33 games this season. Days, who has seen action in every game since arriving at ECU two season ago, averaged 5.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. She proved to be an inside force on the boards ranking second on the squad with 233 boards. She led the team in offensive rebounds (97) and second in defensive boards (136).
Senior Amanda Mills (Hartland, Wisc.) presented with the Coaches Award. Mills played in 13 games this season. Mills, who graduated this past December and is currently pursuing her master’s degree, has been a member of the Lady Pirates for three years.
Sophomore LaCoya Terry received the Most Improved Award. The Hephzibah, Ga. Native played in all 33 contests, starting in 32. Terry averaged 12.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in her second season, nearly doubling her scoring average from her freshman season. She ended the season ranked in the top four in 14 categories for the Lady Pirates. Terry led the squad in both free throws made (104) as well as attempted (145). She was second in field goal percentage (.449), free throw percentage (.840), field goals made (160), assists (116), and minutes played (1132). She finished third in three point percentage (.270), points scored (427), scoring average (12.9), offensive rebounds (1.9 rpg) and in steals (54), and was fourth in total rebounds (178), defensive rebounds (4.7 rpg) and rebounding average (5.6). Terry averaged 20.0 points per game in the Conference USA Championships, earning Tournament MVP honors, leading the Lady Pirates to their first-ever C-USA title.
Sophomore Jessica Slack (Mt. Perry, Ohio) was presented with the Scholar Athlete Award. She played in all 33 contests while getting the starting nod in 22. She averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. She set a new single season record this year in free throw percentage, shooting 84.0 from the charity stripe. Slack finished the season ranked second on the team in steals (60), three-point percentage (.270) and three-pointers made (33), third in assists (70), and fourth in field goals made (73). Off the court, Slack maintains a 3.71 GPA majoring in biology.
For her service and dedication to the Lady Pirates, athletic trainer Morgan Cooper received the Sixth Man Award.
In addition to the individual player recognitions, Baldwin-Tener presented senior plaques to Amanda Mills and Cherie Mills.
The Lady Pirates enjoyed their best season in 14 years as the team went 19-14 and 11-5 in Conference USA action, and enjoyed a 10-game winning streak, the 4th longest in the nation. ECU won its first ever C-USA Championship and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years.
2007 East Carolina Women’s Basketball Awards
Most Valuable Player: Jasmine Young
Coaches Award: Amanda Mills
Defensive Award: Nicole Days
Rebounding Award: Cherie Mills
Scholar Athlete: Jessica Slack
Deflection Award: Jasmine Young
Most Improved Player: LaCoya Terry
Sixth Man Award: Morgan Cooper
CONFERENCE USA
Team Conf. All
Rice 13-2 34-11
Houston 9-3 23-17
Memphis 9-6 27-16
East Carolina 6-5 28-13
Tulane 8-7 29-14
UAB 5-7 18-25
Southern Miss 6-9 25-18
Marshall 2-9 17-22
UCF 1-11 19-23
ATLANTIC COAST
Atlantic Division
Team Conf. All
Florida State 15-3 37-6
Clemson 11-7 27-14
N.C. State 11-10 28-14
Boston College 9-12 16-22
Wake Forest 8-13 24-22
Maryland 7-14 23-21
Coastal Division
Team Conf. All
North Carolina 14-7 35-9
Virginia 13-7 34-10
Georgia Tech 13-7 26-15
Miami 11-10 26-17
Duke 6-15 26-17
Virginia Tech 4-17 18-24