The University of Akron Athletics
Murphy, Baumgartner Earn All-MAC Postseason Honors
March 10 | Women's Basketball
Two local women's basketball products, sophomore Kara
Murphy and freshman Kyle Baumgartner each garnered
All-Mid-American Conference honors when the postseason awards were
announced at the league banquet Tuesday night.
Murphy, the MAC's leading scorer, became just the second player in
the history of the Akron women's basketball program to earn first
team honors while Baumgartner was named to the All-Freshman
Team.
It is the second straight season Murphy has picked up All-MAC
postseason honors as the former St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
standout was named to the all-league third team and all-freshman
squad a year ago. Furthermore, she was a preseason All-MAC
selection this year.
Murphy joins Akron's career scoring leader, Cheryl Bowles, as the
only UA players to be named to the All-MAC first team. Bowles, who
recorded 1,712 points during her four-year Zips' career,
accomplished the feat following her senior season in 1999-00.
Coincidentally, Murphy broke Bowles' single-season scoring record
(497) at Buffalo last month and is just three points shy of
becoming the youngest player in school history to record 1,000
points for her career.
Baumgartner is the fifth UA player to be named to the MAC
All-Freshman Team in the past four seasons, following Murphy and
Keyla Snowden in 2007-08, Sarah
Tokodi in 2006-07 and Niki McCoy in 2005-06. The 6-foot,
3-inch center wasted little time getting acclimated to the college
ranks; posting a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in her
first game to lead UA to an upset of Michigan in the season
opener.
It was the first of a team-high four double-doubles turned in by
the former North Canton Hoover High School star, who also
accomplished the feat against Sam Houston State (15-10), Bowling
Green (21-13) and Miami (17-15). Her 15 rebounds against the
RedHawks was the most recorded by an Akron player since the 2002-03
season.
In all, Baumgartner, who is second on the team with a scoring
average of 9.8 points per game, has led the Zips in scoring three
times while leading the team in rebounding 14. She enters
Wednesday's MAC Tournament game ranked 30th in the league in
scoring, sixth in rebounding (7.1 rpg), 10th in field goal
percentage (.473), seventh in blocked shots (0.97/game) and third
for defensive rebounds (5.07/game).
The awards banquet signals the tip-off of this week's conference
festivities that conclude on Sunday, March 15th with the
conference's championship game at Quicken Loans Arena.
The fifth-seeded Zips (11-18) will square off against fourth-seeded
Central Michigan (17-13) Wednesday in the first round of the 2009
Kraft MAC Women's Basketball Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Tip
time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (EST).
Bowling Green's head coach Curt Miller and Toledo's first-year head
coach Tricia Cullop were named Co-MAC Coaches of the Year. Miller
enters the MAC Tournament with an overall record of 176-71 in his
eighth season, and has a MAC record of 94-34 through the 2008-09
regular season. He is the winningest coach in school history, and
is tied for fourth on the MAC list. In MAC games only, he is
deadlocked for eighth among conference coaches.
The league also announced its specialty awards with Falcons'
sophomore Lauren Prochaska taking home Player of the Year
accolades. Joining Prochaska with specialty award recognition was
Freshman of the Year Brandie Baker of Central Michigan, Defensive
Player of the Year Porchia Green of Ball State and Sixth Player of
the Year Marke Freeman of Northern Illinois.
All-MAC First Team
Porchia Green, Ball State, Guard
Anna Kowalska, Kent State, Center
Kara Murphy, Akron, Forward
Tracy Pontius, Bowling Green, Point Guard
Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green, Guard
All-MAC Second Team
Kourtney Brown, Buffalo, Post
Lauren Hmiel, Ohio, Guar
Britni Houghton, Central Michigan, Forward
Tanika Mays, Toledo, Forward
Jenna Schone, Miami, Guard
All-MAC Third Team
Jennifer Bushby, Ohio, Guard
Tiera DeLaHoussaye, Western Michigan, Point Guard
Danielle Gratton, Ball State, Forward
Emily Maggert, Ball State, Forward
Jessie Wilcox, Northern Illinois, Guard
All-MAC Honorable Mention
Angel Chan, Central Michigan, Guard
Ebony Ellis, Northern Illinois, Center
Jamilah Humes, Kent State, Guard
Cassie Schrock, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Naama Shafir, Toledo, Guard
All-MAC Freshman Team
Brandie Baker, Central Michigan, Guard
Kyle Baumgartner, Akron, Center
Miame Giden, Western Michigan, Guard/Forward
Tavelyn James, Eastern Michigan, Guard
Naama Shafir, Toledo, Guard
2009 MAC Specialty Awards
Co-Coaches of the Year: Tricia Cullop, Toledo; Curt
Miller, Bowling Green
Player of the Year: Lauren Prochaska, Bowling
Green
Defensive Player of the Year: Porchia Green, Ball
State
Sixth Player of the Year: Marke Freeman, Northern
Illinois
Freshman of the Year: Brandie Baker, Central
Michigan
