2008 Conference USA Women's Basketball Honors

IRVING, TEXAS (March 5, 2008) After leading UTEP to its best season ever, sophomore guard Jareica Hughes was voted the 2008 Conference USA Player of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday. UTEP's Natasha Lacy was voted the C-USA Newcomer of the Year, while head coach Keitha Adams was selected the Coach of the Year. Taking C-USA Freshman of Year honors was UCF rookie Tia Lewis, while another freshman, UAB's Amanda Peterson, captured the league's Sixth Player of the Year award. The 2008 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year award went to SMU's Sharee Shepherd.

2008 C-USA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL INDIVIDUAL HONORS

C-USA women's basketball coaches, sports information directors and selected media members participated in the voting.

No. 18/24 UTEP set numerous records this season as the Miners (25-2, 16-0 C-USA) became the first team in league history to go unbeaten in Conference USA play, thereby earning the No. 1 seed in this week's championship.

Hughes becomes just the second sophomore in C-USA history to be named Player of the Year. Houston's Chandi Jones received this honor three consecutive seasons starting with her sophomore campaign. The 5-3 guard and a member of the All-C-USA first team, Hughes led the Miners in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while her 5.42 assists per game ranked 25th nationally. She is the only player in the league to rank in the top five for assists, assist-to-turnover ratio and steals, top 10 for scoring and 15th in defensive rebounding.

Lacy also collected C-USA All-Defensive team and All-C-USA second team accolades on Tuesday as well as All-Academic honors last Friday. She was one of only two players on the squad to start every game and one of four, including Hughes, who averaged better than 10 points per game. The El Paso, Texas, native ranked among the league's top 20 in five different categories, including second in steals, fifth in assists and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio as well as 12th in scoring and 17th in rebounding. Making her defensive accomplishments even more impressive was the fact that she ranked ninth in minutes played (34.1 mpg) and only averaged 2.0 fouls per game. Lacy, who has already earned her undergraduate degree, boasts an impressive 3.66 GPA while pursuing a master's degree in education.

Adams guided UTEP to its first national ranking, a perfect C-USA record (16-0) and the nation's best 21-game winning streak heading into C-USA Championship action Thursday. The seventh-year head coach also has four players averaging in double figures in scoring and eight playing more than 10 minutes per game.

Peterson, a member of C-USA's All-Freshman team, has played in all 29 regular season games for the Blazers. The 5-10 guard averages 8.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg and is UAB's top threat from 3-point range. She has connected on a team-high 60 3-pointers for an average of 2.07 treys per game, third most in the conference. Peterson ranks eighth in the league with a .353 shooting percentage from long range, hitting 60 of 170 3-point shots. Peterson and the Blazers enter the 2008 C-USA Championship as the No. 3 seed with a league record of 10-6.

Setting a C-USA single-game high with nine assists at UAB, Shepherd has guided SMU to a No. 2 seed and an overall record of 21-8. The Houston, Texas native has pocketed 85 thefts overall and 50 against league opponents this season. Shepherd was one steal away from a triple-double against the Blazers.

Lewis is fifth in the nation in rebounds, averaging 11.6 per game. The Knights' forward/center broke the school's single-season rebound record during Saturday's season finale against Memphis. She also averages 12.0 points a game and sports 14 double-doubles on the season, second most in C-USA.

UCF welcomes players and fans from around the country as host of the 2008 Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship from Thursday, March 6, to Sunday, March 9, at the UCF Arena. The 11-game tournament will feature matchups involving all 12 C-USA programs and exciting promotions for students and staff, including free food, giveaways and drawings for trips to Las Vegas and Key West. The new 10,000-seat UCF Arena is a staple of the developing north end of the UCF campus.

2007-08 Conference USA Women's Basketball Individual Awards

Sixth Player of the Year
Amanda Peterson, UAB, 5-10, Fr., Homewood, Ala./Homewood

Defensive Player of the Year
Sharee Shepherd, SMU, 5-10, Sr., Houston, Texas/Dobie

Freshman of the Year
Tia Lewis, UCF, 6-3, F/C, Fr., Poulan, Ga./Worth County

Newcomer of the Year
Natasha Lacy, UTEP, 5-10, G, Sr., El Paso, Texas (TCU)


Player of the Year
Jareica Hughes, UTEP, 5-3, G, So., Southfield, Mich/Southfield-Lathrup

Coach of the Year
Keitha Adams, UTEP