Klug, Alsdurf Earn C-USA Honors

March 5, 2002

CHICAGO -- Two Marquette players earned post season honors from Conference USA, as announced at the pre-tournament banquet on Feb. 28. Junior center Rachel Klug was named second team All-C-USA and freshman guard Katie Alsdurf was named to the All-Freshman Team.

Klug led the Golden Eagles in scoring in the 2000-01 season. A career 2.4 points per game scorer heading into the year, Klug upped her average from a year ago from 3.1 to 13.0, tops on the team. Klug scored in double figures 19 times this season, tossing in a career high 23 against Dayton and 20 or more three other times. Klug led Marquette in scoring 16 times this season. She is 23rd in the nation in shooting percentage at 56.6.

Alsdurf was integral to the Marquette offense in 2001-02. She attempted more shots (239) than everyone on the team except Rachel Klug. She finished second to Klug on the squad in scoring at 7.3. Alsdurf set a career high with 19 points against Dayton on Dec. 12. She scored double figures nine times on the year, leading the team in scoring with 11 against Charlotte. She also came off the bench for 13 points against East Carolina.

Jeff Mittie was named Coach of the Year after steering the Horned Frogs to the conference's regular season title in TCU's first year as a member of Conference USA. It marked the second year in a row that Mittie has been named a conference Coach of the Year, as the Western Athletic Conference bestowed that honor upon him last season after he led the Frogs to their first-ever NCAA Tournament win. This season, TCU has compiled a 12-2 league mark and an overall record of 22-5. The Frogs are ranked 25th in the nation entering their first Conference USA Tournament.

Houston's Chandi Jones followed up her Freshman of the Year honor last season by being named C-USA's Player of the Year as a sophomore, just the second underclassmen to win the honor. She returned from a torn ACL that caused her to miss the final 12 games of last season to lead Conference USA in scoring at 22.5 points per game, scoring at a 25.6 clip per outing in conference play. Jones reached the 1,000-point plateau faster than any other player in league history, reaching the milestone in 46 games, 11 games faster than anyone else. She has reached double-figure scoring in all 47 of her career games.

Joining Jones on the first team are a pair of sophomores and a pair of seniors. Second-year guards Valerie King of Cincinnati and Sara Nord of Louisville are joined by senior forwards Lenae Williams of DePaul and Kati Safaritova of TCU. King has helped the Bearcats to the No. 23 ranking in this week's polls and averages 19.1 points per game, while leading C-USA in free throw percentage at just under 91 percent. Nord led the nation in assists nearly all season (currently second at 8.1 per game) and ranks in the top 10 in the league in free throw shooting (second), steals (seventh) and three-point field goals made (seventh). Williams ranks second in Conference USA in scoring average at 22.5 per game and has connected on a league-high 86 three-pointers. She holds the C-USA record and ranks third in NCAA history with 319 three-point field goals made. Safaritova leads a balanced TCU attack in scoring at 13.4 points per game, while placing among the league leaders in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

The All-Conference second team includes: Klug, Memphis junior center Shannon Hamp, junior center Teana McKiver of Tulane, freshman center Debbie Merrill of Cincinnati and UAB sophomore forward Natasha Thomas.

Named to the All-Conference third team were three forwards, junior Alicia Abernathy of Charlotte, freshman Sandora Irvin of TCU and sophomore Angie Lewis of Saint Louis, along with a pair of junior guards in Cincinnati's K.B. Sharp and Louisville's Marju Sober.

Cincinnati senior Debbie Merrill was named Freshman of the Year after leading all freshmen scorers at 15.3 per game, while ranking second among first-year players in rebounding at 8.4 per contest. Joining Merrill on the All-Freshman team is Katie Alsdurf of Marquette, Shondra Bush of Houston, Jenni Dant of DePaul and Sondora Irvin of TCU.

The league's Sixth Player of the Year award went to TCU's Grace Gantt, while Defensive Player of the Year honors were given to guard Nicole Oliver of Houston. Gantt averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game off the bench for the Horned Frogs, while Oliver ranked sixth in the conference in steals while helping the Cougars limit their opponents to 64.3 points per game.

Just two of the 15 players that earned all-conference recognition were seniors. A total of seven honorees were underclassmen. Cincinnati had the most overall selections with three, while Louisville and TCU each had two.

Conference USA award winners were selected by a panel including the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.

2002 CONFERENCE USA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS

All-Conference First Team Chandi Jones, Houston, F, So., Bay City, Texas Valerie King, Cincinnati, G, So., Washington Courthouse, Ohio Sara Nord, Louisville, G, So., Jeffersonville, Ind. Kati Safaritova, TCU, F, Sr., Samorin, Slovakia Lenae Williams, DePaul, F, Sr., Addison, Ill.

Second Team Shannon Hamp, Memphis, C, Jr., Monroe, La. Rachel Klug, Marquette, F, Jr., Cedar Grove, Wis. Teana McKiver, Tulane, C, Jr., Beulaville, La. Debbie Merrill, Cincinnati, C, Fr., Cumberland City, Tenn. Natasha Thomas, UAB, F, So,. Moulton, Ala.

Third Team Alicia Abernathy, Charlotte, F, Jr., Hickory, N.C. Sandora Irvin, TCU, F, Fr. Ft., Lauderdale, Fla. Angie Lewis, Saint Louis, F, So., St. Louis, Mo. K.B. Sharp, Cincinnati, G, Jr., Columbus, Ohio Marju Sober, Louisville, G, Jr., Lexington, Ky.

All-Freshman Team Katie Alsdurf, Marquette, G, Fr., Forest Lake, Minn. Shondra Bush, Houston, G, Fr., Crosby, Texas Jenni Dant, DePaul, G, Fr,. Lincolnshire, Ill. Sandora Irvin, TCU, F, Fr., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Debbie Merrill, Cincinnati, C, Fr., Cumberland City, Tenn.

Coach of the Year Jeff Mittie, TCU

Player of the Year Chandi Jones, F, Houston

Freshman of the Year Debbie Merrill, C, Cincinnati

Defensive Player of the Year Nicole Oliver, G, Houston

Sixth Player of the Year Grace Gantt, F, TCU