Marquette University Athletics
Kieger, Quaye Named to All-BIG EAST Second Team
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 3, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. - Three Marquette women's basketball players were honored by the BIG EAST at tonight's pre-tournament banquet.
Senior Carolyn Kieger and junior Christina Quaye were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, while Krystal Ellis was selected to the league's All-Freshman team. Additionally, Kieger was honored with the BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award.
On the court, Kieger leads the BIG EAST - and ranks fifth nationally - in assists, at 6.7 per game. The Roseville, Minn. native is also one of 11 players nationally nominated for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is presented to the top point guard in Division I. She also averages 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.
Off the court, the senior point guard is very active in the Marquette and Milwaukee communities. She was the leading fundraiser for MU's Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-a-thon and is a frequent contributor to Marquette's Student-Athlete Speakers Bureau, which visits local schools, community groups, and youth teams. She also visits several Milwaukee-area schools to give motivational speeches and run basketball clinics.
For the second consecutive year, Quaye leads the Golden Eagles in scoring (13.9) and rebounding (5.9). It is also the second consecutive season the 6-2 center was named to the all-conference second team. Quaye was a member of the 2005 All-Conference USA second team a year ago. The Chicago native was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll three times this season and has led MU in scoring 10 different times.
Ellis was selected to the five-player All-Freshman team. She ranks third on the Golden Eagles in scoring this season, at 9.3 points per contest. Her 11.7 points in conference play is the second-best scoring average among all BIG EAST freshman, and her 1.7 steals per contest ranks her 10th in the league. Twice named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week this season, she has led Marquette in scoring six times, including two key road wins at West Virginia (23 points) and at #23 St. John's (21 points).
"We always value the team effort, but it is nice to have several individuals honored by the BIG EAST coaches." said head coach Terri Mitchell. "When you think of all the great teams and coaches in this conference - the best in the country - it is truly a tremendous honor."
"Additionally, with Carolyn's award, it is a special night." Mitchell added. "We always talk about her leadership on the court during games, but it is her efforts off the court that are truly commendable. She devotes a lot of her time and has a true sense of service. We're proud of all her efforts and thank the BIG EAST for recognizing them."
The #9 seeded Golden Eagles open play in the BIG EAST Championship tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. CST, when they take on #8 Villanova at the Hartford Civic Center. Kyle Dlabay and Lesley Juedes will call all the action live via the internet on Yahoo! Sports.
