FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dustin Semanovak, ODU
April 6, 2011

Evans, Six, Franklin Headline Women’s Basketball Team

NORFOLK, Va. – James Madison guard Dawn Evans has been selected as Player of the Year, Hampton head coach David Six is the Coach of the Year, and Virginia guard Ataira Franklin was picked as the Rookie of the Year in the annual voting by the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID) for the 2011 University Division All-State Women’s Basketball Team.

Evans, a 5-7 senior from Clarksville, Tenn., was third in the nation in scoring (23.1 ppg) during the 2010-11 season. The Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year ends her remarkable career as both the leading all-time scorer at James Madison and in the CAA. Evans was named Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association State Farm All-America Honorable Mention this season. The senior led the Dukes to a 26-8 record, including a 16-2 mark in the CAA, while guiding JMU to the CAA Tournament title and to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Six led Hampton to a 25-7 overall record en route to being named the MEAC Coach of the Year. Six and the Lady Pirates posted a 15-1 conference mark and won both the MEAC regular season and tournament titles. Six has guided Hampton to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and the Lady Pirates nearly upset No. 4 seed Kentucky in the first round of NCAA play, narrowly falling to the Wildcats in overtime.

Franklin, a 5-11 freshman from Bowie, Md., averaged 9.3 points and 4.2 rebounds while starting 26 games for Virginia. The guard out of Riverdale Baptist High School was named to the 2011 ACC All-Freshman Team and was selected as the ACC Rookie of the Week on February 14. Franklin played in 34 games for the Cavaliers, leading the ACC shooting 48% from three-point range.

Evans was joined on the VaSID First Team by James Madison teammate Lauren Jimenez, VCU junior Courtney Hurt, Richmond senior Brittani Shells and Liberty junior Avery Warley. Jimenez averaged 14.1 points and 8.5 points while being named Second Team All-CAA. Hurt led the nation with 25 double-doubles as the junior averaged a remarkable 23.2 points and a NCAA-leading 12.4 rebounds a game. Shells ends her career at Richmond as a three-time first team all-conference selection and as the programs second all-time leading scorer. Warley averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds a contest en route to being named First Team All-Big South Conference and the Big South Defensive Player of the Year.

The VaSID Second Team included VCU junior Andrea Barbour (16.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), Hampton junior Jericka Jenkins (13.4 points, 7.2 assists), Old Dominion junior Tia Lewis (12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, Hampton senior Quanneisha Perry (12.7 points, 9.0 rebounds) and Old Dominion senior Jasmine Parker (11.8 points, 3.2 steals).

Honorable mention honors went to Liberty sophomore Devon Brown, Virginia freshman Ataira Franklin, Richmond senior Crystal Goring, Virginia junior Ariana Moorer and William & Mary junior Taysha Pye.