Monday, February 22, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Tara Davis led ETSU to a perfect 1-0 record last week and helped keep the Lady Bucs’ regular season title hopes within reach. For her performance, Davis claimed the first Player of the Week award of her career, the conference office announced on Monday.

Davis scored a game-high 22 points and recorded seven rebounds and seven assists, as she helped guide ETSU to a 77-67 win at Campbell on Thursday night in Buies Creek. The junior guard set career highs with 13 made free throws and seven rebounds in 34 minutes of action; while keeping the Lady Bucs’ regular season title hopes within reach.

The only place to watch the Wednesday and Thursday quarterfinal action from next week’s General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Championships comes courtesy ASun.TV. All eight quarterfinal games, scheduled for noon, 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. will be offered for free.

Fans can follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and on Facebook. Visit twitter.com/AtlanticSun to begin receiving updates on conference news, weekly awards, and from A-Sun championships. Atlantic Sun followers with a Facebook account can become a "fan" of the conference by visiting facebook.com/AtlanticSunConference.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Tonisha Baker, Campbell (Fr. - G - High Point, N.C. - Undeclared) – Baker led Campbell on the week with 12.0 points per game, notching an even dozen in both of the Lady Camels' games. Against ETSU on Thursday, the rookie guard added four rebounds, an assist and a block in 24 minutes, as CU fell 77-67, in what was a two-point game with four minutes remaining. Baker averaged a team-best 14.0 points per game against the Atlantic Sun Tournament's No. 1 seed in two games this season, also grabbing 16 points in a loss in Johnson City. In a narrow 76-74 loss against USC Upstate, the High Point, N.C. native tied a season-best with seven rebounds, and added personal bests of six steals and five assists. Baker ranks second among all A-Sun freshmen in scoring and third overall in field goal percentage, and also ranks second on the team in assists and steals.

Tee’Ara Copney, USC Upstate (Fr. - Guard - Asheville, N.C. - Undeclared) – Copney willed USC Upstate to a 76-74 win at Campbell on Saturday. Down by five points with 1:51 left, the freshman guard led the Spartans on a 9-2 run to finish off the Camels. Copney finished with 18 points and a career-high five assists, also adding four steals. The Asheville, N.C. native became just the sixth freshman at USC Upstate to reach 60 steals during the game. Copney also helped the Spartans clinch no worse than a tie for third in the A-Sun with the win.

Sametria Gideon, Kennesaw State (Fr. - Forward - Madison, Ala. - Sports Medicine) – Gideon fell one rebound short of consecutive double-double as Kennesaw State clinched its spot in the A-Sun Championships with a pair of wins against Jacksonville and UNF. Against the Dolphins, Gideon tied for team-high honors with 12 points while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds, lifting the Lady Owls to a 65-62, win. In Saturday's win versus the UNF, Gideon scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including six offensive, to help KSU to a 63-59, win. The leading freshman rebounder in the A-Sun, Gideon stands as the leader in offensive rebounds in league games and ranks fourth in the A-Sun in conference contests.

Adrianne McNally, FGCU (Sr. - Forward - Howell, Mich. - Nursing) – In FGCU's 64-45 win against Lipscomb, McNally, a senior forward, chipped in with 11 points, to go along with four rebounds, one defensive and three offensive. The defensive rebound marked the nursing major’s 405th career defensive rebound, giving her the most defensive rebounds in school history and passing former record holder Robyn Swain. In FGCU's 67-46 win versus Belmont on Senior Day, McNally scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, making her FGCU’s all-time leader in rebounds. The Howell, Mich. native now leads the Eagles in 10 different statistical categories all-time,