Montmorency point guard Marika Guérin was named national player of the year. “Marika makes things go for her team,” said Mireille Beland, CCAA women’s basketball convenor. “She’s a great team leader, deadly at the foul line, and does defense well. She’s just very good overall.” The former CCAA national championship all-star shot .850 from the line and helped the Nomads to an unblemished (20-0) regular season and the postseason RSEQ crown. She was also named RSEQ player of the year. Other candidates for the national honour were Lacey Knox of the St Lawrence Vikings, Jocelyn Jones of the VIU Mariners, Bhreagh Moore of the UKC Blue Devils and Megan Wood of the MacEwan Griffins.
Vancouver Island’s Bill McWhinnie was named national coach of the year. “The team’s had a great year,” says Mireille Beland, CCAA women’s basketball convenor. “They improved their record, made solid performances and had a winning record in their league.” The VIU Mariners went 20-1 in the regular season, an improvement over a 2012-13 record of 15-6. They occupied the top spot in the PACWEST rankings and took third at the PACWEST provincial championship. “I want to develop student-athletes on and off the court, and challenge players to be the best they can possibly be,” said McWhinnie. The other candidates were Fred Connors of the STU Tommies, Guillaume Giroux of the Nomades de Montmorency, Heather LaFontaine of the Durham Lords and Rob Poole of the MacEwan Griffins.
Joining Guerin
as All-Canadians were: Deanna Dotts (Lethbridge). Dotts led the Kodiaks to a
17-3 record after leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, free
throw and field goal percentages, as well as leading the ACAC in steals. She
was selected a first-team ACAC South all-star. …………………………………………………… Jocelyn
Jones (Vancouver Island). Jones led the PacWest in assists and was second in
scoring. A two-time All-Canadian, she was named PacWest player of the year. ……………………………………………………
Lacey Knox (St. Lawrence). For the second consecutive year, Knox was a CCAA
All-Canadian, the OCAA Player of the Year and the OCAA scoring leader. She also
led the country in scoring with a 20.1 ppg. The 4th-year post scored
321 points while contributing 127 rebounds, 41 steals, 37 assists and 24
blocks. Knox was also an OCAA East first-team all-star. …………………………………………………… Bhreagh
Moore (University of King’s College). In her final season, Moore surpassed 1,000
career points and earned titles as ACAA Player of the Week, ACAA Player of the
Year and CCAA Player of the Month. The CCAA All-Canadian laurel was her second
consecutive. She was named a first-team ACAA all-star. …………………………………………………… Aija
Salvador (Camosun). The third-year shooting guard dominated the PacWest with
her three-point shooting. She led the Chargers in scoring for six straight
games, including 33 points in a single match. She was named a first-team
PacWest all-star. …………………………………………………… Shylanda Saunders (Sheridan). Averaging
18.7 points per game, Saunders won the OCAA west division scoring title and
finished second overall in the conference with an 18.7 ppg. A native of East
Preston, Nova Scotia, the third-year point guard notched 318 points, 128
rebounds, 52 assists and 24 steals. She was also an OCAA West first-team all-star.
…………………………………………………… Sarah St. Fort (Dawson). The 5-9 guard was named a
first-team RSEQ all-star and led the Blues in scoring. …………………………………………………… Kelly
Vass (St. Thomas). Vass led the CCAA in assists and the ACAA in steals. She was
a first-team All-Star at last year’s CCAA national championship in 2012-13. She
was named the ACAA defensive player of the year and was a first-team all-star. ……………………………………………………
Megan Wood (MacEwan). Wood was named ACAC player of the year and finished
second in the country in scoring with a 19.91 ppg, while shooting .490 from the
arc. She led the Griffins to a 19-2 record and the ACAC provincial title. “Megan
Wood has an exceptional skill set for a post player at the collegiate level in
Canada. Her ability to score both inside and from beyond the three-point arc
has presented a formidable challenge for opposing teams throughout the year,” said
Griffins coach Rob Poole. “In transition she runs to space and scores both on
the block and from the perimeter with a serious threat to score on every catch.
She has been one of the nation’s top scorers shooting a respectable 58% from
the field and an amazing 49% from beyond the three-point arc.” She was a
first-team ACAC North all-star.