Keneca Pingue-Giles, a fifth-year 5-7 guard from Ryerson University, was named recipient of the Nan Cop Award while becoming the first woman in school history to win a national player of year award. Pingue-Giles was named both the OUA offensive and defensive player of the year, while being named the OUA first-team all-star squad for the second consecutive season. She finished second in the Ontario conference and seventh in the country in scoring with 17.6 points per game, ranked first in the nation in steals with 79, and was fifth in the OUA in assists (77 or 4.1 apg). The Winnipeg native averaged 29.5 mpg and 6.8 (130) rpg, while helping the Rams with the OUA East division regular season title with a 16-3 record. The criminology graduate and public policy and administration master’s student, “has been a trailblazer during her time at Ryerson. In addition to her relentless competitiveness being a major part of establishing our program as a national contender, individually she has improved every year and this is a testament to what can be accomplished with dedication, drive and passion,” said Rams coach Carly Clarke. “As the first Ryerson female student-athlete to be recognized with this award, I am incredibly proud of the impact she has had and the legacy she will leave with our women’s basketball program, Ryerson athletics, and our university as a whole.” The other nominees were guard Paloma Anderson of Acadia, forward Jessica Lubin of UQAM and guard Laura Dally of Saskatchewan.
Saint Mary’s guard Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse became the first AUS player to be named recipient of the defensive player of the year award. The 5-7 guard led the AUS and was second in the country in steals with 3.4 per game. She also ranked second on the team with 6.9 rebounds and was the all-around leader of a defensive unit that allowed only 54.0 points per contest, good for first in the conference and second in the nation. The Montreal native also averaged 11.9 ppg. Luberisse was a second-team AUS all-star. “Kennisha is very deserving of this award. She guards the opposition’s top perimeter player every game. She can guard positions 1-4 on the floor on any given night. She is also relied upon to disrupt the other team’s offence, be it in the full court or the half court,” said Huskies coach Scott Munro. “Kennisha is relentless in her pursuit of the ball when rebounding on both the offensive and defensive glass. She is a game-changer defensively and played a huge part in the Huskies overall defence this season.” The other nominees were guards Quételine Célestin of UQAM, Keneca Pingue-Giles of Ryerson and Jessilyn Fairbanks of Alberta.
Alberta guard Brooklyn Legault was named recipient of the Kathy Shields award. The 6-1 forward and phys ed & recreation student from North Vancouver started 19 of 20 league game while helping the Pandas to a 17-3 record in Canada West play. She averaged 23 mpg, 6.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg (91 boards, including 38 on the offensive glass) in league play, including 2.7 offensive boards. She blocked 20 shots (7th in the conference) and reached double digits in scoring six times, including a pair of 12-point performances, her season high. “Brooklyn has improved so rapidly over the course of this season,” said Pandas coach Scott Edwards. “To start every game in such a tough conference as a rookie is a difficult task. She was able to perform so well because she is so coachable, and her basketball intelligence is really high. We are thrilled to see her progress so far and look forward to the future for Brooklyn.” The other nominees were guard Chelsea Provo of St. Francis Xavier, guard Gladys Hakizimana of McGill and forward Julia Curran of Western.
McGill’s Ryan Thorne was named recipient of the Peter Ennis Award. A 41-year-old resident of Ile-Bizard, Que., he guided the Martlets to their fifth straight first-place finish in the RSEQ, posting a stellar 15-1 record and the nation’s stingiest defence, allowing just 50.7 points per game. His troops also led the CIS in steals per game (6.5) and blocked shots (4.1), were second in free-throw percentage (76.2) and fifth in three-point shooting (33.8). The team also reached the top of the national rankings for the first time in program history, earning the No. 1 spot in each of the last three coaches’ polls of the campaign. In his 13th season as head coach at McGill, Thorne entered the CIS Final Eight championship with a 204-172 career record in 376 games overall, including a 116-93 regular season mark. A six-time recipient of the RSEQ coach-of-the-year award, Thorne has also coached various Quebec provincial teams and was an assistant coach at the 2015 FISU Summer Games in South Korea. “We are very proud of Ryan and the hard work he has put into guiding the Martlets to the top of the CIS rankings,” said interim McGill athletic director Phil Quintal. “Not only has he put together a team that demonstrates excellence on the court, Ryan has also assembled a group of players that excel in the classroom. He is to be applauded for recruiting and developing some of the best student-athletes in the country and setting the highest of standards for himself and all involved with the Martlet basketball program.” The other nominees were Scott Munro of Saint Mary’s, Andy Sparks of Ottawa and Lisa Thomaidis of Saskatchewan.
Joining Pingue-Giles of Ryerson on the All-Canadian first team were Jessica Lubin (UQAM); Paloma Anderson (Acadia); Laura Dally (Saskatchewan); and Danielle Boiago (McMaster). …………………………………………………… Anderson, a third-year guard and arts student from Phoenix, Arizona, averaged 18.7 ppg. The 5-1 guard was the AUS player of the year as she led Axewomen to a 16-4 regular season record. She averaged 4.4 apg. “We are very proud of Paloma’s achievement, and it is something that she has committed herself toward, and worked hard for this season,” said Axewomen coach Len Harvey. “I think above all else, as an undersized guard, her being named the MVP among many deserving candidates is even more impressive. She has taken over games at times this season, and has been a fantastic ‘finisher’ in tight games. Everyone at Acadia is excited for her, and proud of her winning this well-deserved award.” …………………………………………………… Dally, a fifth-year guard and kinesiology student from Bright’s Grove, Ontario, averaged 17.2 ppg. She was named the Canada West player of the year, after finishing third in league scoring with 344 points this season, first in free throw percentage at 87.1, and third in three-pointers with 52 all while starting all 20 of Saskatchewan’s games. “Laura has had an amazing season and we are so proud of how she has continued to improve her overall game,” said Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis. “She has become much more than just an outstanding shooter, and this is a reflection of the countless hours that she puts into her game. She is an exceptional individual and most deserving of this tremendous honour.” …………………………………………………… Lubin, a 3rd-year forward and English student from Montreal, averaged 15.3 ppg was named RSEQ player of the year. The 6-1 post hit .460 from the floor and nabbed 8.7 rpg, while averaging 1.0 bpg and 1.9 spg. …………………………………………………Boiago, a 4th-year guard and kinesiology student from Hamilton St. Thomas More Collegiate, averaged 17.4 ppg to finish third in the OUA in scoring. She was named an OUA first-team all-star for the second consecutive season. Boiago also nabbed 110 boards (7.0 rpg). She averaged 3.9 apg and 2.5 spg.
The 2nd-team featured Jessilyn Fairbanks (Alberta); Kayli Sartori (Fraser Valley); Alex Kiss-Rusk (McGill); Alison Keough (Cape Breton); and Charlotte Kot (Regina). …………………………………………………… Fairbanks, a 5th-year guard and medicine & dentistry student from Edmonton, was named Canada West defensive player of the year. She finished third in the conference in steals with 58 while starting all 20 games for the Pandas, who went 17-3 during the regular season. She also nabbed 56 defensive boards, forced 54 turnovers and pilfered 58 balls “Jessilyn has had a tremendous season. She is a rare player that can significantly impact the game at both ends of the floor. To see her honoured as the Defensive Player of the Year speaks to her work ethic, determination and team first approach,” said Pandas coach Scott Edwards. …………………………………………………… Satori, a 4th-year forward and general studies student from Abbotsford W.U. Mouat Secondary, averaged 18.4 ppg to win the Canada West scoring title and finish fourth in CIS scoring. The 6-1 guard also ranked among the league leaders in rebounding (7.7 per game, 11th), assists (4.5 apg, fourth), blocks (1.5 bpg, fourth) and steals (2.3 spg, eighth), and was subsequently named a Canada West first team all-star. “It’s a tremendous honour for Kayli to receive this All-Canadian award, and it’s well-deserved,” said Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer said. “Her statistics indicate what a tremendous all-around impact she had for our team this season, and she also made huge contributions as a teammate and a leader.” …………………………………………………… Kiss-Rusk, a 3rd-year forward and arts student from Beaconsfield, Que., averaged 13.6 ppg. The Virginia Tech transfer was a an RSEQ first team all-star. She finished fourth in the CIS in blocks with 33 and seventh in field goal percentage with 53.3. She averaged 25.7 mpg and 7.8 rpg, while shooting 25-43 (.581) from the free throw line and garnering 15 assists and 14 steals in league play. …………………………………………………… Keough, a 3rd-year forward and science student from Marion Bridge, N.S., averaged 18.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 1.6 apg, while shooting .500 from the floor and .699 from the line. …………………………………………………… Kot, a 4th-year forward and kinesiology & health studies student from Regina, averaged 16.3 ppg and 8.6 rpg in Canada West play, while blocking 15 shots, shooting. 523 from the floor and pilfering 19 balls. “Charlotte had a great year in leading us back to the national tournament,” Cougars coach Dave Taylor. “She was a consistent scorer and rebounder for us in each game and she’s extremely deserving of this honour. Charlotte’s work ethic over the past four seasons has been outstanding and her leadership is exceptionally important to this team.”
Joining Legault on the all-rookie team were Julia Curran (Western); Kaylee Anagnostopoulos (Windsor); Gladys Hakizimana (McGill); and Maria Mongomo (Northern British Columbia). …………………………………………………… Curran, a forward and Brescia College student from Waterloo, averaged 6.8 ppg and a team-high 7.5 rpg while being named OUA rookie to the year. Curran hit .387 from the floor and .612 from the line, while garnering 0.2 apg. …………………………………………………… Anagnostopoulos, a guard and forensic science student from Waterloo, was named the OUA all-rookie squad, while averaging 6.1 ppg and 2.3 rpg. …………………………………………………… Hakizimana, a guard and social work student from Montreal, averaged 7.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg. The 5-7 guard was named the RSEQ rookie of the year and hit .406 from the floor 39-96), .348 from the arc (16-.46) and .875 from the line (28-38). She also notched 51 assists and 13 steals in 16 games. …………………………………………………… Mongomo, a 5-9 guard and English language student from Las Palmas, Spain, averaged 17.5 ppg. She also averaged 7.0 rpg, 2.5 spg and 2.6 apg in 12 Canada West games before returning to Spain for visa reasons. She hit .396 from the floor, .311 from the arc and .750 from the line.