COTTON NAMED TO THIRD TEAM ALL LOUISIANA APRIL 03, 2010 Natchitoches, La. – LSUS’ own Sharday Cotton was named to the third team all Louisiana team that was announced on Saturday. Cotton started in 28 of the 30 games she played in the 2009-2010 season and averaged a double-double with 10.9 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game. After having led her LSU Lady Tiger basketball team in scoring and rebounding while ending her career as the 13th all- time leading scorer in LSU history, Allison Hightower has been voted as the 2009-10 Louisiana Player of the Year, making her a repeat winner in the category. Hightower edged out Louisiana Tech’s Shanavia Dowdell by four first place votes in ballots submitted by university sports information directors and select members of the state’s media. Ricshanda Bickham and Alisha Allen, both of Nicholls, were named the state’s Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, respectively, while Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton was named Coach of the Year. Hightower averaged 18.2 points per game this season for the Lady Tigers as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She was a finalist for the State Farm All-America team, John Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Lowe’s Senior Class Award. She was also a unanimous All-SEC first team selection. Dowdell joins Hightower on the first team along with Bickham, Tulane’s Chassidy Brown, and Adrienne Johnson, also of Louisiana Tech. Dowdell was named this year’s WAC Player of the Year, earned first team All-WAC honors and was a member of the WAC All-Defensive team after averaging 18 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. She also led the nation with 22 double- double games. Dowdell led Tech back to the NCAA Tournament when she helped lead her team to the WAC tournament title. Johnson was also a big part of Louisiana Tech’s success this year as she earned first team All-WAC, WAC All-Defensive Team, and WAC All-Tournament Team honors. She averaged 16.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was three times named the WAC Player of the Week and a two-time LSWA Player of the Week throughout the season. Bickham led Nicholls in every major statistical category with the exception of rebounding. She averaged 18.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.5 steals per game and was named All-Southland Conference second team. Her steals average ranked fifth nationally. Brown earned WBCA All-Region VI honors this season as well as being named second team All-Conference USA, Conference USA All-Defensive and All-Tournament Team. She averaged 13.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as she helped guide the Green Wave to the C-USA regular season and tournament titles, and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Allen earned freshman of the year honors after she averaged 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds a game for the Lady Colonels. She scored in double figures 23 times this season and ranked second in rebounding in the SLC among all freshmen. Stockton was voted as the state’s coach of the year after she guided Tulane to a 26-7 record and a Conference USA regular season and tournament title as he team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. After overcoming several early season injuries where key players were lost for several games, she adjusted her team’s type of play as they went on to become one of the toughest defenses in the country. Voted onto the second team were Brittany Powell of Xavier, Tillisha Givens of Louisiana College, Trenese Smith of Loyola, LaSondra Barrett of LSU, and Hannah Kador of Southern. The third team was comprised of Tulane’s Danielle Nunn, Brittiany Houston of Northwestern State, ULL’s Mercedes Johnson, UNO’s Brittany Helm, and Sharday Cotton of LSU-Shreveport. PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Allison Hightower, LSU NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Ricshanda Bickham, Nicholls FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Alisha Allen, Nicholls COACH OF THE YEAR: Lisa Stockton, Tulane FIRST TEAM Allison Hightower, LSU Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech Chassidy Brown, Tulane Ricshanda Bickham, Nicholls Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech SECOND TEAM Brittany Powell, Xavier Tillisha Givens, Louisiana College Trenese Smith, Loyola LaSondra Barrett, LSU Hannah Kador, Southern THIRD TEAM Danielle Nunn, Tulane Brittiany Houston, Northwestern State Mercedes Johnson, Louisiana-Lafayette Brittany Helm, UNO Sharday Cotton, LSU Shreveport HONORABLE MENTION: Kendra Wells, McNeese State; Alexis Green, Louisiana-Lafayette; Tiffany Aidoo, Tulane; Freda Allen, Southern; Trudy Armstead, Northwestern State; Katherine Graham, LSU; Alisha Allen, Nicholls. LADY PILOTS FALL TO CAMPBELLSVILLE IN NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT MARCH 17, 2010 Jackson, TN- The LSU Shreveport Lady Pilots (23-7) lost in the first round on the NAIA Division I National Tournament to the Lady Tigers of Campbellsville University (32-2) by a final score of 64-55 on Wednesday morning at Oman Arena. The Lady Pilots trailed at the half by four, 25-21. LSU Shreveport shot 23% (7-30) from the field in the first half of play while the Lady Tigers made six of 31 (19%) attempts. The Lady Pilots made four out of 11 (36%) from long range while Campbellsville shot just 13% (13%) from the three-point line. The major difference in the statistics in the first half was at the free-throw line as Campbellsville made 11 of 13 (84%) while the Lady Pilots only had six attempts, making three (50%). The Lady Pilots shot better from the charity stripe in the second half at 66% (8-12) as the Lady Tigers made 11 more out of 18 (61%) attempts. CU made 50% of their shots taken from the field in the second half (13-26) while the Lady Pilots made 11 of 33 (33%). LSU Shreveport had a four-point lead with 12 minutes to go but the Lady Tigers took advantage of some Lady Pilot turnovers to tie the game with 10 minutes to play. The Lady Pilots would take the lead one more time after a layup from TiKandis Edwards with 8:56 to play. Campbellsville’s top scorer Whitney Ballinger made a three on the next possession to give the Lady Tigers the lead for the rest of the game. Renalda Stafford gave the Lady Pilots some hope after a three-point basket with 3:40 to play trimming the CU lead to five. Sharday Cotton brought the Lady Pilots within four after her layup with 3:17 to play. The deficit grew to six, then to nine before Stafford nailed one from down town to bring the Lady Pilots back within six with 1:10 remaining in the game. The Lady Pilots were forced to foul with less than a minute to play and the Lady Tigers made five out of eight free-throws down the stretch to put an end to the Lady Pilots season. The Lady Pilots had another great season winning 20 plus games for the second year in a row as they finished this season with 23 wins and only seven defeats. Now the Lady Pilots will prepare for next season but will have to say farewell to their seniors Valerie Huizar (San Antonio, TX), Renalda Stafford (Coushatta, LA), and Tish Flowers (Dallas, TX). Huizar finished her final game as a Lady Pilot with 13 points as she went five of nine from the field which included three of six from downtown. She also had two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one blocked shot in 38 minutes. Stafford had 10 points and was three of nine from the field which included three out of eight from the three-point line. Stafford made one of two from the free-throw line, four rebounds, one assists and one steal in 26 minutes. Unfortunately Tish Flowers did not play in today’s game as she was sidelined with a torn ACL that she suffered in the first half of the GCAC Championship game at Xavier. She will be missed next season as she was the steals leader for the Lady Pilots this season. TiKandis Edwards collected another double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. She made five out of 17 from the field and had one assists and one steal in 29 minutes of action. Sharday Cotton finished with eight points and six rebounds as she went two of 11 from the field and four of six from the free-throw line. She also had two assists in 26 minutes. Callie Davis had seven points making one of two from long range and all four attempts from the charity stripe. She collected five rebounds and had one assists and one steal in 21 minutes. Whitney Hollins and Tynekqua Warren both finished the game with three points. Hollins was one of five from long range in 30 minutes while Warren made one out of seven from the field in 14 minutes of action. LADY PILOTS TO FACE CAMPBELLSVILLE IN 1st ROUND OF NATIONAL TOURNAMENT MARCH 10, 2010 Shreveport, LA- The LSU Shreveport Lady Pilots (23-6) will play the Campbellsville University Lady Tigers (31-2) (KY) in the first round of the National Tournament at Oman Arena in Jackson, TN. The game will be on Wednesday, March 17th, at 10:15 a.m. The Lady Tigers had their 23-game winning streak snapped by the University of the Cumberlands in the Championship game of the Mid-South Conference Tournament, 73-68. Campbellsville has played two GCAC teams this year, winning both matchups that included a one-point victory over Xavier University (71-70) and a 10-point win over Loyola University (83-73).