March 2, 2009

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - A Gonzaga University women's basketball player was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year for the third-straight season, and fourth in five years, as sophomore Courtney Vandersloot ran away with the award. Vandersloot, who was the WCC Newcomer of the Year a season ago, also garnered All-WCC first team accolades for back-to-back seasons.

Along with Vandersloot, junior classmates Heather Bowman and Vivian Frieson were also named to the All-WCC first team. Bowman has garnered this honor all three years with the Bulldogs, while this is Frieson's first time on the list. Rounding out the honors for GU was freshman Kelly Bowen who was named to the WCC All-Freshman squad.

"Obviously I am very pleased," stated head coach Kelly Graves. "It is well deserved for each one of them. Courtney and Heather are the best players in the conference. In my mind they are Co-Players of the Year. They aren't who they are without one another."

Prior to Vandersloot being tabbed Player of the Year, Bowman earned the honor in 2008, Stephanie Hawk was named Co-Player of the Year in 2007 and Shannon Mathews claimed the award in 2005.

Vandersloot finished the regular season averaging a conference-best 7.3 assists per contest, third-highest in NCAA Division I, and was third in scoring at 16.4 points per game. The Kent, Wash. native also finished second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.90) and three-point field goal percentage (40.0 percent), fourth in steals per game (2.11), sixth in field goal percentage (48.2 percent) and ninth in free throw percentage (77.4 percent). She was named WCC Player of the Week three times and was tabbed the Player of the Month for January.

Bowman, who, along with being named Player of the Year last season, was the Newcomer of the Year in 2007, finished the regular season ranked in the top five of the WCC statistics in five categories. She leads the league in points, averaging 19.8, and is second in offensive rebounds per game (3.21), third in field goal percentage (51.8 percent), and fourth in both rebounds per game (7.5) and free throw percentage (81.6 percent). She holds the conference single-game high in points, scoring 33, which was also a personal career-high, against Saint Joseph's University and has the third most double-doubles (7).

Frieson finished the regular season ranked in nearly every WCC category. She closed out the season ranked third in blocked shots per game (1.6), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (4.8) and steals per game (2.1), seventh in total rebounds per contest (7.0), ninth in assists per game (2.8), 10th in offensive rebounds per contest (2.3), 11th in field goal percentage (43.0 percent), and 15th in overall scoring (10.1). She holds the conference single-game high in steals, collecting 10, which also was a Zag school record, at the University of Washington and the fourth most double-doubles (4).

"I am extremely happy for Vivian," said Graves." Sometimes she is forgotten, overshadowed by Heather and Courtney, but she is just as important. Her all-around game shows how good she is. Whatever we need from her on a given night she provides."

Bowen, who has played in all 30 games for Bulldogs, including 12 starts in WCC action, closed out the regular season averaging 5.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.

"I'm really pumped that Kelly was named to the freshman squad," stated Graves. "Her stats aren't up there with the rest of the freshman in the conference, but I wouldn't trade her or any of our freshman for anyone else. She has stepped up and had some great games for us."

Rounding out the WCC yearly awards was Louella Tomlinson of Saint Mary's College who was named Defensive Player of the Year; Alex Cowling of Loyola Marymount University who was tabbed the Newcomer of the Year and Jim Sollars of the University of Portland who earned the Coach of the Year nod.

The remainder of the first team includes Miranda Ayim (Pepperdine), Laiken Dollente (Portland), Kiva Herman (San Diego), Shay Rollins (San Francisco), Amber Sprague (San Diego), Tomlinson, Renahy Young (Loyola Marymount).

All-Freshman team consisted of Dominique Conners (San Diego), Cowling, Alexis Gannis (Portland), Jazmine Jackson (Pepperdine).

2009 All-West Coast Conference

Player of the Year
Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga

Defensive Player of the Year
Louella Tomlinson, Saint Mary's

Newcomer of the Year
Alex Cowling, Loyola Marymount

Coach of the Year
Jim Sollars, Portland

All-West Coast Conference First Team
Miranda Ayim, Pepperdine (So, F)
Heather Bowman, Gonzaga (Jr., F)
Laiken Dollente, Portland (Jr., G)
Vivian Frieson (Jr., F)
Kiva Herman, San Diego (Sr., F)
Shay Rollins, San Francisco (Sr., G)
Amber Sprague, San Diego (Sr., C)
Louella Tomlinson, Saint Mary's (So, F)
Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga (So., G)
Renahy Young, Loyola Marymount (So., G)

All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention
Lauren Angel, Portland
Karlie Burris, Portland
Alex Cowling, Loyola Marymount
Tara Cronin, Portland
Lena Gipson, Santa Clara
Nakeya Isabell, Pepperdine
Jazmine Jackson, Pepperdine
Cassady Moore, Loyola Marymount

All-Freshman Team
Kelly Bowen, Gonzaga (G)
Dominique Conner, San Diego (G)
Alex Cowling, Loyola Marymount (F)
Alexis Gannis, Portland (F)
Jazmins Jackson, Pepperdine (G)