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News Release

Four Retrievers Honored at America East Women’s Basketball Banquet

3/12/2009

Carlee Cassidy earned all-conference honors for the second year in a row.

Michelle Kurowski is the America East's top freshman scorer and ranks sixth overall.

Erin Brown is the America East's top freshman rebounder and third-leading rookie scorer.

Meghan Colabella earned All-Academic honors.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—UMBC junior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team, while freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) and freshman forward Erin Brown (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) were tabbed to the All-Rookie Team and sophomore forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) earned All-Academic Team honors, the league announced Thursday morning at its annual awards banquet at the National Basketball Hall of Fame.

Cassidy led the America East in scoring with 20.8 ppg, the 11th-best mark in the nation, and her 603 points on the season are the second-most ever by a Retriever, just six point shy of Tammy McCarthy’s school record of 609. She set a number of single-season school records, including three-pointers (80) – the second-most ever in the conference – and free throws (167), as well as UMBC’s career three-point record (178). Cassidy has scored in double figures in all but two games this season with 20 20-point performances and four 30-point efforts. She also ranks second in the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.8), third in free throw percentage (.819) and seventh in three-point percentage (.328). Cassidy became the 16th member of the Retrievers’ 1,000-point club earlier this season and now ranks eighth with 1,218 career points. After garnering first-team nods in 2008, Cassidy becomes the second Retriever to earn all-conference honors in back-to-back seasons in UMBC’s six years in the America East, joining former teammate Sharri Rohde in 2006 and 2007.

Kurowski is the Retrievers’ second-leading scorer and the league’s top freshman scorer with 13.3 ppg this season, ranking among the nation’s best rookies and sixth overall in the conference. She earned America East Rookie of the Week honors four times, including three straight in December. Kurowski has scored in double figures 19 times this season with six 20-point performances and a 30-point effort. She also ranks second in the America East in free throw percentage (.819), eighth in steals (1.6 spg), ninth in three-pointers made per game (1.3), 11th in three-point percentage (.308) and 20th in rebounding (4.7 rpg).

Brown is averaging 9.4 ppg and 5.7 rpg on the season, UMBC’s third- and second-best marks, respectively. She has scored in double figures 14 times with four double-doubles. Brown was named America East Rookie of the Week twice this season, and she earned UMBC’s America East Player of the Game honors five times. The league’s top freshman rebounding and third-leading rookie scorer, Brown ranks seventh in the America East in field goal percentage (.452), 10th in rebounding and 22nd in scoring. She also ranks second on the team in minutes.

Colabella was tabbed to the All-Academic Team with a 3.87 GPA. She is averaging 6.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season with three double-doubles. Colabella ranks sixth in the America East in rebounding and ninth in blocked shots (0.8 bpg).

Boston University forward Jesyka Burks-Wiley was named America East Player of the Year, while Binghamton guard Andrea Holmes was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Boston University’s Kelly Greenberg was voted Coach of the Year. In addition, Boston University’s Amarachi Umez-Eronini was selected Defensive Player of the Year.

The Retrievers earned the fifth seed in the America East Tournament with a 14-15 overall record and a 6-10 conference mark. They will face fourth-seeded Binghamton (13-16, 8-8 AEC) on Friday at 12 p.m. at Hartford’s Chase Arena.

America East All-Conference Teams

First Team

Jesyka Burks-Wiley, Boston U.

Christine Kinneary, Boston U.

Amarachi Umez-Eronini, Boston U.

Erica Beverly, Hartford

Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont

Second Team

Diana Delva, Hartford

Lisa Etienne, Hartford

Carlee Cassidy, UMBC

Candace Williams, New Hampshire

May Kotsopoulos, Vermont

Third Team

Laura Franceski, Binghamton

Andrea Holmes, Binghamton

Kristi Dini, Boston U.

Ilicia Mathis, Hartford

Kirsten Jeter, Stony Brook

All-Rookie Team

Andrea Holmes, Binghamton

Viive Rebane, Binghamton

Ilicia Mathis, Hartford

Erin Brown, UMBC

Michelle Kurowski, UMBC

All-Defensive Team

Christine Kinneary, Boston U.

Amarachi Umez-Eronini, Boston U.

Erica Beverly, Hartford

Lisa Etienne, Hartford

May Kotsopoulos, Vermont

All-Academic Team

Brittany Boser, Maine

Meghan Colabella, UMBC

Jodie Plikus, Stony Brook

May Kotsopoulos, Vermont

Amy Rosenkrantz, Vermont

Coach of the Year: Kelly Greenberg, Boston U.

Rookie of the Year: Andrea Holmes, Binghamton

Defensive Player of the Year: Amarachi Umez-Eronini, Boston U.

Player of the Year: Jesyka Burks-Wiley, Boston U.