Teams: Women's Basketball: Press Releases

THREE JUMBOS EARN 2009-10 ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS

Hart

Baily

Miller

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University women's basketball team has two of the five players selected to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference First Team that announced today along with other league honors for the 2009-10 season. The awards are voted on by the conference's 10 head coaches.

With junior guard Colleen Hart (Needham, MA) and senior forward Julia Baily (Farmington, CT), Coach Carla Berube's Jumbos have more players on the First Team than any other squad. Tufts junior guard Vanessa Miller (Cincinnati, OH) also earned a major conference award, as she was selected NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Hart and Baily are 1-2 in the conference scoring race as the season enters the NCAA Tournament. Hart leads the league with 16.6 points per game and Baily is second with a 15.6 average. Hart's 72 three-pointers are 13 more than anyone else in the conference. Baily is also #2 in rebounding with 9.1 per game.

Hart averaged 16.2 ppg and shot .491 (26/53) from three-point range in nine regular-season conference games. She topped 20 points three times during the NESCAC season, including 26 in a win at Middlebury on Janaruy 16. Baily's conference averages are 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. Baily, who scored in double digits for eight of the nine league games, had four doubles doubles including 22 and 11 at Connecticut College on January 30.

This is the third year of NESCAC honors for Hart, including her second straight season on the First Team. She was Rookie of the Year and a second teamer in 2008. Baily is an All-NESCAC First Team pick for the first time after earning Second Team accolades last year.

Miller is the team's third straight Defensive Player of the Year, following Kim Moynihan last season and Khallilah Umman in 2008. With quickness, instincts, and effort, Miller has had a remarkable season defensively. Her 81 steals in 25 games (3.24 per game) are six shy of the Tufts single-season record and lead the NESCAC. She had a season-high nine steals in a non-league game against Bates on January 9. Despite her 5'2" height, Miller is also averaging 4.2 rebounds per game.

Tufts (20-5) finished fourth in the NESCAC this year with a 6-3 mark. They earned their third straight at-large invitation into the NCAA Tournament and will play Muhlenberg at Kean University in New Jersey on Friday night at 6 pm.

►2009-10 NESCAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams

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