Henry named Louisiana's Newcomer of the Year
April 06, 2012
RUSTON, La. - LSU Shreveport's Sharde Henry was named Louisiana's Newcomer of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as well as named to the Second Team. Henry was also chosen as the Red River Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year. She averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and recorded seven double doubles on the season. Henry was named an NAIA honorable mention All-American and the RRAC Newcomer of the Year.
See below the official release from the LSWA.
Barrett, Caldwell Highlight All-LSWA Women's Basketball Team
RUSTON - LSU forward LaSondra Barrett and coach Nikki Caldwell led the Tigers to the 2012 NCAA Tournament and this week both of them were honored as they were named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Women's Basketball State Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Joining the duo on the list of specialty awards were Louisiana Tech forward Whitney Frazier, who was named the state Freshman of the Year, and LSU-Shreveport forward Sharde Henry, who earned the Newcomer of the Year.
Barrett was joined on the LSWA first team by McNeese State guard Caitlyn Baggett (14.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.2 apg), Tulane guard Olivia Grayson (14.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg), Loyola guard Keiva Council (22.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Nicholls State guard Sumar Leslie (15.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.5 apg.).
The second team was comprised of Louisiana Tech guard Jasmine Bendolph (10.5 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.6 rpg), McNeese State guard Ashlyn Baggett (15.7 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 rpg), LSU-Shreveport forward Sharde Henry (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg), LSU guard Adrienne Webb (10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Tulane center Brett Benzio (9.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg).
The third team consisted of Loyola forward Jasmine Brewer (16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg), Louisiana Tech forward Shantale Bramble-Donaldson (11.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Louisiana College guard Roslyn Wilmer (14.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), McNeese State forward Kendra Wells (9.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and Nicholls State guard KK Babin (12.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.3 apg).
Barrett edged Council by four votes for the state player of the year after leading the LSU Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament. The senior averaged 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this year while earning first team all-Southeastern Conference accolades. She was also named to the SEC all-tournament team and was named a State Farm Region III All-American.
Both the state coach of the year and freshman of the year voting was decided by a single tally as Caldwell edged McNeese State coach Brooke Williams and Frazier edged Tulane freshman Danielle Blagg.
In her first season at LSU, Caldwell guided the team to the NCAA Tournament and helped LSU reach the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2008. Despite losing its only point guard to a season-ending injury, Caldwell's Tigers recorded a six-game SEC winning streak and a fourth-place finish in the regular season standings. Caldwell became just the second coach in SEC history to guide their team to the SEC Tournament title game in their first year.
Frazier earned the freshman of the year honor after starting 26 games this season and averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line. She scored a career-high 25 points in a win over Utah State, becoming the first LA Tech freshman to score 25 or more points in a game since former Kodak All-American Tamicha Jackson in 1996-97.
Henry claimed the state's newcomer of the year award after helping lead the Lady Pilots to a second place finish in the RRAC. She averaged 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and recorded seven double doubles on the season. Henry was named an NAIA honorable mention All-American and the RRAC Newcomer of the Year.
Five players from across the state also earned honorable mention honors, including Northwestern State's Jordi James and Trudy Armstead, Louisiana Tech's Frazier, Tulane's Blagg and Southeastern Louisiana's Kelli Jenkins.
First Team All-State
LaSondra Barrett, LSU (12.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.6 apg) 390 points
Senior, Forward (Jackson, Miss./Murrah HS)
State Farm Region III All-America, First Team All-SEC (AP, Coaches), SEC All-Tournament Team
Caitlyn Baggett, McNeese State (14.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.2 apg,) 343 points
Junior, Guard (Iota, La./Iota HS)
All-Southland Conference (2nd team), SLC Tournament MVP
Olivia Grayson, Tulane (14.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg) 318 points
Senior, Forward (Franklin, La./Franklin HS)
First-Team All-Conference USA, Conference USA Player of the Week (Nov. 21), Louisiana Player of the Week (Dec. 12), Tulane/DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament Team (Dec. 29), Conference USA Player of the Week (Jan. 3), C-USA Championship All-Tournament Team (March 10)
Keiva Council, Loyola (22.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) 307 points
Senior, Guard (Houston, Texas/Alief Hastings HS)
Preseason All-Jesuit Women's Basketball Team... 2-time Women's Basketball Jesuit Player of the Week... LSWA (Louisiana Sports Writer's Association) Player of the Month (November)... 2-time LSWA Women's Basketball Player of the Week... 1-time NAIA Women's Basketball Player of the Week... 1-time SSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week... Greater New Orleans Area Player of the Month (January)... SSAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team... SSAC Women's Basketball All-Academic Team... State Farm WBCA All-American... NAIA 2nd Team All-American.
Sumar Leslie, Nicholls State (15.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) 258 points
Senior, Guard (Houma, La./Vanderbilt Catholic HS)
Second-team All-Southland, Southland Conference Player of the Week (1/23), LSWA Player of the Week (1/23)
Second Team All-State
Jasmine Bendolph, Louisiana Tech (10.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.6 apg) 252 points
Senior, Guard (Mobile, Ala./Davidson HS)
2nd team All-WAC, WAC All-Tournament team, St. John's Chartwell Holiday Classic All-Tournament team, Preseason 1st team all-WAC (coaches and media)
Ashlyn Baggett, McNeese State (15.7 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 rpg) 222 points
Junior, Guard (Iota, La./Iota HS)
All-Southland Conference (1st team), SLC All-Tournament
Sharde Henry, LSU-Shreveport (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) 143 points
Junior, Forward (Lake Charles, La./Prairie View)
NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, All-RRAC 1st Team, RRAC Newcomer of the Year.
Adrienne Webb, LSU (10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg 109 points
Junior, Guard (Madison, Ala./Sparkman HS)
SEC All-Tournament Team
Brett Benzio, Tulane (9.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg.) 108 points
Senior, Center (Palm City, Fla./Jensen Beach HS)
Second-Team All-Conference USA, C-USA All-Defensive Team, Tulane/DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament Team (Dec. 29), College Sports Madness C-USA Player of the Week (Feb. 6), Conference USA Player of the Week (March 2)
Third Team All-State
Jasmine Brewer, Loyola (16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg) 106 points
Sophomore, Forward (Houston, Texas/Hightower HS)
Preseason All-Jesuit Watch List... 2-time SSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week ... 1-time Jesuit Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week ... 1-time Jesuit Women's Basketball Honor Roll ... SSAC All-Conference Team... SSAC All-Academic Team... NAIA All-American Honorable Mention
Shantale Bramble-Donaldson, LA Tech (11.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg) 83 points
Senior, Forward (Bronx, N.Y./Indian River State College)
2nd team All-WAC, WAC Player of the Week (Feb. 13), Preseason 2nd team all-WAC (Media)
Roslyn Wilmer, Louisiana College (14.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg,) 81 points
Senior, Guard (Marksville, La../Marksville HS)
First Team American Southwest Conference ... First Team ASC East ... D3Hoops.com All-South region ... Twice named ASC East Player of the Week
Kendra Wells, McNeese State (9.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg,) 80 points
Senior, Forward (Port Allen, La./Scotlandville HS)
All-Southland Conference (3rd team), SLC All-Tournament
KK Babin, Nicholls State (12.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 4.1 rpg) 68 points
Sophomore, Guard (Gonzales, La./St. Michael the Archangel HS)
Second-team All-Southland, Southland Conference Player of the Week (12/19), LSWA Player of the Week (12/19)
Honorable Mention: Jordi James (Northwestern State), Whitney Frazier (LA Tech), Danielle Blagg (Tulane), Kelli Jenkins (Southeastern Louisiana), Trudy Armstead (Northwestern State).
Player of the Year: LaSondra Barrett, LSU
(Barrett 13, Keiva Council 9, Caitlyn Baggett 4, Olivia Grayson 3, Jasmine Bendolph 1)
Freshman of the Year: Whitney Frazier, Louisiana Tech
(Frazier 12, Danielle Blagg 11, Kendra Coleman 7)
Newcomer of the Year: Sharde Henry, LSU-Shreveport
(Henry 21, Keri Thomas 5, Brandi Simmons 4)
Coach of the Year: Nikki Caldwell, LSU
(Caldwell 10, Brooke Williams 9, Bo Browder 3, DoBee Plaisance 2, Lisa Stockton 2, Jason Tinsley 2, Ronnie Howell 1, Kellie Kennedy 1)
