Women's Basketball | 2/25/2010 8:39:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY - Freshman guard #
Leslie Havens (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton)# was named the 2010 Empire 8 Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year on Thursday. Sophomore guard/forward #
Brianna O'Dell (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenedehowa) garnered honorable mention accolades and senior center (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)Emily Hughes (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)# was RIT's Sportsperson of the Year. It is the second straight season that RIT had the top rookie in the conference.
Havens enjoyed a strong season for the Tigers, leading the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per game. She also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per gam, while shooting 43 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range, and 70 percent from the foul line. On Feb. 13, Havens scored a season-best 21 points to go along with eight boards and two blocks against Utica. She scored in double figures 16 times. Havens was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Week on Feb. 8.
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Sharon Dennis (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool)# was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last season.
O'Dell, a second team selection in 2008, was second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.8 points per game, despite playing in 17 minutes per contest. She led the team and was second in the conference, shooting 88.7 percent from the foul line. That is the second best single-season mark in program history. O'Dell averaged 11.7 points per game over the final 17 contests. She scored in double figures 12 times, including three 20-point contests. On Jan. 26, O'Dell poured in a season-best 22 points against Alfred.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2009 Women's Basketball Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen. Hughes appeared in 15 games this season.
RIT finished the season with an 11-14 mark. The 11 wins are the third most in the history of the program.
