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Thomas, Benningfield and Hager Receive SEC Postseason Honors 3-3-04 3/3/2004 Vanderbilt rookie Carla Thomas became the 11th Commodore women’s basketball player to be selected to the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman Team (unanimous choice), senior Jenni Benningfield received a nod for the All-SEC Second Team and senior forward Hillary Hager picked up the league’s inaugural Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award according to a Wednesday afternoon announcement by the SEC media relations office. Thomas, a Mechanicsburg, Pa., native has registered a tremendous rookie campaign by averaging 10.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg, while shooting .586 from the floor to rate second in the SEC. Entering league play in a starting role after an injury limited senior Jenni Benningfield, the 6’3″ forward led the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg, was second in rebounding at 6.1 rpg and hit at a blistering .595 clip. She reached double-figures in scoring in 11 of the 14 SEC matchups and topped 20 points on three separate occasions, including a 24-point effort vs. #16/14 Georgia, a 22-point, 11-rebound performance at #15/14 LSU and a 20-point contest at South Carolina to close out the regular season. Hager, a 5’10” senior forward who came into the season with career averages of 5.0 ppg and 2.5 rpg, elevated the level of her game in a year where youth was a major factor on the Commodore squad and her leadership and performance were crucial. The Franklin, Pa., native currently rates second on the squad in three-point shooting percentage at .426, second in three-pointers made with 55 and third in scoring at 11.8 ppg. Hager currently sits fourth in the conference in three-point shooting percentage and is tied for third in threes made per game at 2.04 a contest. This season, she has 19 games in double figures and four contests with over 20 points. Hager had 21 tallies against Ole Miss, 22 points versus New Orleans, 23 tallies against #3 Tennessee and a career-high 25 points at Memphis. In SEC home matchups this year, the senior is averaging 15.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg and is shooting .486 (18-of-37) from three-point range. She is also Vanderbilt’s nominee to the Verizon Academic All-America squad and was the Commodores choice to the SEC’s “Good Works Team” for her contributions to the community. Benningfield, a Louisville, Ky., native and a preseason nominee for the Wade Trophy, Naismith and Wooden Awards, began her senior campaign the way everyone expected as the 6’3″ forward tallied 12 consecutive double-figure games to start the season. Included in that total were a 34-point, eight-rebound performance against her home school, the Louisville Cardinals, and a 31-point, 13-rebound game against Rhode Island, which earned Benningfield SEC Player of the Week accolades for the first time in her career. However, a stress fracture prior to the Syracuse contest took the senior All-America candidate out of the regular starting line-up and forced her to a limited playing schedule. Down the stretch, her condition has improved and Benningfield has posted five double-figure games in SEC play, with 20 points against Florida and 19 tallies in a recent matchup versus Mississippi State. This selection marks the second time Benningfield has received second team postseason honors from the league’s coaches. The Black and Gold return to the court on Thursday night at 8:30 pm CT as the Commodores take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the opening round of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net. SEC First Team SEC Second Team SEC All-Freshman Team Coach of the Year: Pat Summitt, Tennessee |
