TicketsSharp Named Women's Basketball MOP
Contact: Geoff Wiswell
4/17/2003
CINCINNATI, Ohio ? Senior guard K.B. Sharp was named Most Outstanding Player of the Cincinnati women?s basketball team at the team?s annual awards banquet Thursday night at the Vernon Manor.
Sharp (Columbus, Ohio/Bexley) earned the award for the third-straight year after leading the team in assists and ranking third in scoring and rebounding. She became UC?s all-time leader in assists (623), games played (126) and minutes played (4,339) this year while earning first team All-Conference USA honors. Sharp is one of fewer than 15 women in Division I history to tally over 1,000 career points, 600 assists and 450 rebounds.
The two-year captain was also awarded the Bearcat Award for exemplifying what it means to be a Bearcat athlete and citizen, the Ball of Courage Award for her hustle, intensity and sacrifice on the floor, the Insane Chain Award for hustle and doing the little things to win, and the Iron Cat Award for her work in the weightroom.
Sophomore center Debbie Merrill (Cumberland City, Tenn./Montgomery) was named Best Offensive player after leading the team and ranking second in Conference USA with an 18.0 points per game average and junior forward Brittani Young (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) was named Best Defensive Player for the third-straight year.
Freshmen guard Micah Harvey (Sardinia, Ohio/Eastern Brown) and center Anne Stephens (Mineral Wells, W.Va.) were awarded Most Improved Guard and Post, respectively, and Harvey shared the Sixth Man Award with senior forward DeAnna Stevenson (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow).
Other award winners included Merelenea Dozier (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech) receiving the Coaches Spirit Award, Leslie Knoch (Whipple, Ohio/Fort Frye) getting the Unsung Hero Award and Sara Piepho (Howell, Mich./Howell) earning the Study Table Award.
The Bearcats concluded the 2002-03 season with a 23-8 record and second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.