(WINDSOR, Ont.) – Justine Colley, a fifth-year guard from Saint Mary's University, was named the CIS player of the year in women's basketball for the second straight season, Thursday night.
The native of East Preston, N.S., became the sixth multiple winner of the Nan Copp Award and the first since Saskatchewan's Sarah Crooks, who was honoured in 2006 and 2007. Colley remains the only player from the Atlantic University Sport conference to merit CIS-MVP honours.
Miah-Marie Langlois from the reigning three-time national champion Windsor Lancers was also announced as a repeat winner at the All-Canadian Banquet held at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts. The fifth-year guard from Windsor was voted the best defensive player in the country for a remarkable third consecutive campaign.
Other major award recipients for the 2013-14 season include Cape Breton forward Alison Keough, who captured the Kathy Shields Award as the nation's top freshman; Windsor head coach Chantal Vallée, who received the Peter Ennis Award; McMaster post Hailey Milligan, who earned the Sylvia Sweeney Award which recognizes excellence in basketball, academics and community service; as well as Queen's forward Gemma Bullard, who merited the Tracy MacLeod Award for her determination and perseverance.
The ArcelorMittal Dofasco CIS Final 8 gets under way on Friday at the University of Windsor's St. Denis Centre and culminates Sunday at 8 p.m. with the gold-medal final, live on Sportsnet 360.
Sportsnet 360 also has live coverage of Saturday's semifinals at 3 and 5 p.m. All 11 games from the tournament - including televised contests - will be webcast live on www.CIS-SIC.tv.
In addition to Colley and Crooks, the list of multiple Nan Copp Award winners includes Simon Fraser's Jessica Kaczowka (2002 & 2003), Calgary's Leighann Doan (2000 & 2001), Calgary's Veronica VanderSchee (1988 & 1990), as well as Winnipeg's Sandra Carroll, the only three-time recipient (1993, 1994, 1995).
In her fifth and final season in a Saint Mary's uniform, Colley was once again sensational. After winning the CIS scoring title in each of the last three campaigns, the 5-foot-9 senior "settled" for the AUS scoring crown and third place in the country this year thanks to her 20.8 points a game. The addition of NCAA transfer Rachelle Coward (18.8) allowed head coach Scott Munro to diversify his offence and the dynamic duo helped make the Huskies the top offensive unit in the Atlantic conference and the second best in the nation with an average of 81.6 points per contest.
Much more than just a scorer, the commerce student finished first in the country in assists (5.7 per game), tied for first in steals (3.8), was tops in the AUS and third in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8), led all CIS guards in field goal percentage (49.8), and was also second on her team in rebounds (7.3). Thanks in large part to her stellar play, Saint Mary's posted an unblemished record in league play (20-0) and reached No. 1 in the national rankings, both firsts in program history.
Over the course of the season, the Canadian senior national team member became the all-time scoring leader in CIS women's basketball history with 2,376 points. She finishes her brilliant university career with five selections as a first-team AUS all-star, four as an all-Canadian – including three first-team nods – and one on the CIS all-rookie squad.
"This is a well-deserved accomplishment for one of the top players that has ever played in the AUS conference," said Munro. "A great leader over the past five seasons, no one has played harder on a nightly basis. Justine has impacted games in so many ways over the past five years, it is hard to put into words. Winning the national MVP award for a second straight time is a tremendous accomplishment considering the depth of talent in CIS. Justine has had a team-first attitude since day one and she has been greatly responsible for much of our team success."
The other finalists for the Nan Copp Award were McGill forward Mariam Sylla, Western guard Jenny Vaughan and Saskatchewan post Dalyce Emmerson.
KATHY SHIELDS AWARD (rookie of the year): Alison Keough, Cape Breton
A two-sport athlete at Riverview High School, Keough quickly made an immediate impact in the lineup after joining her hometown Capers this past fall. She becomes the first CBU player in history to claim the Kathy Shields Award.
The 6-foot-1 forward from Marion Bridge, N.S., was on the starting roster on opening day and averaged 33.2 minutes per game throughout the season, second best on the Capers, behind only fifth-year guard Tanira McClurkin.
A prolific scorer in high school, Keough made the difficult transition to the AUS look easy, finishing sixth in conference scoring with a team-leading 16 points per contest on 47 per cent shooting. The science student also ranked among the AUS leaders with 9.8 rebounds per game (2nd) and 1.1 blocks per outing (3rd).
"Alison has made an immediate impact on our program here at CBU," said Capers head coach Fabian McKenzie. "She is often a primary focus in the opposition's scouting report. Her athletic ability allows her to be a threat away from the basket and in the paint. At the defensive end, she does a great job of rebounding the ball, while at the offensive end, she uses her agility to get offensive rebounds and convert them for easy scores.
"Alison has been a pleasure to have on our roster this year. She has a tenacious work ethic and an incredible desire to improve. Throughout most of our games this year, she has played with the poise of a veteran player. She is a tremendous young lady with a very bright future."
McGill forward Jennifer Silver, Carleton forward Heather Lindsay and Thompson Rivers guard Sydney Williams were also in the runnning for the Kathy Shields Award.
2013-2014 CIS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS
Nan Copp Award (player of the year): Justine Colley, Saint Mary's
Defensive player of the year: Miah-Marie Langlois, Windsor
Kathy Shields Award (rookie of the year): Alison Keough, Cape Breton
Peter Ennis Award (coach of the year): Chantal Vallée, Windsor
Sylvia Sweeney Award (basketball, academics & community service): Hailey Milligan, McMaster
Tracy MacLeod Award: Gemma Bullard, Queen's
G - Justine Colley, Saint Mary's (5th year - East Preston, N.S.)
P - Dalyce Emmerson, Saskatchewan (3rd year - Prince Albert, Sask.)
G - Jenny Vaughan, Western (5th year - Dundas, Ont.)
F - Mariam Sylla, McGill (2nd year - Conakry, Guinea)
G - Nicole Clarke, Regina (5th year - Regina, Sask.)
Second Team All-Canadians
G - Rachelle Coward, Saint Mary's (4th year - Dartmouth, N.S.)
G - Miah-Marie Langlois, Windsor (5th year - Windsor, Ont.)
G - Elizabeth Roach, Carleton (5th year - Ottawa, Ont.)
G - Kaylah Barrett, Concordia (4th year - Brampton, Ont.)
G - Kris Young, UBC (4th year - North Vancouver, B.C.)
CIS All-Rookie Team
F - Alison Keough, Cape Breton (Marion Bridge, N.S.)
F - Heather Lindsay, Carleton (Ottawa, Ont.)
F - Jennifer Silver, McGill (Montreal, Que.)
G - Mackenzie Puklicz, Western (London, Ont.)
F - Cheyanne Roger, Windsor (Etobicoke, Ont.)
View the full CIS release here.
Visit the CIS championship website here.
Source: CIS Communications