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 Laura Echols was named All-SoCon for the third consecutive season. |
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Feb. 26, 2002
Cullowhee, N.C. - The names of the 2002 SoCon All-Conference and All-Freshman Teams were released today, and two Western Carolina teammates have been named among the best players in the conference. Senior center Laura Echols was named to the All-Conference Team, while guard Ki-Ki Glass was named to the All-Freshman Team.
This marks the third year in a row that Echols has received this honor. She was also honored this year by being named to the Verizon Academic All-America District III First Team, and is now eligible for the Academic All-America Team, which has not yet been announced. Echols finished the regular-season second in the conference in scoring with a 19.4 average, and 25th in the NCAA rankings in the same category. She ranks among the top conference players in several other categories as well, including fourth place in total rebounding with 7.8 per game, fourth in offensive rebounding with 3.0 per game, and fourth in defensive rebounding at 4.8 per game.
Echols is also seventh in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 50.4 percent from the field, and 13th in free throw percentage, shooting 76.4 percent from the charity stripe. She is tied for ninth in the SoCon in steals with 1.6 per game, as well as ninth in blocked shots with 12 on the season, averaging 0.7 per game. Echols has recorded six double-doubles for the year, and was named the SoCon Player of the Week on December 10. The team's leading scorer, she has registered 523 points for the season so far, and needs just 23 more to move into first place on WCU's single-season scoring list. Echols has started all 27 games for the Catamounts this year.
Glass had a tremendous first year, which helped earn her the All-Freshman honor for the SoCon. Glass finished the regular-season ranked second in the conference in assists with an average of 4.2 per game. That also puts her at a tie for sixth on the WCU single-season list for assists per game. She leads the team with 112 assists so far this season, which is seventh on the single-season record list. Glass sits in sixth place in the SoCon with a 1.32 assist/turnover ratio. As the starting point-guard for the year, Glass has averaged 31.2 minutes for the Catamounts, starting in all 27 games. She has 127 points for the year, and registered a double-double against Georgia Southern (2/9), with 12 points and career-high 10 assists.
With the win over UNCG on Saturday, Western earned its 17th win, which marks the most victories for WCU since going 17-10 in the 1982-83 season. It was also the most wins for the Cats since becoming an NCAA Division I program in 1981-82. Western faces third seed Furman in the SoCon Tournament on Friday (Mar. 1) evening at the McAlister Field House in Charleston, S.C., on The Citadel's campus. Game time is set for approximately 7:00 pm.
2002 Coaches SoCon Women's Basketball All-League Team Damita Bullock, Chattanooga Miranda Warfield, Chattanooga Jennifer Wilson, Chattanooga Janna Magette, Davidson Deshara Shealey, Furman Orion Wake, Furman Jacinda Lambert, UNC Greensboro Samika Foster, UNC Greensboro Laura Echols, Western Carolina Jenny Nett, Wofford 2002 Coaches SoCon All-Freshman Team Joanie White, Appalachian State Ashley Reed, East Tennessee State Monica Pope, Furman Amanda Eaton, UNC Greensboro Ki-Ki Glass, Western Carolina
