Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Basketball Hands Out Team Awards
3/30/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Following a campaign that featured the best single season turnaround in Central Michigan women’s basketball history, the team handed out its yearly awards at the postseason banquet on Sunday.
Junior Britni Houghton and freshman Brandie Baker shared the Chippewa award, given to the players whose talents and effort raise the level of play of those around them.
Houghton, the 2007-08 Chippewa Award recipient, became just the fifth player in school history to crack the 1,000-point mark prior to her senior year this past season. She put together just the second 500-point season in school history, and earned second team All-Mid-American Conference honors.
Baker made a seamless transition from high school to the college game, becoming just the second player in CMU history to earn MAC Freshman of the Year accolades. She hit 51 threes this season, and finished among the MAC leaders in points (12.1), rebounds (5.9) and steals (60).
Kaihla Szunko was a critical piece to the Chippewas’ success in her first year back following a knee injury. For her efforts, she took home the team’s Academic Award, the Defensive Player of the Year honor and the Most Improved Player award.
The Dee Pomerenk Award was also given to Sherryia Armstrong. The award is given to an underclassman who displays strong character and leadership abilities on and off the floor.
The Saginaw native owns a team-best 3.81 grade-point average in health fitness, and became just the second Chippewa to lead the MAC in rebounding (9.8). She swatted a team-best 27 shots while finishing second on the squad in steals (62) while shooting a team-best 56 percent from the floor.
She finished the season with 16 double-figure rebounding efforts and 22 double-figure scoring efforts, along with 12 double-doubles.
Sophomore guard Camille Ramsey earned the Heart and Hustle Award, garnering the honor for her selfless efforts throughout the season to make her team and the program better.
CMU (18-14, 9-7 MAC) finished with a winning MAC record for the first time since the 1992-93 campaign, finishing fourth in the MAC West Division. The 10.5 game turnaround is tied for the third-best in league history, while the 6.5 game turnaround in league play is the second-best in the history of the MAC.
