WBB Hosts Annual End of the Year Banquet
5/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 1, 2014
WEST ORANGE, N.J. - Head coach Anthony Bozzella and the Seton Hall University women's basketball program hosted its end of the year banquet on Wednesday, April 30, at McLoone's Boathouse in West Orange, N.J., reflecting on one of the most successful campaigns in program history.
The dinner, which Bozzella plans to host annually as a way to recognize the team's achievements over the previous year, was attended by nearly 100 guests, including coaches, players, administrators and Seton Hall supporters, alumni and fans.
"This is such a special night for our program, because we get the opportunity to recognize all of the hard work and dedication these young ladies have exhibited over the past year," Bozzella said.
"This is the start of an annual event which will highlight the team's accomplishments as well as take some time to thank all of the individuals associated with Seton Hall women's basketball, both on and off the court. We had a great turnout at McLoone's Boathouse tonight, which served as an outstanding host, and I couldn't be happier with the number of people in the Seton Hall community that have embraced this program and our student-athletes."
In just the first season with Bozzella manning the ship, the Pirates enjoyed the most success in nearly 20 years. Seton Hall finished with a 20-14 overall record and received an at-large berth to the WNIT. For the Pirates it was the first 20-win season since 1994-95 and just the eighth time reaching 20 victories. The WNIT berth was the first since 2007, with SHU advancing to the third round of the postseason tournament for the first time in program history.
Throughout the evening, members of the Seton Hall coaching and support staff handed out annual awards, culminating with the presentation of the team's Most Valuable Player Award. The dinner also included a 2013-14 season highlight video, spotlighting the team and individual accomplishments from a historic season.
Offensive Player of the Year
Tabatha Richardson-Smith - So. - G/F
Richardson-Smith led Seton Hall and ranked third in the BIGE AST Conference with 17.1 ppg. She set a new school record with 85 3-point field goals and her scoring average was the third-highest for a single season in program history. Richardson-Smith set a single-game scoring and field goal records with 38 points on 15-for-27 shooting in an overtime victory against Marquette. She earned All-BIG EAST Second-Team honors and was also tabbed as the conference's Most Improved Player.
Academic Pirate Award
Elaine Swaby - Sr. - F
Presented by Director of Academic Support Services Matt Geibel, the Academic Pirate Award recipient is bestowed on a student-athlete who has continually excelled in the classroom. Swaby has landed on the Dean's List multiple times during her four years at Seton Hall and is a BIG EAST Academic All-Star. On Thursday, May 1, she was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student-athlete academic honor society.
Most Inspirational Pirate Award
Alexis Brown - Jr. - G
Brown is one of the team's most vocal leaders on and off the court and her presence was missed tremendously early in the season as she rehabilitated from an injury suffered shortly before the start of the year. After missing the first nine games she made her debut against NJIT on Dec. 21, scoring 11 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. A gifted all-around player, Brown ranked third on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg), second in assists (4.1 apg) and fourth in rebounding (5.2 rpg).
Iron Pirate Award
Kathleen Egan - Fr. G/F
Strength & conditioning coach Ryan Carr selected Egan as the Iron Pirate Award recipient for her consistent hard work across the board in the off court conditioning program. Egan spent a majority of the year attempting to regain form after suffering an injury during her senior season in high school and exhibited all of the effort and dedication necessary to ensure she returns to the court at full strength next fall.
Rookie of the Year
Tara Inman - Fr. - G
Inman appeared in 31 games this season and provided a critical boost off the bench for the Pirates all year. An intense defensive player, she also displayed the ability to shine during pressure situations. She hit two clutch free throws with under a minute to play in a win over Princeton in the second round of the WNIT and had a career-high four steals in the Pirates' three-point win over American in the first round of the postseason. She scored a career-high 11 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the line against UMass Lowell.
Defensive Pirate Award
Bra'Shey Ali - RS-So. - F
Ali's intensity and defensive tenacity was critical to the success Seton Hall enjoyed this season. She nearly averaged a double-double with 9.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, which her rebounding average ranking second in the BIGE AST and 17th in the nation. She recorded a team-high nine double-doubles and grabbed double digit rebounds in 17 games, including all three WNIT matchups when she averaged 15.0 rebounds per game including a career-high 20 against American. Ali also ranked fourth in the conference with 1.2 blocks per game and seventh with 1.6 steals per game.
Most Valuable Player
Ka-Deidre Simmons - RS-Jr. - G
Simmons turned in what was arguably the greatest season for a point guard in Seton Hall women's basketball history. She was a First-Team All-BIG EAST and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team honoree, the first Pirate to receive both of those accolades since Dana Wynne in 1996. Simmons ranked fourth in the league in scoring at 16.7 ppg and her 174 assists set a new SHU single-season record, breaking Kathy O'Reilly's mark of 158, which had stood since 1988. She became just the 20th player in program history to surpass 1,000-career points and currently ranks 14th all-time with 1,139 points over three seasons.
