The Hall Holds Season-End Banquets, Doles Out Team Awards
4/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WEST ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall women's basketball team celebrated its 2015-16 season on Friday (April 29) night at Mayfair Farms with the season-end banquet. The Pirates honored several award winners, honorary Pirates and alums after making their second-straight NCAA Tournament in 2016.
The first award was the Team Academic Award, presented by assistant coach Tiffany Jones-Smart to graduate guard Shakena Richardson (Neptune, N.J.). The first WNBA draft pick in Seton Hall history, Richardson holds a 4.0 GPA pursuing her Masters Degree in strategic communications.
Next, strength and conditioning coach Ryan Carr awarded the "Iron Pirate" Award to the Pirate who best exemplifies hard work and raising the level of their teammates in the weight room to freshman guard Kaity Healy (Colts Neck, N.J.). Head coach Anthony Bozzella followed by honoring equipment managers Evin Bangs and Floyd Nevius along with WSOU Sports Director Clayton Collier with Honorary Pirate Awards.
Following the dinner portion of the evening, Bozzella returned to award the "Past Pirate" Award to all-time great Ka-Deidre Simmons ('15). Simmons ranks third in SHU history with 1,717 career points, first all-time with 562 assists and second in program history with 257 career steals. She was the 2015 Met Writers Player of the Year, a First Team All-BIG EAST performer and an honorable mention All-American.
Assistant coach Lauren DeFalco followed with the Perserverance Award, presented jointly to junior Kathleen Egan (Aberdeen, N.J.) along with senior managers Kenny Dolberry and Johnny Troncoso. Egan was forced to miss the 2015-16 season due to injury after playing in 29 contests in '14-15. Dolberry and Troncoso were both four-year managers for the program. Director of Player Development Nick DiPillo followed with an Honorary Pirate award for Assistant Director of Facilities Cameron Harty.
Jones-Smart then awarded the Most Improved Pirate to junior center Lubirdia Gordon (Mount Vernon, N.Y.). After averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore, Gordon had a breakout junior season that saw her average 5.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per night, leading the Pirates with a 54.6 field goal percentage. Gordon ranked second in the BIG EAST and top-30 nationally with 2.3 blocks per game and finished sixth in the conference in rebounding.
To wrap up the honors, Bozzella presented the "All Pirate" award to senior guard Aleesha Powell (Philadelphia, Pa.). An All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention, Powell ranked second on the Pirates and 10th in the BIG EAST with 14.2 points per game. The guard also ranked among the league leaders with a 46.7 field goal percentage and set the Seton Hall single-season program record with a 43.2 percent mark from 3-point range.
