ATLANTA – The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in cooperation with State Farm, announced the finalists for the 2010 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. Delta State's Veronica Walker and Bug Cooper were both named as finalists in the WBCA's Region 5.
The 40 finalists, who are voted upon by WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' All-America Team.
Walker and Cooper, former high school teammates at Gentry High School in Indianola, Miss., played integral roles in leading the Lady Statesmen to their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA South Region tournament. Both players led all of Division II in one statistical category this season.
Walker, a sophomore and the 2010 GSC Player of the Year, has averaged 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in Delta State's 28 contests this season. She finished the regular season shooting 66.9 percent from the field, which led all Division II players.
Cooper, meanwhile, ignited the backcourt for the Lady Statesmen, handing out 8.6 assists per game to lead the nation by the end of the regular season. After DSU's three games in the GSC Tournament, Cooper is averaging 10.1 points and 8.9 assists per contest.
The Lady Statesmen duo was one of eight pairs of teammates to be named finalists, and the only pair of teammates to be named from Region 5.
All five finalists from Delta State's region will be in action this weekend at the South Region tournament in Russellville, Ark. Jenny Vining of Arkansas Tech was the only other GSC player to be selected as an All-America finalist.
The complete list of Region 5 All-America finalists:
|
Institution
|
Year
|
Pos.
|
Height
|
|
Name
|
|
Sarita “Bug” Cooper
|
Delta State Univ.
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5'6
|
|
Mariesa Greene
|
Barry University
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6'0
|
|
Takesha Riggs
|
Fort Valley State
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5'7
|
|
Jenny Vining
|
Arkansas Tech Univ.
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5'10
|
|
Veronica Walker
|
Delta State Univ.
|
Soph.
|
C
|
6'1
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Lady Statesmen open South Region play Friday against Lynn at Tucker Coliseum on the campus of Arkansas Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
About State Farm®
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About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.
