Carter is named top MAIAW player

Stephanie Carter, who leads her St. Joseph’s of Standish team into the first round of the NAIA Division II national women’s basketball tournament Thursday, has been named the Maine Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Player of the Year.

Carter adds this honor to her previous one as NAIA District 5 Player of the Year.

MAIAW Rookie of the Year honors went to Lori Towle of Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

In an unusual vote, University of Southern Maine Coach Gary Fifield and Husson College of Bangor Coach Kissy Walker were named co-Coaches of the Year.

Named with Carter to the MAIAW All-State team, by balloting of the coaches, were teammate Jill Bourget; USM’s Cynde LaPierre and Katariina Pulkkinen; and Vicki Mazerall of Husson College.

Second-team honorees were Stacey Bay, Bowdoin; Cathy Bickford, University of New England of Biddeford; Julie Fabian, Thomas College of Waterville; Allison Gagnon, USM; and Stephanie Lebel, Husson.

First-teamers Carter and Pulkkinen each received one Player of the Week honor as did second teamers Bickford, Gagnon, and Fabian.

Towle was twice named MAIAW Rookie of the Week, with the other weekly honor going to Bobbi Jo Blodgett of Westbrook College.

For the second straight year, Mazerall was honored for the best steal average with four per game, and Gagnon for most assists with 6.9 per game.

Carter was the MAIAW’s top rebounder with 12.2 per game, and Bickford the top scorer with 18.5 points per game.

Andrea Bowman, Colby College of Waterville, was honored for the best field-goal percentage at 56 percent; and UNE’s Darcie Trudeau for the best free-throw percentage at 84 percent.

Dawn Marie Higgins of the University of Maine-Farmington, was the state’s top 3-point shooter, hitting 41 percent of her attempts.

USM, which competes in the Eastern Sectionals in Albany, N.Y., on Friday, was the state’s top team, finishing that portion of its schedule with a record of 24-3.

Husson finished second in state at 23-5, followed by St. Joseph’s, 22-7; UMF, 13-9; UNE, 15-11; Westbrook, 14-11; Thomas, 12-12; Colby, 10-12; Bowdoin, 8-11; UM-Presque Isle, 8-13; and Bates College of Lewiston, 6-15.

USM led in field-goal shooting at 46 percent, rebounding with 44.9 per game, and assists with 20.2 per game. UNE was the top free-throw team at 72 percent, and UMF led from the 3-point line at 36 percent.

MAIAW Individual Statistics Leaders

Scoring: Bickford, 18.5 points per game; Bay, 18.0; Fabian, 16.9; Carter, 16.7; Deb Draper, UMPI, 15.7; and Lebel, 15.7

3-point average: Higgins, .41; Beth Corrow, UMPI, .40; Candy Berger, UMF, .37; Sheri McCarthy, St. Joseph’s, .37; Karen Bailey, UNE, .36

Blocked shots: Beth Montgomery, Colby, 2.9 per game; Fabian, 2.2; Carter, 1.5; Leigh Ann Smith, Bates, 1.3

Field goal percentage: Bowman, .56; Pulkkinen, .55; Montgomery, .53; Danielle Dupuis, Thomas, .53; Carter, .51

Free-throw percentage: Trudeau, .84; Bickford, .79; Gagnon, .76; Tammy Keaton, UMF, .73; Montgomery, .73

Rebounding: Carter, 12.2 per game; Tammy Keaton, UMF, 11.9; Smith, 9.3; Fabian, 9.0; Bobbi Jo Blodgett, Westbrook, 8.8; Draper, 8.8.

Assists: Gagnon, 6.9 per game; McCarthy, 4.7; Bailey, 4.2; Kathy Hayes, Bowdoin, 4.2; Mazerall, 4.1

Steals: Mazerall, 4.0 per game; Gagnon, 3.3; Higgins, 2.6; Hayes, 2.4; McCarthy, 2.2.