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Ernest leads the conference in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. She is the fifth Black Bear to win the conference's highest honor, joining such notable alums as Jamie Cassidy (1998-99) and Cindy Blodgett (1995-96 and 1996-97). Ernest has posted 12 double-doubles this season and has reached double-figures in the scoring column in all of her 24 games.
Corbitt wins the conference's first Defensive Player of the Year award after helping to lead the conference's toughest defense. The Black Bears are allowing just 50.4 points in conference games, which places them in the top-15 nationally. Corbitt, who is among the America East leaders in steals, is consistently being called upon to guard the opposition's best scorer and is regarded as one of America East's best one-on-one defenders.
Picked to finished third in the preseason poll, third-year head coach Sharon Versyp led the Black Bears to their first regular season America East title since 1998-99 and just the fourth undefeated conference slate in America East history. This is the first Coach of the Year award for Versyp, who joins four-time winner Joanne Palombo-McCallie as the only other Maine coach to receive this honor.
The first guard at Boston University to win the Rookie of the Year award (the Terrier's other three Rookie of the Year winners were post players), Meinhardt leads all rookies in scoring in conference games, averaging 12.8 points per game. She has been the Terriers' second leading scorer all season and has posted double-digit scoring numbers in 14 of her last 17 games.
Ernest is joined on the all-conference first team by juniors Katie Terhune of Boston University, Sherry Jordan of Stony Brook University and Maren Matthias of New Hampshire. University of Vermont's Morgan Hall is the only senior on the first team. Terhune has led the Terriers in scoring all season and ranks third in the conference with a 17.2 points per game average. In conference games Jordan ranks first in both rebounds (10.4 rpg) and steals (2.87 spg). Matthias leads America East in double-doubles with 13, as well as blocked shots (1.56 bpg). Hall (18.0 ppg - second in America East) has posted both the highest (38 points) and third-highest (33 points) scoring totals this year by America East players.
The second team consists of University at Albany senior Jess McGinlay and sophomore Danielle Hutcheson, University of Hartford senior Angie Pezzetta, Maine junior Melissa Heon, and Vermont junior Aaron Yantzi. McGinlay (first in America East in three-pointers made) and Hutcheson (third in both rebound with 9.4 rpg and double-doubles with 11) are the first two Great Danes to receive America East all-conference recognition. Pezzetta leads the Hawks in scoring (10.1 ppg) and is among the conference leaders in assists and steals. A versatile player, Heon ranks in the top-10 in America East in five categories. Yantzi helped lead the Catamounts to the No. 2 seed and ranks fifth in America East in scoring (15.4 ppg).
The third team includes Binghamton University junior Kate Townley, who leads America East with 5.44 assists, Boston University junior Marisa Moseley, who leads the conference in steal (2.56), Corbitt, New Hampshire senior Aubrey Danen (9.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg), and Northeastern University junior Melissa Kowalski, who is second in America East in three-pointers made (2.11)
The All-Rookie team consists of Meinhardt, Binghamton's Jen Blues, who is the only rookie to lead her team in scoring (11.4 ppg), Maine's Abby Schrader (4.7 rpg), Northeastern's Katarina Andersson (64.2 percent field goal percentage), and Stony Brook's Danyelle Ingram (9.9 ppg).
13 of the all-conference players, and all five all-rookie selection will be in action this week at the Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Women’s Basketball Championship at The Chase Family Arena on the University of Hartford campus in West Hartford, Conn. Quarterfinal sessions begin at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. Semifinal games will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. The Championship game will be at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.
The America East post-season honors are decided by a vote of the conference's head coaches.