CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Over 4,800 votes were cast and Boston University's Christine Kinneary (Plainedge, N.Y./Holy Trinity) was voted the 2009 Fans' Choice Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Kinneary received nearly half of the votes on the final ballot.
Eighteen semifinalists were chosen this year and put to a vote from which five finalists were chosen. Fellow Terrier Kristi Dini (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Vally) was the runner-up, while Vermont's May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) followed closely in third.
This is the third year in which fans have been asked to vote for their favorite women's basketball player. Boston University's Katie Meinhardt won the inaugural Fans' Choice Player of the Year in 2007, while Hartford's Danielle Hood earned the recognition last year.
University of New Hampshire junior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass./St. Raphaels) also garnered recognition on the eve before the 2009 America East Women's Basketball Championship, taking home the America East Player of the Game Award. After each non-conference home game, and every America East conference game throughout the season, each of the nine teams chose an America East Player of the Game. Williams received more Player of the Game honors, twelve in all, than any other player in the conference to receive the year-end award.
Kinneary leads the conference in assists, 5.32 per game, through the regular season, while also averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 48.3 percent from the field. The senior point guard was an All-Conference Third Team honoree last season and received All-Rookie status in 2006.
Williams is the top rebounder in the league with 8.2 boards per game, and is third in scoring with 16.0 points per game. She's recorded a league-best 10 double-doubles this season.
The 2009 America East Women's Basketball Championship at University of Hartford's Chase Family Arena begins March 12 with the first round game at 7 p.m. The tournament concludes with the title game on Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. to be televised live on New England Sports Network.