Big 12 Champion Aggies Honored at Team Celebration Banquet
Apr 13, 2010 | Women's Basketball
April 13, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M women's basketball program celebrated its third Big 12 Conference Championship in four years at the team's annual banquet held Tuesday night at The Zone Club at Kyle Field.
The Aggies closed out another great chapter in school history with a 26-8 overall record and their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance under seventh-year head coach Gary Blair in 2009-10. They defeated three consecutive top 15-ranked opponents en route to their second-ever Big 12 postseason championship title in Kansas City. A&M also earned a season-best No. 5 national ranking in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Polls and a program-best No. 2 seed in the Big Dance for the third year in a row.
Seniors Damitria Buchanan (Houston, Texas), Katrina Limbaha (Riga, Latvia) and Tanisha Smith (Kansas City, Mo.) thanked their families, coaches, teammates, support staff and fans during the ceremony. The Class of 2010 will go down in history having contributed to the best four-year record in 36 seasons of Aggie Basketball at 107-31 (.775).
Smith was honored with the team's Miss Offense Award after averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.2 steals per game in 34 starts for the Aggies. An All-Big 12 First Team and AP All-America Honorable Mention selection, she was recently drafted 22nd overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2010 WNBA Draft to become the program's second highest-ever draft pick.
Smith and junior college transfer Danielle Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) also garnered the team's coveted MVP Award for their outstanding play throughout the season. Adams was tabbed Big 12 Newcomer of the Year as well as Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player averaging a team-leading 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game off the bench. She was a finalist for the prestigious 10-member State Farm All-America Team and an All-Big 12 Second Team and AP All-America Honorable Mention selection. It was only fitting that Adams received the team's Newcomer of the Year Award.
The Miss Defense Award was shared by team co-captains in Buchanan and sophomore Sydney Carter (DeSoto, Texas). Buchanan ended her storied four-year career in Aggieland ranked seventh all-time in career blocked shots (86). She was also bestowed the team's Miss Aggie Award which is annually given to a women's basketball student-athlete who displays loyalty and commitment to the university and program. Buchanan became the first A&M women's basketball player to graduate in three years with a bachelor's degree in psychology. The two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree is currently pursuing a master's degree in educational psychology with an emphasis in school counseling.
Carter, who played in all 34 games of the season with 17 starts, was one of three Aggies to dish out 100+ assists (116) in 2009-10. She earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors and ranked among the top point guards in the nation and in the league with an impressive 2.15 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sophomore Tyra White (Kansas City, Mo.) was the recipient of the team's Most Improved Award averaging the third-most points on the team (10.6) along with 4.1 rebounds per game. The Big 12 All-Tournament Team selection shot a team-best 52.7 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc in 34 games played. It was a statement season for White, who redshirted her freshman campaign due to a season-ending ACL injury in 2007-08.
Taking home the team's 6th Man Award was junior Sydney Colson (Houston, Texas) who missed four games of the season due to injury with a stress reaction in her left fibula. Colson, a previous mainstay at point guard in the starting lineup, provided instant offense and a spark for the Aggies off the bench during her recovery. She turned in her second-straight 100+ assist season with a team-high 129 along with a 1.90 assist-to-turnover ratio.
For the second year in a row, junior Maryann Baker (Dallas, Texas) was the recipient of the team's Miss Hustle Award as well as Academic Award. She played in 32 games of the season averaging 2.1 points and 2.1 rebounds off the bench and was one of four players honored on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team with an impressive 3.48 grade-point average in sport management including a perfect 4.0 during the fall semester.
Freshman Adrienne Pratcher (Memphis, Tenn.) rounded out the team award winners with the Rookie Award. She played in 22 games of the season as a back-up point guard to Carter and Colson. Pratcher made her first and only career start at Texas Tech on Jan. 10 and averaged 0.9 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game as a reserve.
A special highlight video of the season written, edited and produced by Charlene Kroeker of 12th Man Productions concluded the night's festivities. Marty Cangelose, an avid supporter of the program and owner of M.G. Cangelose & Associates specializing in residential real estate appraisals in the Bryan-College Station area, and his fiance, Saysha Kovacevich, were also honored by Coach Blair with the Season's Greatest Fan Award.
2009-10 TEXAS A&M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM CELEBRATION BANQUET
April 13, 2010
The Zone Club at Kyle Field
at College Station, Texas
MVP Award - Tanisha Smith and Danielle Adams
Miss Aggie Award - Damitria Buchanan
Miss Defense Award - Damitria Buchanan
Miss Offense Award - Tanisha Smith
Miss Hustle Award - Maryann Baker
Newcomer of the Year Award - Danielle Adams
6th Man Award - Sydney Colson
Most Improved Award - Tyra White
Team Academic Award - Maryann Baker
Rookie Award - Adrienne Pratcher
Season's Greatest Fan Award - Marty Cangelose and Saysha Kovacevich
