‘Sugar’ is All-Big East

Published 9:02 pm Friday, March 5, 2010

Georgetown freshman TaShauna “Sugar” Rodgers (King’s Fork) was named First Team All-Big East and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big East Freshman Team this week as the conference gave out its women’s basketball awards prior to the conference tournament.

Rodgers is the only freshman on the all-conference first team. She was named Rookie of the Week in the league five times this season.

Rodgers’ first season with the Lady Hoyas was historic in a number of ways. She’s the first Georgetown player to be First Team All-Big East since 2004 and the first Lady Hoya freshman ever on the team.

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Rodgers is averaging 18.1 points per game and has set Georgetown’s program record for most three-pointers made in a season with 79.

“This is a great way for Sugar to start her career,” said Georgetown head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy. “It’s truly something for her to be proud of and also gives her more to work towards in the future.”

Georgetown is the No. 3 seed going into the Big East Tournament. The Lady Hoyas have a bye through two rounds, into the quarterfinals on Sunday at 8 p.m. in Hartford, Conn.

Winthrop’s men’s basketball team is one win away from a trip to the Big Dance.

The Eagles (18-13) defeated Liberty 80-72 in the Big South Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, and then beat Radford 61-46 on Thursday in the semis at Coastal Carolina University.

Sophomore Andre Jones (Nansemond River) had eight points and four assists for the Eagles on Tuesday. Jones contributed off the bench with six points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals against Radford. Radford beat Winthrop in both regular season meetings this season.

No. 3 Winthrop will face No. 1 Coastal Carolina in the championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. The game is being televised on ESPN2. The Eagles are going for their ninth NCAA Tournament berth out of the last 12 years.

Two former Warriors earned USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) All-American honors for the 2009-10 basketball season.

Senior Shameka Warren was named Honorable Mention All-American. Warren, a 6-foot-1 center, averaged nine points and seven rebounds per game this season. Warren leaves the Lady Builders as the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots.

Senior guard Eric Joe was also an Honorable Mention All-American. Joe averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game for the Builders this season. Joe surpassed 1,000 points for his Builder career earlier this season.

Cincinnati freshman Jaquon Parker (King’s Fork) played nine minutes and scored five points Tuesday in UC’s 77-73 loss against visiting Villanova.

The Bearcats (16-13, 7-10) have lost six of their last eight games. UC plays at Georgetown Saturday at 12 p.m. in the last game before the Big East Tournament.

Virginia Military pulled off its first baseball win over an ACC school in nearly two years with a 7-6, 11-inning win at Maryland Tuesday. Three former Nansemond River standouts played key roles in the win over the Terrapins. VMI goes to 7-0, the Keydets’ best start to a season in program history.

Freshman Ombri Rivers started in centerfield and went 1-for-3 at the plate with one run scored.

Junior Justin Topping came on as a pinch-hitter in the top of the 11th inning, reached base on an error and came around to score the go-ahead, and eventual winning, run.

Freshman Erickson Keeton was VMI’s designated hitter, going 1-for-3. Keeton’s hit was a single in the 11th which moved Topping from second to third.

Radford senior outfielder Tyren Rivers (Nansemond River) has three doubles, a home run, two RBI and is 3-for-4 on stolen base attempts through the first six games of the season.

The Highlanders (1-5) are at a three-day tournament at Elon, N.C. this weekend, playing Princeton, Bucknell and Elon.