University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Celebrate 2008-09 Season At Banquet
April 17, 2009 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL --- The North Carolina women's basketball team celebrated a standout 2008-09 campaign with its annual year-end banquet Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. The players, coaches and support staff were joined by hundreds of friends, family and fans as the Tar Heels looked back on a season that saw the team finish 28-7 and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The event also marked a final goodbye for seniors Laura Barry, Heather Claytor, Rashanda McCants, Iman McFarland and Alex Miller. The seniors closed the banquet with emotional speeches reflecting on their time in Chapel Hill. McCants was honored as the team's top offensive player while freshman guard She'la White earned top defensive honors. The coaches award was presented to Miller, while Barry was given the Most Inspirational Player Award. Freshman Laura Broomfield was presented with the strength and conditioning award, and sophomore Italee Lucas was named Most Improved.
Junior Jessica Breland was recognized as the team's Overall Champion for receiving the most cumulative points in all of the statistical categories in which totals are kept throughout the season. Junior Martina Wood was given the Jan Boxill Award for academics, while McCants was named the team's recipient of the Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award.
Head coach Sylvia Hatchell presented awards to the team's top players in the following categories:
• Best field goal percentage - Breland
• Best three-point percentage - Claytor
• Best free throw percentage - Breland
• Most offensive rebounds - Breland
• Most defensive rebounds - Breland
• Most passes to the post - Lucas
• Most assists - Cetera DeGraffenreid
• Most blocks - Breland
• Most deflections - Breland
• Most steals - DeGraffenreid
• Most screens - Lucas
• Most dives - McCants
• Most charges drawn - McCants
• Most outlets - Breland
Basketballs were presented to McCants and Breland for various milestones and school records. McCants reached 1,500 career points in the win at NC State on Feb. 23, while Breland scored her 1,000th career point in the win over Miami on Feb. 26.
Sharon Newman and Paula Ryan received the Spirit Award, Angie Bitting took home the Outstanding Service Award and Cinderella Jackson received the Volunteer of the Year award.
