University of North Carolina Athletics
Four Tar Heels Earn All-ACC Honors
March 1, 2011 | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Senior guard Italee Lucas led a quartet of North Carolina players named to the 2011 All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced Tuesday. Lucas was named to the second team for the second straight year, while seniors Jessica Breland and Cetera DeGraffenreid and junior Laura Broomfield were given honorable mention.
Lucas, a sharpshooter from Las Vegas, Nev., led the Tar Heels in scoring during the regular season with 16.2 points per game, good for fourth in the ACC. Lucas has scored in double figures in 25 of 29 games, including seven games of 20 points or more. She was named to the national midseason list for both the Naismith Trophy (top 30) and the Wooden Award (top 20) and earned MVP honors at the Rainbow Wahine Classic after leading UNC to the tournament title.
Breland, a forward who returned from Hodgkin's lymphoma to lead the team as a senior, averaging 11.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during the regular season, both second on the squad. Breland is also one of the league's top shot-blockers, rejecting 1.8 shots per contest. She was named to the national midseason list for both the Naismith Trophy (top 30) and the Wooden Award (top 20) and was listed as one of the top five power forwards in the nation by ESPN.com.
Broomfield, a junior forward who has emerged as one of the league's elite rebounders, averaged a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game, a mark that increased to 9.3 per contest in ACC play. She ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in four categories - rebounding, field goal percentage, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds. Broomfield had a team-high seven double-doubles, including six in ACC games, and pulled down double-digit rebounds in 11 games, seven of which were against ACC opponents.
DeGraffenreid, a senior point guard who has been one of the nation's top floor leaders throughout her career, led the ACC in both assists per game and assist-turnover ratio. She was named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award given to the nation's top point guard and urrently ranks in the top 12 in ACC history in an incredible four statistical categories - 12th in career assists, 10th in career steals, eighth in career free throws attempted and fourth in career free throws made. DeGraffenreid holds the ACC active lead in each of those categories.
Carolina will open the ACC Tournament Thursday evening at 8 against Clemson.
2010-11 All-ACC Women's Basketball
First Team
Cierra Bravard, Jr., F, Florida State
Shenise Johnson, Jr., G, Miami
Carolyn Swords, Sr., C, Boston College
Jasmine Thomas, Sr., G, Duke
Riquna Williams, Jr., G, Miami
Second Team
Bonae Holston, Jr., F, NC State
Lynetta Kizer, Jr., C, Maryland
Italee Lucas, Sr., G, North Carolina
Alex Montgomery, Sr., G/F, Georgia Tech
Alyssa Thomas, Fr., F, Maryland
Third Team
Tyaunna Marshall, Fr, G, Georgia Tech
Stefanie Murphy, Sr., F, Boston College
Morgan Stroman, So, F, Miami
Krystal Thomas, Sr., C, Duke
Courtney Ward, Sr., G, Florida State
Honorable Mention (15 or more votes)
Jessica Breland, North Carolina; Laura Broomfield, North Carolina; Cetera DeGraffenreid, North Carolina; Chelsea Gray, Duke; Marissa Kastanek, NC State.
