Feb. 28, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – – A pair of South Carolina women’s basketball players were recognized by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday as the SEC presented its post-season awards, as selected by the league’s coaches. Junior forward Melanie Johnson earned second-team all-SEC honors, with freshman forward Demetress Adams claiming a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team. Both players are South Carolina natives, with Johnson hailing from Barnwell, S.C. (Barnwell HS) and Adams from Bishopville (Lee Central HS).
Johnson finished the regular season as South Carolina’s leader in scoring, rebounding and steals, averaging 10.5 points 6.3 boards and 2.3 steals per contest. She averaged 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game in the final six games of the regular season and posted double-doubles in three of her last six games, highlighted by a 27-point, 10-rebound explosion in Carolina’s win at Florida on Feb. 12. In receiving the honor, Johnson becomes the seventh Gamecock to earn a spot either the first or second-team all-SEC squad, joining Marsha Williams (1992, 93), Shannon Johnson (1994, 95, 96), Nikki Miars (1997), Annie Lester (1998, 99), Shaun Gortman (2002) and Jocelyn Penn (2002, 03).
Ranking among the statistical leaders among SEC freshmen all season, Adams finished the season ranking second on the team with 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also averaged 1.2 blocked shots and 1.3 steals per game. Adams, who posted a double-double in her first game at the collegiate level, was recognized as both the SEC Player of the Week and the SEC Freshman of the Week after she posted her second and third double-doubles of the year in a pair of Gamecock wins over Savannah State and Bethune-Cookman earlier in the year. In doing so, she became the first Gamecock since Jocelyn Penn in 2003 to be recognized as the SEC Player of the Week and is the first Carolina rookie ever to be honored as the SEC Freshman of the Week, as the conference just began recognizing a Freshman of the Week for the first time this year. Adams finished the regular season on a high note, converting on 44 of her last 67 field goal attempts (.657 pct) in the last nine games. She becomes the third Gamecock to be an SEC all-freshman selection, joining Annie Lester (1997) and Lauren Simms (2004).
First Team All-SEC
Seimone Augustus, LSU*; Sylvia Fowles, LSU*; Tasha Humphrey, Georgia*; Sherill Baker, Georgia*; Candace Parker, Tennessee; Armintie Price, Ole Miss; Dalila Eshe, Florida; Shanna Zolman, Tennessee; Dee Davis, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Samantha Mahoney, Kentucky; Cori Chambers, Georgia; Scholanda Hoston, LSU; Sha Brooks, Florida; Caroline Williams, Vanderbilt; Navonda Moore, Alabama; Melanie Johnson, South Carolina; Marita Payne, Auburn; Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee
Freshman All-SEC
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn; KeKe Carrier, Auburn; Sha Brooks, Florida; Marshae Dotson, Florida; Carly Ormerod, Kentucky; Robin Porter, Mississippi State; Demetress Adams, South Carolina; Candace Parker, Tennessee
Coach of the Year: Mickie DeMoss, Kentucky
Player of the Year: Seimone Augustus, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Candace Parker, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year: Sherill Baker, Georgia
6th Woman of the Year: Liz Sherwood, Vanderbilt
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sarah Lowe, Florida
