OTTAWA - The top women’s basketball players in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) were honoured Wednesday evening in Ottawa in advance of the 2011 OCAA women’s basketball championship hosted by Algonquin College.

Summer Bly (Barrie, Ont.) of the Georgian Grizzlies is the 2010-11 player of the year. The OCAA East defensive player of the year was dominant on both ends of the court, averaging 15.0 points per game while leading the OCAA in blocks with 55. The fourth-year veteran was third in the conference with 154 rebounds while adding 43 steals. Bly is a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian and an OCAA East first-team all-star.

Jenny Allen (Ottawa) of the OCAA East champion Algonquin Thunder is also a CCAA all-Canadian. The fourth-year guard had a positive impact both offensively and defensively, quarterbacking the Algonquin offence with a league-leading 88 assists, while contributing 52 steals, six behind the OCAA leader. Allen averaged 13.9 points per game and grabbed 55 rebounds. She is also an OCAA East first-team all-star.

Fleming Knights forward Cait Nemeczek (Peterborough, Ont.) is the OCAA rookie of the year. Nemeczek led the OCAA with 174 rebounds, nine more than her closest rival. The East rookie of the year also led Fleming (Peterborough) in offence averaging 12.8 points per game and blocks with seven. Nemeczek was second-best on her team in steals with 18. Nemeczek headlines the OCAA East all-rookie team.

Georgian Grizzlies head coach Marnie Buchanan is a nominee for CCAA coach of the year. The Grizzlies had a five-game turnaround this season with a record of 11-5, good for third place in the OCAA East. Georgian started the season 1-3 before putting together a nine-game win streak. Buchanan is the OCAA East coach of the year.

Sheridan Bruins guard Desiree Tindugan (Mississauga, Ont.) is the OCAA West rookie of the year. Tindugan contributed 12.9 points per game, 68 rebounds, 28 assists and 17 steals for the OCAA West champion Bruins. She also headlines the OCAA West all-rookie team.

Kaitlind Dutrizac (London, Ont.) of the Fanshawe Falcons is the OCAA West defensive player of the year. The fourth-year guard earned 54 rebounds and 37 steals in 2010-11.

Ron Lemon of the Niagara Knights is the OCAA West coach of the year. Niagara finished with a 10-4 record, good for third place in the division and a three-game turnaround from a year ago. Niagara began the season with a five-game win streak.

Joining Bly and Allen as OCAA East first-team all-stars are Algonquin’s Dayna Dover (Ottawa); Durham’s Erin Emery (White Rock, B.C.); and Seneca’s Monique Webley (Toronto). Dover was the leading scorer in the OCAA East.

OCAA overall scoring champion Sara Levesque (Hornepayne, Ont.) of St. Clair headlines the OCAA West first-team all-stars. They include Carolyn Fragale (Thunder Bay, Ont.) of Algoma; Kaitlyn McKenna (St. Catharines, Ont.) of Niagara; as well as Michelle Asare (Brampton, Ont.) and Tanya Perry (Barrie, Ont.) of Sheridan.

OCAA East second-team all-stars include Trish Grey (Ottawa) of Algonquin; Laura Pacevicius (Toronto) of Durham; Dana Marley (Innisfil, Ont.) of Georgian; Ruth Holland (Peterborough, Ont.) of Seneca; and Cory Ridgley (Kingston, Ont.) of St. Lawrence (Kingston).

Fanshawe’s Natasha Amo (Etobicoke, Ont.); Humber’s Kayla Suriani (Hamilton, Ont.) and Kaitlynn Paulley (Sarnia, Ont.); Mohawk’s Morgan Taylor (Shallow Lake, Ont.); and St. Clair’s Sarah Stevens (Windsor, Ont.) form the OCAA West second-team all-stars.

Joining Nemeczek as members of the OCAA East all-rookie team are Kristina Lane (Toronto) of George Brown; Courtney Blum (Barrie, Ont.) of Georgian; as well as Samantha Goff (Omemee, Ont.) and Haley Sisler (Belleville, Ont.) of Loyalist.

In addition to Tindugan, Algoma’s Tannis Olson (Prescott, Ont.); Humber’s Kara Barsevich (Orillia, Ont.); Mohawk’s Rachelle Abella (Hamilton, Ont.); and St. Clair’s Arica Price (Fort McMurray, Alta.) round out the OCAA West all-rookie team.

2011 OCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS AND ALL-STARS

Women's Basketball East Division Champions
Algonquin Thunder

Women's Basketball West Division Champion
Sheridan Bruins

OCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year
Summer Bly, Georgian

CCAA Women's Basketball All-Canadians
Summer Bly, Georgian
Jenny Allen, Algonquin

OCAA Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year
Cait Nemeczek, Fleming P

OCAA Women's Basketball League Scoring Champion
Sara Levesque, St. Clair

Women's Basketball CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Marnie Buchanan, Georgian

Women's Basketball East Division Scoring Champion
Dayna Dover, Algonquin

Women's Basketball West Division Scoring Champion
Sara Levesque, St. Clair

Women's Basketball East Division Coach of the Year
Marnie Buchanan, Georgian

Women's Basketball West Division Coach of the Year
Ron Lemon, Niagara

Women's Basketball East Division Rookie of the Year
Cait Nemeczek, Fleming P

Women's Basketball West Division Rookie of the Year
Desiree Tindugan, Sheridan

Women's Basketball East Division Defensive Player of the Year
Summer Bly, Georgian

Women's Basketball West Division Defensive Player of the Year
Kaitlind Dutrizac, Fanshawe

Women's Basketball East Division First-Team All-Stars
Dayna Dover, Algonquin
Jenny Allen, Algonquin
Erin Emery, Durham
Summer Bly, Georgian
Monique Webley, Seneca

Women's Basketball East Division Second-Team All-Stars
Trish Grey, Algonquin
Laura Pacevicius, Durham
Dana Marley, Georgian
Ruth Holland, Seneca
Cory Ridgley, St. Lawrence K

Women's Basketball East Division All-Rookie Team
Cait Nemeczek, Fleming P
Kristina Lane, George Brown
Courtney Blum, Georgian
Samantha Goff, Loyalist
Haley Sisler, Loyalist

Women's Basketball West Division First-Team All-Stars
Carolyn Fragale, Algoma
Kaitlyn McKenna, Niagara
Michelle Asare, Sheridan
Tanya Perry, Sheridan
Sara Levesque, St. Clair

Women's Basketball West Division Second-Team All-Stars
Natasha Amo, Fanshawe
Kayla Suriani, Humber
Kaitlynn Paulley, Humber
Morgan Taylor, Mohawk
Sarah Stevens, St. Clair

Women's Basketball West Division All-Rookie Team
Tannis Olson, Algoma
Kara Barsevich, Humber
Rachelle Abella, Mohawk
Desiree Tindugan, Sheridan
Arica Price, St. Clair

- OCAA -

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 30 members sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.

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Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
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E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com