HAMILTON, Ont. - St. Lawrence College's Lacey Knox was named the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) women's basketball player of the year for the second straight season in a ceremony held at the Courtyard by Marriott Hamilton on Thursday morning as part of the 2014 belairdirect OCAA Women's Basketball Championship.

Knox (Kingston) once again won the OCAA East and overall scoring championship, leading all OCAA players with a 20.1 points per game average. The fourth-year Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian scored 321 points while contributing 127 rebounds, 41 steals, 37 assists and 24 blocks. Knox also headlines the OCAA East first-team all-stars.

Sheridan College's Shylanda Saunders (East Preston, N.S.) is also an all-Canadian. The third-year point guard won the OCAA West scoring championship averaging 18.7 points per game. She contributed 318 points, 128 rebounds, 52 assists and 24 steals. Saunders is also an OCAA West first-team all-star.

Shannon Kennedy of St. Clair College is the OCAA West and overall rookie of the year. Kennedy (Windsor) led the division in steals with 51. She was also one of the top rebounders in league play with 150 to her credit. Kennedy was third in team scoring with 210 points. Kennedy is an OCAA West first-team all-star as well as a member of the West all-rookie team.

Loyalist College's Mikayla Brennan (Kemptville) is the OCAA East rookie of the year. Brennan was third among OCAA players with 164 rebounds, while her 17.2 points per game average was among the top six. She was the team leader with 276 points, 26 steals, eight blocks as well as rebounds. A member of the East all-rookie team, Brennan also earns East second-team all-star status.

Heather LaFontaine of Durham College is the OCAA East coach of the year and is the OCAA nominee for CCAA coach of the year. The first year head coach of the Lords oversaw an incredible turnaround, as Durham went from three wins in 2012-13 to three losses this season, clinching second place in the region and a direct bye into provincials.

Humber College's Ajay Sharma is the OCAA West coach of the year. The Hawks soared to a West regional championship, going 16-2. Humber had a pair of six-game win streaks during the regular season and had identical 8-1 records at home and on the road.

Summer Bly (Barrie) of Georgian College is the OCAA East defensive player of the year. The fifth-year forward led all OCAA players with 191 rebounds (153 from the defensive end of the court) and 59 blocks. She was fifth in steals with 45. She is also an East first-team all-star.

Sault College's McKenzie Kearns (Windsor) is the OCAA West defensive player of the year. Kearns led all West players with 191 rebounds, 141 coming off the defensive glass. The first-year forward was third overall in blocks with 32.  

Joining Knox and Bly as OCAA East first-team all-stars are Sandre Bascoe (Ottawa) and Kim Cupid (Guelph) of East regional champion Algonquin College and Kauri LaFontaine (Whitby) of Durham.

Along with Saunders and Kennedy, OCAA West first-team all-stars include Ali Vlasman (Ingersoll) of Fanshawe College; Lindsay Moffatt (Hamilton) of Redeemer University College; and Kendyl Rizea (Windsor) of St. Clair.

Joining Brennan as OCAA East second-team all-stars are Kelsey Hare (Whitby) and Kate Mowat (Whitby) of Durham; Aria Charles (Toronto) of George Brown College; and Sharika Smith (Mississauga) of Seneca College.

OCAA West second-team all-stars include Aleena Domingo (Toronto) and Chioma Oriuwa (Brampton) of Humber; Riley Williams (Sarnia) of Lambton College; Stef Hrymak (Hamilton) of Mohawk College; and Tara Giallonardo (Fonthill) of Niagara College.

Along with Brennan, the OCAA East all-rookie team is comprised of Ashlyn Martin (Toronto) of Centennial College; Jaime Janssen (Fergus) of George Brown; Abby Heron (Brantford) of St. Lawrence-Kingston; and Sarah Givens (Kingston) of Seneca.

Samantha Lovat of Sheridan joins an OCAA West all-rookie team that includes Kennedy, Vlasman, Moffatt and Hrymak.

2013-14 OCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MAJOR AWARDS

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division Champions
Algonquin Thunder

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Champions
Humber Hawks

OCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Year
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-Kingston

CCAA All-Canadians
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-Kingston
Shylanda Saunders, Sheridan

OCAA Women's Basketball CCAA Coach of the Year Nominee
Heather LaFontaine, Durham

OCAA Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year
Shannon Kennedy, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Basketball League Scoring Champion
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-Kingston

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division Coach of the Year
Heather LaFontaine, Durham

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Coach of the Year
Ajay Sharma, Humber

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division Rookie of the Year
Mikayla Brennan, Loyalist

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Rookie of the Year
Shannon Kennedy, St. Clair

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division Scoring Champion
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-Kingston

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Scoring Champion
Shylanda Saunders, Sheridan

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

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Defensive Player of the Year
McKenzie Kearns, Sault

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division First-Team All-Stars
Sandre Bascoe, Algonquin
Kim Cupid, Algonquin
Kauri LaFontaine, Durham

Summer Bly, Georgian
Lacey Knox, St. Lawrence-Kingston


OCAA Women's Basketball West Division First-Team All-Stars
Ali Vlasman, Fanshawe
Lindsay Moffatt, Redeemer
Shannon Kennedy, St. Clair
Kendyl Rizea, St. Clair

Shylanda Saunders, Sheridan

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division Second-Team All-Stars
Kelsey Hare, Durham
Kate Mowat, Durham
Aria Charles, George Brown
Mikayla Brennan, Loyalist

Sharika Smith, Seneca

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division Second-Team All-Stars
Aleena Domingo, Humber
Chioma Oriuwa, Humber
Riley Williams, Lambton
Stef Hrymak, Mohawk

Tara Giallonardo, Niagara

OCAA Women's Basketball East Division All-Rookie Team
Ashlyn Martin, Centennial
Jaime Janssen, George Brown
Mikayla Brennan, Loyalist
Abby Heron, St. Lawrence-Kingston

Sarah Givens, Seneca

OCAA Women's Basketball West Division All-Rookie Team
Ali Vlasman, Fanshawe
Stef Hrymak, Mohawk
Lindsay Moffatt, Redeemer

Shannon Kennedy, St. Clair

Samantha Lovat, Sheridan

- OCAA -

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