CLEVELAND (Sept. 23) - Two first-team all-Mid-American Conference selections from
the 1998-99 season highlight the women's basketball preseason all-MAC team,
announced today by the league office. Voting for the team was conducted by
members of the MAC News Media Association.
The five members of the team are: Dawn Zerman, Kent; Shelsea Erving,
Western Michigan; Kristy Maska, Eastern Michigan; Cheryl Bowles, Akron;
and AuBree Hamilton, Miami.
Zerman, a senior guard from Fremont, Ohio, is the league's two-time Defensive
Player of the Year. Last year, the Golden Flash averaged 15.6 points, which was
ninth in the league, and paced the conference free throw percentage (.891).
Zerman's free throw percentage was second in the nation a year ago. In addition,
Zerman was third in steals (2.79) and sixth in assists per game (4.66), and was
named a first-team all-MAC choice as a junior after garnering second-team
accolades as a sophomore.
The league's other returning first-team all-MAC selection, Erving averaged 19.1
points and 6.8 rebounds per game, which were sixth and 12th in the league,
respectively, in 1999. The senior guard from Peoria, Ill., reached double figures
in points in 28 of 29 games last season and registered six double-doubles, which
was second on the team. Erving set a WMU single season mark as a junior with
553 points.
One of three second-team all-league players from the 1998-99 season chosen
on this year's preseason team, Maska was seventh last year in the league in
scoring (18.8) and led the MAC in three-point field goals made per game (2.89).
The junior guard from Britton, Mich., exploded onto the scene for Eastern
Michigan after averaging 2.5 points as a freshman and emerged as one of the
MAC's accurate long range threats, connecting on 42 percent of three field goal
attempts, which was third in the league.
The final members of the preseason team are two of the MAC's top inside
players, both offensively and defensively. Bowles led the Zips with a 16.6
scoring average, which was eighth in the conference, and grabbed nine boards a
game, good for fourth in the league. The Kansas City, Mo., native also finished
as one of the top shooters among MAC schools, completing the season fourth
with a .556 field goal percentage.
Hamilton led the league in both rebounding (11.9) and blocked shots per game
(1.92). The RedHawk center from Lima, Ohio, also averaged 11.3 points per
game, while her rebounding average was fourth in the country and her blocked
shots 23rd. Hamilton set school records in 1999 for rebounds (285) and
blocked shots (46) in a season.
The preseason all-MAC team will be available for interviews at the conference's
Basketball Media Day, which is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 20 at the
Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland. The media portion of the schedule is set to
begin at 3 p.m.
The men's preseason all-MAC team will be announced tomorrow.