Simon Fraser University forward Erin Chambers was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball player of the year on Tuesday following a record-breaking season for the outgoing senior.
The Mission native will finish her career as the all-time leading scorer in the conference, having broken the previous record, held by Bobbie Knudsen, in the final week of regular season play. Chambers currently has 1,910 career points as the Clan prepare for the Great Northwest championships this week in Billings, Montana.
Chambers earned eight of a possible nine votes from the conference coaches for player of the year.
She was also a unanimous selection to the all-conference first team for the second consecutive season and the team’s lone repeat honouree.
Chambers led the Great Northwest in scoring this season, averaging a conference record 23.9 points per game, while breaking the previous record of 23.1 points per game she set last season.
Throughout her career, Chambers received numerous other accolades, including the conference defensive player of the year in 2012-13, a West Region all-star nod in 2013-14, and the honour of holding over eight Great Northwest conference records.
As a junior in 2013-14, she was an honourable mention on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American team, and earlier this season she hit a career-high 41 points against Saint Martin’s, propelling her to SFU’s third-best game in program history.
Chambers’ teammates Katie Lowen and Meg Wilson were also named honourable mentions to the all-conference team, following their senior and junior seasons, respectively.
Lowen, a three-time academic all-conference nominee leads the conference in three-pointers made, sinking 73 in 26 games, to average 2.8 treys per contest. She averaged 11.7 points per game in her senior season, and shot 36.9 per cent from three-point range.
Wilson is the conference’s thirteenth-highest scorer, averaging 13.2 points per game, while also pulling down 8.3 rebounds per contest. The junior has also recorded six double-doubles this season.
2014-15 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
First Team: *+Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (F, 6-1, Sr., Mission, BC); *Megan Mullings, Alaska Anchorage (F, 6-1, Jr., Glendale, AZ); Kayleen Goggins, MSU Billings (F, 6-1, Sr., Shepherd, MT); Suzanna Ohlsen, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-7, Sr., Monroe, WA); Aubree Callen, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-9, Sr., Jerome, ID); Jenni White, Western Washington (G, 5-5, Sr., Spokane, WA). *Unanimous +Repeater
Second Team:Dana Goularte, Western Oregon (F, 6-0, Sr., Port Orchard, WA); Kiki Robertson, Alaska Anchorage (G, 5-6, So., Honolulu, HI); Kayla Bernsen, Western Washington (P, 6-3, So., Moses Lake, WA); Jasmin Edwards, Central Washington (G, 5-5, Fr., Lynwood, WA); Taylor Simmons, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-8, Jr., Middleton, ID); Taylor Peacocke, Western Washington (G, 5-9, So., Bellevue, WA).
Honourable Mention: Jenna Buchanan, Alaska Anchorage (G, 5-8, Jr., Galena, AK); KeKe Wright, Alaska Anchorage (F, 5-11, Sr., Las Vegas, NV); Alli Madison, Alaska Anchorage (G, 5-8, Sr., Seattle, WA); Benissa Bulaya, Alaska (G, 5-6, Sr., Sacramento, CA); Courtney Johnson, Central Washington (G, 6-0, Sr., Kent, WA); Jasmine Parker, Central Washington (F, 6-1, Jr., Spokane, WA); Alisha Breen, MSU Billings (F, 5-10, So., Choteau, MT); Ellie Logan, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-9, Fr., Fossil, OR); Krista Stabler, Saint Martin’s (G, 5-6, Jr., Bremerton, WA); Betsy Kingsma, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-11, Sr., Bellevue, WA); Meg Wilson, Simon Fraser (F, 6-1, Jr., London, ON); Katie Lowen, Simon Fraser (G, 5-5, Sr., Lethbridge, AB); Katie Colard, Western Washington (G, 5-9, Sr., Elma, WA).
SPECIAL AWARDS: Player of the Year– Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser. Defensive Player of the Year – Kiki Robertson, Alaska Anchorage. Newcomer of the Year– Megan Mullings, Alaska Anchorage. Freshman of the Year– Jasmine Edwards, Central Washington . Coach of the Year– Ryan McCarthy, Alaska Anchorage
