HARRISONBURG, Va., April 21, 2011 -- The 2010-11 JMU women's basketball team awards have been announced and are as follows:
Most Valuable Player; Courage Award; Leadership Award: Senior guard Dawn Evans (Clarksville, Tenn./Northeast). Evans won Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and numerous other honors, including the Women's Basketball Coaches Association State Farm All-Region 2 Team and Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year. Evans was third in the NCAA in scoring with 23.1 points per game, and she led the team in assists (4.5). She set 18 school records, including career points (2,667), which was also a CAA record.
Newcomer Award; Most Improved Award: Freshman guard Kirby Burkholder (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby). Burkholder played in 24 games for the Dukes.
Attitude Award: Senior forward Jalissa Taylor (Chesterfield, Va./L.C. Bird). Taylor, who won the award for the second consecutive year, was a team captain and the Dukes' second leading rebounder (6.5). She also earned CAA All-Academic Honorable Mention for the second year in a row.
Hustle Award: Senior guard Courtney Hamner (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park). For the fourth year in a row, Hamner was awarded for her hustle. She set the school career record for games played (130) and was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team.
Most Spirited and Unselfish Contribution Award: Junior center Rachel Connely (Tamaqua, Pa./Marian Catholic). Connely, who played in 20 games, won the honor for the third straight year.
