NEBRASKA /A.P. SPORTS
LADY HUSKERS DOMINATE BIG 12 BB HONORS
By John Axtell
Mar 8, 2010 - 10:35:34 PM

     The coach and top player of the undefeated Nebraska women's basketball have claimed the league's top honors. Connie Yori has been Coach of the Year by her peers...who also named Husker senior Kelsey Griffin as Player of the year.
 
     Over the last eight years, Yori has led Nebraska from a largely undistinguished team to the #3 team in the nation and the only unbeaten women's college basketball team other than top-ranked Connecticut.

       She credits this year's success to her players, saying they've "given everything they can to make this program great."
   
     Griffin...who missed all of last season with an injury...became the first Husker named Big 12 Player of the Year in season where she posted 17 double-doubles. In fact, the 6-4 native of Alaska is averaging a double-double with 20.4 points and a league-high10.4 rebounds per game.

     She was also named to the Big 12's All-Defensive Team for the first time and overall 1st team for the third time. Karen Jennings, Maurtice Ivy and Kiera Hardy are the only other Nebraska players to do that.

     Jennings and Ivy are the only other Huskers besides Griffin to be named a conference Player of the Year, doing while Nebraska was still in the Big 8...Ivy in 1988 and Jennings in 1992 and 93.

     Yori says Griffin is the best offensive player she has ever coached, and she has worked hard to make herself the best, but Griffin says she couldn't have won the award without the help of her teammates who got her the ball in great positions all year.
    
      Griffin and her coach aren't the only Lady Huskers being recognized with post-season honors from the Big 12. Senior Yvonne Turner...a 5-8 guard...was voted the Co-Defensive Player of the Year and joined Griffin on the league's All-Defensive team.

     Both were also named 1st team All Big 12 along with fellow senior Cory Montgomery...who joined Griffin as one of only 8 players in Husker history with 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in their career.

    Junior Dominique Kelley added honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors while point guard Lindsey Moore earned one of five spots on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

      As for the rest of the league honors, 6-8 Baylor freshman center Brittney Griner was the league's Freshman of the Year and shared Defensive Player of the Year accolades with Turner, while Colorado's Bianca Smith claimed the Sixth Man Award.



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