Friday, February 25, 2011

MORAVIAN’S HEFFNER & SMITH NAMED TO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LANDMARK ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM;
HEFFNER TRI-PLAYER OF THE YEAR & BLAIR DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MADISON, N.J. –Senior guard Amy Heffner (Schnecksville, PA/Parkland HS) and forward Emily Smith (East Stroudsburg, PA/East Stroudsburg South HS) of the Moravian College women’s basketball team has been named to the 2011 Landmark All-Conference First Team, and Heffner was honored as one of the Landmark Conference Tri-Players of the Year while junior forward Alexandra Blair (Hellertown, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) was named the Defensive Player of the Year as released by the conference office.

Moravian posted a 14-12 record this season including a 9-5 mark during the Landmark Conference campaign to earn the third seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament.  The Greyhounds has their season end on Thursday night with a 64-49 loss at The University of Scranton in a Landmark Conference Semifinal game, Moravian’s tenth straight postseason appearance.

Joining Heffner, pictured at left, as Tri-Players of the Year were senior forward Jen Hnatuck of Juniata College and senior guard Megan Kopecki from Scranton, the conference Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010.  Juniata and Scranton meet in the Landmark Conference Championship game on Saturday.

Heffner, who was the Women's DIII News November Player of the Month, led the Greyhounds with averages of 17.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season, and she was named to the All-Tournament Team at Gwynedd-Mercy College as well as the D3hoops.com Team of the Week presented by Scoutware twice this season.  Heffner, who averaged a team high 31.2 minutes a game, also has made team high of 41 three-pointers to go with 41 assists, 35 steals and 14 blocked shots while shooting 80.8 percent (143-for-177) at the foul line.  Heffner completed her three-year career at Moravian ranked fourth in career free throw percentage at 81.5 percent (269-of-330).

Smith, who missed five games earlier this season with an injury, netted 13.6 points per contest to go with an average of 6.1 rebounds per outing, 38 assists, 37 steals and nine three-pointers while shooting 82.9 percent (68-for-82) at the foul line.  Smith, pictured at right, earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the 10th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic.

Blair, pictured at left, contributed 11.3 points and a team high 7.8 rebounds per game with a school record 99 blocked shots, 45 assists and 17 steals.  Blair also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the 10th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic.

To view the complete Landmark All-Conference teams, visit http://www.landmarkconference.org/sports/wbkb/2010-11/news/LCwbball_allconference_2_25_11.