Tuesday, February 21, 2006

MORAVIAN’S APPLEGATE & SEAMAN NAMED TO COMMONWEALTH
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS; APPLEGATE HONORED AS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

ANNVILLE, PA --- Junior forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) of the Moravian College women’s basketball team has been named the 2005-06 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and to the All-Conference First Team while senior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) was honored on the All-Conference Second Team announced by the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation Tuesday.

Joining Applegate on the All-Conference First Team were Eli Cook of Messiah College, Sarah Ringer of Messiah, Chelsea Luhta from Widener University and Monica Johnson from Lebanon Valley College. Applegate is Moravian’s first women’s basketball conference player of the year since Kathy Beck in 1991-92.

Moravian head coach Mary Beth Spirk has coached the Greyhounds to a 20-5 overall record, an 11-3 slate in Commonwealth Conference action and the squad’s fifth straight postseason berth this year. Spirk has a career record of 352-164.

Applegate, who was named to the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball December Team of the Month, the Women's DIII News December Player of the Month, the Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Team of the Year and the Lehigh Valley Small College Women's Basketball Player of the Year, leads Moravian at 18.6 points, ranked 35th in the nation, and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 56.4 percent (167 of 296) from the floor. Applegate, who is ranked 22nd nationally in field goal percentage, has also added 33 assists, 37 steals and 24 blocked shots. Applegate became the 17th player in Moravian history to score 1,000 career points in the final regular season game and now has 1,006 points in her career.

Seaman, who had been on the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team last year and the Second Team as a sophomore, became the 16th player in Moravian history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau, and she is currently ninth all-time with 1,193 points. Seaman, who is also third all-time with 764 career rebounds, is contributing 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Seaman, who was the Most Valuable Player at the 5th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic, also has 42 assists, 55 steals, 16 three-pointers and 14 blocked shots.

Moravian is the second seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament and will host third-seeded Widener University in a semifinal game on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall. The winner of the Commonwealth Tournament, which concludes on Saturday, February 25th, earns a berth in the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament beginning on March 3rd.