Howard Almost Unanimously Chosen To Win MEAC
Howard’s Gardner named Preseason Player of the Year

GREENSBORO, NC - Howard University, winners of last year MEAC regular season title and tournament, has been picked by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference head coaches and Sports Information directors to win the 2001-02 MEAC regular season title. Lady Bison senior center Andrea Gardner has been selected as the preseason Player of the Year.

The Lady Bison return Gardner, sophomore forward and MEAC Rookie of the Year Essence Coggins, guard Asia Petty and return forward Courtney Kirk, who sat out last season. Head coach Cathy Parson also has three 6-foot and above recruits coming into her already talented team, led by 6-foot-2 Andrea Jones.

Gardner led the nation in rebounding last year as she averaged 14.2 rebounds per game to go along with the 19.4 points per game. Joining her in the frontcourt on the preseason team will be Suawanna Taylor of Norfolk State and Phaedra Mashburn of Florida A&M. Taylor, a 6-foot-1 fifth-year senior, was one of four MEAC players to average a double-double last year, she tallied 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the Spartans. Mashburn, a 5-foot-10 forward averaged 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for the Rattlerettes.

In the backcourt, Lashondra Dixon of Hampton and Tasha Stinson of South Carolina State were selected as preseason first team choices. Dixon is a 5-foot-5 junior guard who averaged 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last year. Stinson is a 5-foot-8 senior guard who averaged 17.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season, before falling victim to a torn ACL during the season.

All-MEAC Preseason First Team

Andrea Gardner	Howard	Senior		C	Washington, DC
Suawanna Taylor	Norfolk St.	Senior		F	Virginia Beach, VA
Phaedra Mashburn	Florida A&M	Senior		F	Quincy, FL
Tasha Stinson	S.C. State	Senior		G	Rock Hill, SC
Lashondra Dixon	Hampton	Junior		G	Sparta, GA

Player of the Year Runner-up: Tasha Stinson, SC State

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