CIAA HOOPS HONORS: A pair of Elizabeth City State players who dominated conference stats this season and a pair of St. Augustine's newcomers were selected as the top individual players as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced its 2007-08 men's and women's basketball award winners last week.

ECSU junior forward Anthony Hilliard, whose 20.1 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game led all men's players, and senior center Celeste Trahan, whose averages of 23.7 points and 15.9 rebounds per game topped the ladies statistics, took home the league's players of the year awards as selected by members of the men's and women's Basketball Coaches Associations. 

The double awards mark the third time in CIAA history that players from the same program earned that honor, but a first for ECSU. Norfolk State in 1995 and Bowie State in 2005 were the others. This also marks Trahan's second year in a row as CIAA Player of the Year.

Trahan, who broke ground this season as the first NCAA Division II women's basketball student-athlete to score 2,000 career points and grab 1,500 career rebounds, is also the 2008 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year. She also leads the conference in blocked shots (2.13 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.522). Virginia Union senior forward Brad Byerson was selected as the Men's Defensive Player of the Year. Byerson, also a member of the league's 12-man all-conference team, ranks third in the conference in rebounding (7.9 rpg.), third in blocked shots (1.25 bpg.) and averages 16.4 points per contest (fourth best).

St. Aug's first-year players Hayward Fain (men) and Allison Sikes (women) took home the rookie of the year awards. Fain averaged 10.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while Sikes led a contingent of three Lady Falcons on the all-rookie team, averaging team bests of 10.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Bowie State, Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith and Fayetteville State led the men's all-CIAA team with two selections each. BSU and JCSU with three selections and Shaw with two paced the women's team. The All-CIAA Teams and Players of the Year were honored at the Women's and Men's Tip-Off Banquets on February 24th and 26th, respectively.

2008 Men's All-CIAA
Basketball Team
FRONTCOURT
Joshua Johnson, 6-6, Sr., F, BSU, Annapolis, MD (12.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg.)
David Paris, 6-9, Sr., C, BSU, San Jose, CA (13.3 ppg., 7.8 rpg.)
Anthony Hilliard, 6-3, Jr., F, ECSU, Fayv., NC (20.1 ppg., 11.1 rpg.)
Jerry Hollis, 6-5, So., F, JCSU, Charlotte, NC (11.6 ppg., 7.3 rpg.)
Damola Obadina, 6-5, Sr., F, Shaw, Minn., MN (12.6 ppg., 6.9 rpg.) Brad Byerson, 6-7, Sr., F, VUU, Colonial Hts., VA (16.4 ppg., 7.9 rpg.)
LaKeith Blanks, 6-6, Sr., F, VUU, Capital Hgts., MD (13.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg.)
BACKCOURT
Phillippe' Harris, 5-11, Sr., G, FSU, Fayv., NC (17.7 ppg., .856 FT%)
Andy Gebru, 6-3, Jr., G, FSU, Orlando, FL (16.9 ppg., 3.1 3pg.)
Maurice Hooper, 6-3, Sr., G, JCSU, Reidsville, NC (11.5 ppg., 3.5 apg.)
William Gill, 6-0, Jr., G, SAC, Clinton, MD (13.7 ppg., 2.4 3pg.)
Trey Mines, 6-2, So., G, VSU, Chester, VA (16.2 ppg., 2,5 3pg.)
 
2008 Women's All-CIAA
Basketball Team
FRONTCOURT
Markeya Watson, 6-0, Jr., F, BSU, Clinton, MD (8.8 ppg., 7.8 rpg.)
Allyson Swailes, 6-2, Sr., F, BSU, Silver Spr., MD (11.8 ppg., .840 FT%)
Celeste Trahan, 6-1, Sr., C, ECSU, Stockton, CA (23.7 ppg., 15.9 rpg.)
Kyria Buford, 6-2, So., F, JCSU, Charleston, SC (15.4 ppg., 7.2 rpg.)
Rochelle Bodie, 6-0, Sr., F, JCSU, Raleigh, NC (7.0 rpg., 0.9 bpg.)
Nicky Souter, 6-0, Sr., F, Shaw, Brooklyn, NY (4.9 ppg., 8.4 rpg.,
Katchona Johnson, 6-1, Sr., F/C, VUU, Grnvl., VA (15.3 ppg., 7.4 rpg.)
BACKCOURT
Bianca Lee, 5-8, So., G, BSU, Temple Hills, MD (13.2 ppg., 2.7 spg.)
Leticia Dickson, 5-3, Sr., G, FSU, Raleigh, NC (15.6 ppg., 2.4 3 pg.)
Ashley Chase, 5-7, Sr., G, JCSU, Baltimore, MD (7.1 ppg., 4.2 apg.,
Jamie Goshen, 5-11, Sr., G, Shaw, Chesap., VA (13.2 ppg., .816 FT%)
Katania Walker, 5-6, Jr., G, VSU, Va. Beach, VA (15.1 ppg., 2.25 3 pg.)

2008 CIAA Women's All-Rookie Team
Whitney Griffis, 5-10, G/F, SAC, Richmond, VA; Teunisha Robinson, 6-4, F, BSU; Allison Sikes, 5-11, G/F, SAC, Richmond, VA; Lakisha Walker, 5-9, G, BSU, Baltimore, MD; LaKeisha White, 5-9, F, SAC, Richmond, VA
2008 CIAA Men's All-Rookie Team
Haywood Fain, 6-4, F, SAC, Akron, OH; Derek Holmes, 6-5, F, FSU, Washington, DC; Adrian Moffatt, 6-4, G, SPC, Newport News, VA; Maurice Reevey, 6-6, F, SPC, Richmond, VA; Ronald Thornhill, 5-10, G, JCSU, Alberta VA

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