May 2, 2011
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The players, coaches and support staff of the Navy women's basketball program gathered recently at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for its annual team banquet and to celebrate a historic season by the Midshipmen.
The Mids posted a 10-4 record in the Patriot League this year to share the league's regular season crown and earn the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. Navy tied a school record for league wins in a season, shared the regular season title for the second time in school history and garnered the top seed in the postseason for the first time. The Mids would advance to the championship game of the tournament for the first time in a dozen years where they would rally from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat American, 47-40, and win Navy's first league championship.
One week after cutting down the Alumni Hall nets, Navy faced ninth-ranked DePaul in the first NCAA Tournament game in school history. The Mids held the lead early in the second half and were within one-point of the Blue Demons with 10 minutes remaining in the game before falling to DePaul by the score of 56-43. The 13-point deficit was the closest any Patriot League team had been to winning an NCAA Tournament game in two decades, and dramatically improved upon the league's 34.4-point average margin of defeat over the last 10 years.
Garnering individual team awards during the course of the banquet were Jade Geif (Fr., Lakeville, Minn.), Erin Edwards (Jr., Hockessin, Del.) and Angela Myers (Sr., San Antonio, Texas). Geif, who previously was selected as the Patriot League's Rookie of the Year and the MVP of the league tournament, received the Pride Award for displaying dedication to the program and providing inspiration and motivation to her teammates. She averaged a double-double (10.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and shot 56 percent from the field during the three-game Patriot League Tournament. This included a 16-point, 10-rebound performance in the title tilt against American, which was followed by her recording 14 points and grabbing 10 caroms against DePaul.
Edwards entered the fall of 2010 having tallied 148 points and 25 three-point field goals over her first two years at Navy. As a junior this year, she scored 181 points, made 42 three-point field goals and led the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage during the league campaign. That leap allowed her to garner the team's Most Improved Player award.
Myers left the banquet having been honored as the team's Defensive Player of the Year and with the Adm. Charles R. Larson Award that is presented annually to the outstanding player on the team. She was tabbed as the team's top defensive player in each of her four years and joins Courtney Davidson as the lone Mids to have been presented with the Adm. Larson Award three times in a career since it was instituted 17 years ago. Myers earned First-Team All-Patriot League accolades for a second consecutive season this year and became one of just four Mids to have received at least three all-league laurels in a career. She ranked among the league leaders in 12 of the 13 statistical categories tracked by the league for the third straight season and leaves Navy ranked among the school's career leaders in games played (124, first), assists (511, first), three-point field goals made (127, eighth), rebounds (703, ninth) and points (1,206, 11th).
Joining Myers in closing her career with the banquet was fellow senior Cassie Consedine (Bartlesville, Okla.). Consedine departs Navy as the holder of the school's blocked shots record with 215 rejections. That total is 91 more blocks than the career tally of the next closest Mid. One of just four Mids in school history to have averaged at least 10 points a game in each of her four years, she also ranks among Navy's career leaders in games started (116, second), rebounds (882, third), three-point field goals made (165, third), double-doubles (26, fourth) and points (1,418, seventh).
