Petrakova Named Sun Belt's Player Of The Year
First time Louisiana has had a Sun Belt Women's Player of the Year
LOUISIANA La. - The Sun Belt Conference announced on Thursday that University of Louisiana center Anna Petrakova is the 2003-04 women's basketball Player of the Year and a First Team All-Sun Belt member.
Petrakova's first team selection marks the first ever All-Sun Belt selection for the LAdy Cajuns and first all-conference selection since 1990. Petrakova is the first Player of the Year in Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball history.
The SBC also named the Cajuns Tiffany Washington as its Newcomer of the Year.
Petrakova led the SBC in points (18.7), rebounds (9.6), blocks (64), free throw attempts (149), free throws made (122) and double-doubles (11). She ranked third in field goal percentage (50.7%) and fifth in free throw percentage (81.9%).
Petrakova blocked 64 shots, the second highest single-season total in school history. Her 122 free throws this season are six shy of tying Kim Perrot's school record of 128. She also averaged two assists and one steal per game.
The 6-foot-3 junior was consistently the focal point of opposing defenses, usually double and triple-teamed. Despite the constant attention, Petrakova hit double figures in scoring in 23 of 27 games this season, and led the team in scoring 20 times.
Washington transferred from Oklahoma State to play her senior season with the Cajuns.
As opposing defenses continued to pay more attention to Petrakova, Washington averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds over her last nine games. She averaged 38.8 minutes per game.
The Franklin, La. native ranked second in the SBC in rebounds (9.0), fifth in blocks (33) and twenty-fourth in the SBC in scoring (10.0).
Washington and Petrakova combined for 97 of Louisiana's conference-best 117 blocked shots. Their defensive presence helped the Cajuns lead the SBC in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 35.0 percent. The mark ranks eighth in the nation among 324 Division I women's basketball teams.
Perrot was the Cajuns last all-conference performer, a unanimous first team American South Conference selection in 1990. She led the nation in scoring her senior year with 30 points per game.
Including Perrot, UL Lafayette had 14 all-conference picks from 1983-1990 as a member of the Southland and American South Conferences. A post-season honors drought ensued from 1990 through 2003, a span of 13
seasons. Although not an All-Sun Belt selection, Tiffany Green was named the SBC's Newcomer of the Year in 1998.
LOUISIANA SI
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