GORHAM, Maine - Junior forward Stacey Kent (Northwood, N.H./Coe-Brown Academy) of the nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine Huskies women's basketball team has been named the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) Player of the Year to highlight four USM selections among the MWBCA awards announced Thursday evening following  a vote of member coaches. Kent was the number one choice on eight of the 12 ballots (coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players) garnering the award for the first time.  It is the fourth straight season that a USM player has been named the MWBCA Player of the Year as former USM player Ashley Marble earned the award for three consecutive seasons (2005, 2006, 2007). 

            Kent, who was recently selected to the All-Little East Conference (LEC) first team, was also named to the MWBCA First-Team All-State.  It is the second straight year that the 5-foot-9 forward has earned recognition from the MWBCA, earning second team honors as a sophomore in 2007.   Southern Maine sophomore guard Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan, Maine) was named to the MWBCA Second-Team All-State, while freshman guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) and sophomore forward Becky Dixon (Pittston, Maine/Gardiner) were named to the MWBCA All-Rookie team. 

            Kent lead the Huskies in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting a solid 48.1 percent (129-268) from the field, including an outstanding 43.8 percent from three-point range (42-for-96).  Kent also leads the Huskies in steals (47) and is second on the team in assists (66). 

            In her first three seasons, Kent has collected 813 points, 377 rebounds and 152 assists in 80 career games.  She is currently seventh all-time in USM career records with 108 three-pointers made and holds the school record for career three-point field goal percentage at 44.2 percent (108-for-244).  In 2007, Kent set a USM single game record sinking eight three-pointers against UMass Dartmouth on February 20, 2007.

            Paradis, a 2007 MWBCA All-Rookie selection, has adeptly moved into the starting point guard role for the Huskies.  Averaging a solid 6.8 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent (62-for-137) from the field, Paradis has dished off a team-leading 80 assists in 26 games for a 3.1 assists-per-game average.   Also named to the All-LEC second team, Paradis has posted a solid 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio which is ranked fourth in the Little East. 

            DeMillo and Dixon have had solid rookie campaigns for the Huskies.  DeMillo, a 5-foot-7 guard, has played in all 28 games to date and is averaging 5.3 points, 2.0 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.  She was named the MWBCA Rookie of the Week once on January 21 and earned LEC Rookie of the Week on December 9.  DeMillo was also named to the Little East All-Rookie team along with Dixon.

            Dixon, who missed the entire 2006-07 season with a knee injury is the Huskies' fifth leading scorer.  The 5-foot-11 sophomore is averaging 7.1 points per game and shooting 46.5 percent (67-for-144) from the floor.  She is fourth on the team in rebounding avering 4.6 caroms per game and is second in blocked shots with 18. 

            Southern Maine, 25-3 overall, faces Brandeis University tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship at Kean University in Union, N.J..

2007-2008 Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association (MWBCA) All-State Team

Player of the Year

Stacey Kent, Junior, Forward, University of Southern Maine

Rookie of the Year

Katie Bergeron, Freshman, Forward, Bowdoin College

Coach of the Year

Craig Dagan, Maine Maritime Academy

First Team
Stacey Kent                  Junior                  University of Southern Maine
Meg Coffin                     Senior                 Bates College
Val Beckwith                 Junior                   Bates College
Katie McCabe                Senior                 Colby College
Jill Anelauskas              Junior                   Bowdoin College

Second Team
Alexa Kaubris                 Junior                  Bowdoin College
Shelby Bradford             Junior                  Husson College
Katie Diggins                 Sophomore          University of New England
Nicole Paradis               Sophomore           University of Southern Maine
Allison Cappelloni          Sophomore          Colby College

All-Rookie Team
Katie Bergeron               Freshman            Bowdoin College
Tatum Welch                  Freshman            Maine Maritime
Kaylie DeMillo                 Freshman            Southern Maine
Becky Dixon                   Sophomore          Southern Maine
Julianne Kowalski          Freshman             Colby College

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