FSU Basketball Players Claim All-GLIAC Kudos
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University was well-represented as the 2011-12 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Teams were announced on Friday night (March 2) during both the respective men's and women's basketball banquets being held in conjunction with the GLIAC Final Four this weekend.
For the first time this season, the league did not recognize seperate All-GLIAC teams for each division, but instead awarded a combined total of 10 first-team honorees, 10 second-team selections along with 10 all-defensive team picks.
On the women's side, Bulldog freshman forward/center Christina Branch (Grand Rapids/West Michigan Lutheran) was honored as the league's "Freshman of the Year" in voting by the conference's member head coaches.
Branch made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs this season as she helped lead FSU to its first-ever outright GLIAC North Division Championship. The 6-2 Branch currently ranks as the Bulldogs' leading rebounder (8.0 rpg.) and the squad's third-leading scorer (9.7 ppg.). She's listed among the league's top 15 performers in rebounding, field goal percentage, blocked shots and defensive boards along with being fourth in offensive rebounds (3.0 pg.). Branch has posted 11 double-figure scoring efforts this season with seven games of 10 or more rebounds. Her presence inside helped lift the Bulldogs to a school-best 17-2 conference regular-season record along with a current 21-5 ledger this campaign.
Ferris State sophomore guard Sarah DeShone (Elkhart, Ind./Jimtown) represented FSU on the All-GLIAC Women's First Team after a stellar sophomore campaign, which includes ranking as the Bulldogs' leading scorer (14.7 ppg.) to date.
In addition to being named as the "Freshman of the Year", Branch also claimed All-GLIAC Second Team laurels on the women's side as did Bulldog senior guard Tricia Principe (Kalamazoo/Mattawan), who presently ranks second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and is the school's all-time leader in career free throw percentage. She also became only the 15th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points this campaign.
Finally, Branch was also tabbed to the GLIAC's All-Defensive Team for her efforts on the defensive side.
The Bulldog men's basketball team also had one first-team selection in junior guard Kenny Brown (Farmington Hills/Harrison), who ranked as one of the league leaders in scoring, three-pointers and free throw percentage.
FSU junior forward Daniel Sutherlin (Detroit/Renaissance) was chosen as an All-GLIAC Second Team pick for the first time in his career while senior guard Dontae Molden (Detroit/Pershing) wrapped up his standout career by being named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive campaign. Sutherlin was also among the 10 named to the All-Defensive Team in addition to earning second-team accolades.
The Ferris State men's and women's basketball teams both claimed GLIAC North Division Championships this season. The women were outright winners with a 17-2 league regular-season record while the men captured a share of a second-straight divisional crown and wrapped up the year at 16-11 overall and 13-6 in league play.
The Bulldog women have reached the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals and will face third-seeded Tiffin on Saturday (March 3) afternoon at 3 p.m. (ET) inside Kates Gymnasium on the Ashland University campus in Ashland, Ohio.
Visit the links below for the complete All-GLIAC Teams:
Men's All-GLIAC Selections
Women's All-GLIAC Selections