ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The Pacific West Athletic Conference officially released the 2008-2009 All-Conference Teams and post-season awards on Sunday, March 29 and Dixie State College garnered five players on the first, second or honorable mention squads.
“I feel it was a great compliment to land five people on all conference, which was the most for any team in this conference” said Dixie State Head Coach Angela Kristensen. “I felt like each one of the players had a major impact on the outcome of our season. They are all deserving of each of these awards.”
Senior guard Deney Phommabout (West Valley, UT/Hillcrest) made First Team honors by averaging 11.6 points per game. She led the Red Storm and ranked 13th in the PacWest in scoring. With a no-fear attitude, the former Otero JC product provided instant offense of the bench for the Storm. Kristensen notes “she changed the game immediately when she got in.” Phommabout scored a season-high 24 points twice in crucial conference wins against Hawaii-Hilo at home and on the road at Notre Dame de Namur. Deney finished the year strong averaging over 13 points in conference and notching double digits in scoring in 11 of her last 16 games.
“Her being our 6th man and being on the all conference first team speaks very highly of how much respect she has in this conference. Deney always put this team first” added Kristensen.
Junior guard Courtney Boyd (Keokuk, IA/Keokuk), junior forward Tanya Clark (Beaumont, CA/Beaumont) and rookie guard Shanae Vaifanua (Hurricane, UT/Hurricane) claimed Second Team accolades.
Boyd was an Honorable Mention in 2007-08 and made the jump this year after leading the PacWest in assist average (4.56 per game). She collected 4.1 rebounds per contest and averaged 2.11 steals per outing - the latter high enough for fifth in the league. She averaged 1.70 three-pointers made per contest to stand ninth in the conference.
Her coach praised Boyd “as our leader whether she was on the floor or on the bench. She put this team on her back when we needed it and helped us finish in second place.” She nabbed a season-high 23 points at Grand Canyon on January 22.
Clark averaged 7.9 rebounds per game to lead the Storm and rank third in the PacWest. She also finished ninth in the league in foul shooting (69.1% - 56 for 81) and ninth in field goal percentage (46.1% - 94 for 204). Her four double-doubles led all Dixie State players.
“(She) played out of position for the entire year. Was always outsized, but did such a good job of the post. Did exactly what we needed her to do” said Kristensen. Clark backed up a 2nd Team Arizona Community College Athletic Conference nod in 2007-2008 with gritty play in her first year in a Dixie State uniform.
Vaifanua, the fantastic freshman guard, averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for Dixie State. She ranked eighth in boards and 17th in scoring this year. The Hurricane High grad also finished 10th in shooting (45.9%) after making 106 of 231 field goal attempts, while her 1.96 steals-per-game average landed her sixth in the conference.
“What an amazing freshman year”, said Kristensen. “In my mind (she) was the best freshman in this conference because she changed the game so much defensively for us.” Playing against some of the most talented players in the conference, Shanae showed toughness that will help her grow over the next three years.
Junior guard Jessie Ingraham (Tucson, AZ/Canyon del Oro) averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to earn Honorable Mention.
“(She) was our best shooter throughout the year and one of our best rebounding guards” declared Kristensen and the numbers back it up. She finished 15th in the league in scoring and 10th in rebounding, while her 3.23 assists per game placed her ninth among all PacWest players. She also had the third-best free throw percentage in the league, connecting on 80.5% (66 of 82) of her attempts from the line.
An ACCAA first-teamer with Pima College in 2007, Ingraham earned multiple Pac West Honor Roll appearances this season “doing a lot of great things her first year in a DSC uniform.”
John Potter II
Assistant Sports Information Director
Friday, April 10, 2009
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