Women's basketball awards Coward, Luberisse and Munro win Majors
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse, Saint Mary's
Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse of the Saint Mary's Huskies has been named the AUS women's basketball defensive player of the year for the second consecutive season.
The 5-foot-7 guard started in all 20 games and was second in team scoring with an average of 11.0 points per game, finishing with 220 points on the season.
Luberisse was a defensive force for the Huskies this season, leading the AUS in steals with 67 and posting 86 defensive rebounds. She finished third overall in assists with 76 and fifth overall in offensive rebounds with 52.
In addition to being named the 2015-16 AUS defensive player of the year, Luberisse was also named to the AUS second team all-star squad.
She adds this to her growing list of accolades which include 2014-15 AUS rookie of the year honours, as well as places on the 2014-15 AUS first team all-star squad and AUS all-rookie team.
Luberisse, a native of Montreal, Que., is the only player from the Huskies to claim the defensive player of the year award, and the first AUS player to earn the honour in back-to-back seasons.
She will now be the AUS nominee for the CIS defensive player of the year award. An Atlantic University Sport player has yet to earn the accolade.
DR. CAROLYN SAVOY AWARD (AUS COACH OF THE YEAR): Scott Munro, Saint Mary's
Head coach Scott Munro of the CIS No. 3-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies is the 2015-16 recipient of the Dr. Carolyn Savoy Memorial Award for AUS coach of the year. This is the second time in his eight years at the helm of the program that he has received the honour.
The defending AUS champion Huskies finished first in this year's regular season standings with a 19-1 record. Their league-leading defence allowed an average of just 54.0 points per game against this season.
Munro's Huskies led the league in free-throws made per game (15.6), three-point shots made per game (6.4), and offensive rebounds per game (14.5).
The team also finished second in the league in points per game (70.4), defensive rebounds per game (27.5), and total rebounds per game with (27.4).
"We are very happy for Coach Munro as this award acknowledges his unparalleled but unassuming dedication to Saint Mary's University and our student-athletes," said Saint Mary's director of athletics Kevin Downie.
Before joining the team at Saint Mary's in 2008, Munro spent many of his formative years with Saint Mary's, including working as a coach for both the men's and women's teams between 1995-2003.
The NCCP level three certified coach from Fredericton, N.B. has led the Nova Scotia Provincial Team nine times on both the men's and women's side as head coach. Munro coached team Nova Scotia in the 2005 Canada Summer Games, leading the province to its first medal in 29 years. He also served as head coach for the squad at the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
From 2003-2008, Munro spent his time as head coach for the University of King's College Blue Devils, leading the team to a regular season conference championship, and was selected ACAA Coach of the Year for 2007-08.
He is one out of just two Huskies coaches to be named AUS coach of the year and the first from Saint Mary's to earn the honour twice. Jill Healy is the only other Saint Mary's coach to be named AUS coach of the year, claiming the award in 1997-98.
Munro now becomes the AUS nominee for CIS coach of the year, hoping to earn the honour for the second time in his career. He is the latest Atlantic conference coach to win the award, previously earning the honour in the 2012-2013 season.
TRACY MACLEOD AWARD NOMINEE: Rachelle Coward, Saint Mary's
Rachelle Coward of the Saint Mary's Huskies is the 2015-16 AUS nominee for the CIS Tracy MacLeod Award.
This award rewards a women's basketball player who demonstrates determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit to continue playing the game of basketball.
After fracturing her ankle at the beginning of last season, it was recommended that she consider ending her competitive basketball career. An ankle specialist and surgeon consulting on her case commented that the injury was one of the worst fractures he had seen and estimated a minimum of 12 to 16 months of rehab.
Following an extensive nine months of rehab, Coward began training again this past summer and took to the floor again with the Huskies at the beginning of this regular season.
She played in all 20 games for the Huskies, averaging 16.6 points per game and adding 17 blocks this season, earning herself a place on the AUS first team all-star squad.
"As a result of many hours of rehab and pushing herself through this summer and every day in practice this season, Rachelle has returned to all-star form," said Huskies head coach Scott Munro. "This is a true testament to her work ethic and commitment to try and overcome to help her team. I feel Rachelle is an excellent candidate for the Tracy MacLeod award with all she has done over the last 16 months."
Coward now becomes the AUS nominee for the CIS Tracy MacLeod Award. The only two AUS players to take home the national honour have been Memorial's Brittany Dalton (2010-11) and Dalhousie's Janet Wells (1999-00).