Aitchison, Hickey earn all-conference honors, Hodgdon named top coach

March 4, 2008

WORCESTER, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team had its best league awards showing since 1994-95, as junior Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) earned first-team all-conference honors, senior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) landed on the second team, and Melissa Hodgdon was named coach of the year at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference's (NEWMAC) postseason meeting at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Tuesday.

After earning NEWMAC regular season and tournament crowns, as well as their first NCAA Tournament berth in 13 seasons, the Lyons had a pair of all-conference selections for the first time since 1994-95. Hickey drew her second straight first-team accolade and became just the second player in program history to be named all-conference on three occasions, joining Allyson Aube '95. Aitchison garnered her first all-league honor, while Hodgdon drew the team's first coach-of-the-year award in 13 seasons.

Hickey, who as a freshman was named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, leads Wheaton in scoring (13.4), placing fifth among all NEWMAC players, and has led or tied for the team lead in points 13 times this year, including four times in conference action and twice during the three-game postseason tournament. As the only NEWMAC player to be among the top 10 in scoring and the top five in both field goal and free throw percentages, Hickey has shot 52.0 percent from the floor to place third and connected on 75.9 percent of her free throw tries to rank fourth. She leads Wheaton in three-point shooting (.456), places second in rebounding (5.8), and is third in each assists (73) and steals (38). Hickey has recorded double figures in scoring 21 times, five-plus rebounds 17 times and three-plus assists 14 times. On January 30, she became the ninth player, and the first junior, in program history to reach 1,000 points, and she is currently sixth with 1,149 points.

Aitchison, the team's lone senior, joins Hickey as one of four captains. As one of the league's most versatile athletes, she is the only player among the NEWMAC's top 15 in each steals, assists and field goal percentage. Aitchison is third in steals (60), fourth in assists (92) and fifth in field goal shooting (.498). She is also third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.37) after placing first during league play (1.81). Aitchison is first on the team in steals, second in assists and field goal shooting, and third in each scoring (10.8), rebounding (5.0) and blocks (11). While appearing in a team-high 30.1 minutes per game, she has tallied double digits in points 17 times, multiple steals 17 times, three-plus assists 17 times and at least five rebounds 16 times.

In her fifth season at the helm of the program, Hodgdon has 75 victories at Wheaton. This season, she led the Blue and White to its most wins in 13 years and to the 20-victory plateau for just the fourth time in school annals. The Lyons have recorded double-digit win totals in four straight years for the first time since a run that ended in 1999-2000, and the program's three consecutive seasons with a winning record is its best since a streak that came to a close in 1997-98. Under Hodgdon's guidance, Wheaton posted a 12-1 league mark this winter, breaking the school record for league wins set last season, when the team was 9-4. The Lyons' four conference tournament wins over the past two seasons match their total from the prior 12 seasons combined.

Wheaton continues its season on Friday when it opposes Tufts University at 5:00 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York. In their third NCAA appearance, the Lyons look to advance to Saturday's second round, which will be played at Mount Saint Mary.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 3/4/08.
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