W.P.I.A.L. All~Netters are picked...
-
THE CHOPS
- Official BleacherCoach
- Posts: 1900
- Joined: October 24th, 2003, 10:42 am
- Location: SCOTTDALE, PA.
W.P.I.A.L. All~Netters are picked...
"2009" SPORTS BOYS ALL-NETTERS BASKETBALL TEAM...
3/27/2009 -
The leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. Two players who had record-setting playoff performances. Three players from championship teams. A player whose late-game heroics led his team to a state championship game. Those are some of the players who highlight the "2009" Boys’ All-Netters basketball team...
Here is a look at the All-Netters team:
FIRST TEAM:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
TOM DRONEY, SEWICKLEY ACADEMY
Droney plays at a small school, but his talents are gigantic. He is the Player of the Year.
Droney is a 6-foot-6 junior who is extremely versatile. He played point guard, but did a little of everything for Sewickley Academy and led the Panthers to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) championship.
And he had one of the greatest performances ever in a W.P.I.A.L. Championship game. Droney scored "40" points against Serra in the title game, which tied the all-time record for most points in a W.P.I.A.L. final. New Brighton’s Hal Bentley (1980) and German Township’s Ralph Still (1974) also scored 40. Droney shot 15 of 20 from the field.
"Tom has a lot of talents," said Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer. "He also makes the other players on the team better. He’s a very unselfish player."
Droney finished the season averaging 23.7 points a game and helped Sewickley Academy reached the P.I.A.A. Quarterfinals...
Droney’s talents have attracted the attention of some big-time colleges. Although he is only a junior, he already has scholarship offers. His top three schools are Pitt,
Notre Dame and Davidson.
T.J. HEATHERINGTON, SERRA CATHOLIC
Heatherington, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, was good all season, averaging 25 points a game. But he was at his best in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs. In the semifinals, he scored a
W.P.I.A.L. playoff record "50" points in a semifinal victory against Neshannock. In the title game against Sewickley Academy, he scored "37" points. He finished the playoffs
with "135" points, second-best for a player in a W.P.I.A.L. tournament. Penn Hills’ Drew Schifino scored "147" in "2000"....
A quick player with a fiery attitude, Heatherington was excellent at driving to the basket. He also could cause havoc on defense. Heatherington was the eighth-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 25.0 average. Heatherington also was Serra’s starting quarterback in football.
Heatherington will play basketball next season at Point Park....
CHRIS KLIMCHOCK, GREENSBURG-SALEM
Klimchock doesn’t look like much at first glance. He is only 5 feet 9 and his boyish face makes him look more like he’s "13". But looks can be deceiving. Klimchock is as good a point guard as there is in Western Pennsylvania.
He was Greensburg-Salem’s starting point guard the past four seasons and scored well over 1,000 points. With Klimchock directing the show, Greensburg-Salem reached great
heights, making the W.P.I.A.L. semifinals last year. This year, the Lions made it all to the way to the Class (AAA) State Championship game. Before this season, Greensburg-Salem had won one P.I.A.A. playoff game (last year)....
Klimchock’s length-of-the-court drive and last-second basket that beat Chartiers Valley in a P.I.A.A. second-round game will be remembered for a long time. He finished
averaging 17.9 points and (7) assists a game...
Klimchock already has signed a letter of intent with N.C.A.A. Division II Edinboro Univeristy.
T.J. MCCONNELL, CHARTIERS VALLEY
One of the best shooters in the W.P.I.A.L., McConnell helped Chartiers Valley to an undefeated regular season. He averaged 22.1 points a game and scored "52" in one game.
He was one of the main reasons Chartiers Valley averaged "82" points a game this season.
McConnell, a 5-foot-11 junior, is an excellent "3"-point shooter and next year has a chance at breaking the W.P.I.A.L. career record for "3"-pointers. That mark is 302, set by
another Chartiers Valley player – Mike Colbert (1998 graduate)...
McConnell is only a junior, but already has made a verbal commitment to Duquesne University. He was offered a scholarship by the Dukes when he was a sophomore.
NICK NOVAK, FRANKLIN REGIONAL
Novak was on Franklin Regional’s varsity since his freshman year, and he saved his best season for last. Novak, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, led the entire W.P.I.A.L. in scoring during the regular season. He finished with an average of 27.9 and scored 45 in one game.
"Based on what he did in the past, we thought maybe he’d score around 20 a game," said Franklin Regional coach Doug Kelly. "We didn’t think he’d score this much."
Novak had a great ability to get to the basket. He scored many points on drives and also pullup jumpers. He rarely shot 3-pointers, which is unusual for a player with
his scoring average.
Novak has not made a college decision yet, but is leaning toward Pitt-Johnstown.
SECOND TEAM:
C.J. BROWN, SENECA VALLEY
It was a history-making season for Seneca Valley as the Raiders made it to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) semifinals for the first time in school history, won a section title for
the first time in school history and a state playoff game for the first time in school history. Brown played a big role in the historical moments. He averaged a double-double - "13" points and "12" rebounds a game and was at his best in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs, averaging "19" points in three games. Brown is one of the best two-sport athletes in the W.P.I.A.L... He was a standout quarterback in football and will play quarterback at the University of Maryland.
MATT MADIA, HAMPTON
Madia was the only senior on Hampton’s team and he gave the Talbots great leadership, helping them to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) championship for the first time in school history. He was a good shooter, but also good at knifing through defenses on dribble drives. He averaged 19.6 points a game. Coaches picked him the No.#1 player in W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) Section# 1. He has not made a college decision....
NATE PERRY, HEMPFIELD
Perry is only a junior, but already has done some big things. He was the third-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished the year averaging 25.7 points. He had "35" in a first-round playoff loss to Central Catholic. Perry is one of the best shooters in the W.P.I.A.L. and also averaged "5" rebounds and 3.5 assists. Some mid-major Division I colleges have expressed an interest in him and Coastal Carolina is one of the schools he is seriously considering.
NICK WILCOX, PETERS TOWNSHIP
Peters Township won the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) championship and Wilcox was the driving force in the Indians’ title run. Wilcox, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, did a little of everything for the Indians. He led the team in scoring with a "21.2" average and also averaged "6.2" rebounds and "3.2" assists a game. Wilcox also is a talented soccer player and also was considered one of the top W.P.I.A.L. players in that sport. He has not made a college decision yet.
JEFF YUNETZ, LATROBE
Yunetz is a left-handed shooter, but when he shot, it was usually right. Yunetz finished his career with more than "200"~"3"-pointers. He helped Latrobe to one of its best seasons in the past few decades, as the Wildcats won Class (AAAA) Section #1. He averaged 21.8 points a game. Yunetz is being recruited by Division II schools and West Liberty is one of the schools he likes.
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"2009" SPORTS GIRLS ALL-NETTERS BASKETBALL TEAM.......
3/27/2009 -
The "2009" Girls’ All-Netters Team is a lot of old faces, and one fresh face. The team is picked by the staff and takes into consideration all players in the W.P.I.A.L... Nine of the 10 players on the team are seniors. The other is a freshman, Gateway’s Destiny Brown.
The squad also includes two players who won W.P.I.A.L. Championships and a handful who are headed to Division I colleges. Here is a look at the Girls’ All-Netters:
FIRST TEAM:
Player of the Year.............
DEVIN McGRATH, OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART
McGrath is the player of the year. If we gave out a comeback player of the year, she’d win that, too.
She collapsed at her home in February of "2008" and was in the hospital for weeks with a mysterious illness. She was placed in an induced coma and doctors told her parents she was gravely ill. But McGrath came back from the illness and had a superb senior season.
A guard, she averaged "20.3" points a game after averaging (17) as a junior. She was the only returning starter on this year’s team and led the Chargers to a W.P.I.A.L. playoff spot and they made it to the Class (AA) semifinals before losing to eventual champion Sto-Rox....
McGrath was a four-year starter and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,667 points. OLSH won (89) games during her four years...
McGrath also is an excellent volleyball player and plays softball. She has not made a college decision yet.
DESTINY BROWN, GATEWAY
This is all you need to know about Brown’s talent: Although she is only a freshman, she already has a scholarship offer from Rutgers.
"If she keeps going and working, she has the potential to be one of the best girls to come out of Western Pennsylvania," said Gateway coach Cornelious Nesbit.
Brown, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored (572) points this season and averaged 20.4 points. She could score 1,000 points by the time she is a sophomore. She led Gateway to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoffs, and the Gators were the surprise team of the postseason, making it to the W.P.I.A.L. semifinals. They finished in fourth place in their section during the regular season...
LILY GRENCI, MARS
There were almost 3,000 reasons for Mars to like Grenci. That’s what you come up with when you combine Grenci’s career points and rebounds. It might not be an overstatement to call her the best player in school history.
Grenci, a senior forward, finished her career with 1,718 points and over 1,100 rebounds. She is the school’s all-time leader in both categories. She had a big senior season, averaging a double-double. She averaged 24.2 points a game in helping Mars reach the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) quarterfinals. She was the second-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season...
Grenci has signed with Siena, an N.C.A.A. Division I school.
COLLEEN KISS, OAKLAND CATHOLIC
A number of Oakland Catholic opponents were "Kissed" goodbye this season. Kiss, a senior, helped the Eagles to an 18-9 record and they also reached the semifinals of the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoffs. A 5-9 guard-forward, Kiss averaged 15.4 points a game....
She was a versatile player who attracted some Division I college interest. She has signed with St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic #10 Conference...
KAT OWUNNA, MOUNT ALVERNIA
Owunna’s ability to make an impact in the pain was clearly seen in the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) final against North Catholic. Even though Mount Alvernia lost, 48-44, Owunna still was dominant with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
It was a typical performance for this 6-foot senior forward-center. She averaged 10 points a game last year for the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) Champion Lions, but upped her average to 16.1 this season in helping the Lions reach the title game again...
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SECOND TEAM:
EMILY MILLER, MOUNT LEBANON
Miller suffered a broken back last summer. But she came back this season and numerous times Mount Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker said Miller "carried us on her back." Miller, a 5-11 senior forward, was the leading scorer on a Mount Lebanon team that featured balanced scoring. And she seemed to be at her best against the top competition. She scored "21" in the P.I.A.A. Championship game. She scored 18, 25 and (17) in three other P.I.A.A. games...
EMILY CORREAL, PETERS TOWNSHIP
A 6-3 senior, Correal was one of the top inside players in the W.P.I.A.L. The daughter of a former Penn State football player, Correal averaged (20) points a game for the Indians, who were a W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoff team. She finished her career with 1,807 points. She has signed with William & Mary.
CARLY VENDEMIA, BEAVER
Vendemia, a 6-1 senior, averaged a double-double this season. She was the third-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 22.7 average. She also averaged (13) rebounds a game. She finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,6,64 points. Vendemia has signed with Duquesne University.
JOCELYN FLOYD, WASHINGTON
Floyd played only two years at Washington after transferring from Mount De Chantal Academy in Wheeling and she had quite an impact on the Little Prexies. An athletic, 5-8 senior guard, she was the fourth-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 20.8 average in leading Washington to a section title. She averaged 16 a game as a junior. Floyd has signed with Duquesne University.
LAUREN SAVULCHAK, NORTH CATHOLIC
Savulchak, a 6-foot senior guard-forward, led North Catholic to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) Championship this season and a spot in the P.I.A.A. Semifinals. She averaged 18.6 points a game and finished her career with 1,118 points.
The Chops...
3/27/2009 -
The leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. Two players who had record-setting playoff performances. Three players from championship teams. A player whose late-game heroics led his team to a state championship game. Those are some of the players who highlight the "2009" Boys’ All-Netters basketball team...
Here is a look at the All-Netters team:
FIRST TEAM:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
TOM DRONEY, SEWICKLEY ACADEMY
Droney plays at a small school, but his talents are gigantic. He is the Player of the Year.
Droney is a 6-foot-6 junior who is extremely versatile. He played point guard, but did a little of everything for Sewickley Academy and led the Panthers to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) championship.
And he had one of the greatest performances ever in a W.P.I.A.L. Championship game. Droney scored "40" points against Serra in the title game, which tied the all-time record for most points in a W.P.I.A.L. final. New Brighton’s Hal Bentley (1980) and German Township’s Ralph Still (1974) also scored 40. Droney shot 15 of 20 from the field.
"Tom has a lot of talents," said Sewickley Academy coach Win Palmer. "He also makes the other players on the team better. He’s a very unselfish player."
Droney finished the season averaging 23.7 points a game and helped Sewickley Academy reached the P.I.A.A. Quarterfinals...
Droney’s talents have attracted the attention of some big-time colleges. Although he is only a junior, he already has scholarship offers. His top three schools are Pitt,
Notre Dame and Davidson.
T.J. HEATHERINGTON, SERRA CATHOLIC
Heatherington, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, was good all season, averaging 25 points a game. But he was at his best in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs. In the semifinals, he scored a
W.P.I.A.L. playoff record "50" points in a semifinal victory against Neshannock. In the title game against Sewickley Academy, he scored "37" points. He finished the playoffs
with "135" points, second-best for a player in a W.P.I.A.L. tournament. Penn Hills’ Drew Schifino scored "147" in "2000"....
A quick player with a fiery attitude, Heatherington was excellent at driving to the basket. He also could cause havoc on defense. Heatherington was the eighth-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 25.0 average. Heatherington also was Serra’s starting quarterback in football.
Heatherington will play basketball next season at Point Park....
CHRIS KLIMCHOCK, GREENSBURG-SALEM
Klimchock doesn’t look like much at first glance. He is only 5 feet 9 and his boyish face makes him look more like he’s "13". But looks can be deceiving. Klimchock is as good a point guard as there is in Western Pennsylvania.
He was Greensburg-Salem’s starting point guard the past four seasons and scored well over 1,000 points. With Klimchock directing the show, Greensburg-Salem reached great
heights, making the W.P.I.A.L. semifinals last year. This year, the Lions made it all to the way to the Class (AAA) State Championship game. Before this season, Greensburg-Salem had won one P.I.A.A. playoff game (last year)....
Klimchock’s length-of-the-court drive and last-second basket that beat Chartiers Valley in a P.I.A.A. second-round game will be remembered for a long time. He finished
averaging 17.9 points and (7) assists a game...
Klimchock already has signed a letter of intent with N.C.A.A. Division II Edinboro Univeristy.
T.J. MCCONNELL, CHARTIERS VALLEY
One of the best shooters in the W.P.I.A.L., McConnell helped Chartiers Valley to an undefeated regular season. He averaged 22.1 points a game and scored "52" in one game.
He was one of the main reasons Chartiers Valley averaged "82" points a game this season.
McConnell, a 5-foot-11 junior, is an excellent "3"-point shooter and next year has a chance at breaking the W.P.I.A.L. career record for "3"-pointers. That mark is 302, set by
another Chartiers Valley player – Mike Colbert (1998 graduate)...
McConnell is only a junior, but already has made a verbal commitment to Duquesne University. He was offered a scholarship by the Dukes when he was a sophomore.
NICK NOVAK, FRANKLIN REGIONAL
Novak was on Franklin Regional’s varsity since his freshman year, and he saved his best season for last. Novak, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, led the entire W.P.I.A.L. in scoring during the regular season. He finished with an average of 27.9 and scored 45 in one game.
"Based on what he did in the past, we thought maybe he’d score around 20 a game," said Franklin Regional coach Doug Kelly. "We didn’t think he’d score this much."
Novak had a great ability to get to the basket. He scored many points on drives and also pullup jumpers. He rarely shot 3-pointers, which is unusual for a player with
his scoring average.
Novak has not made a college decision yet, but is leaning toward Pitt-Johnstown.
SECOND TEAM:
C.J. BROWN, SENECA VALLEY
It was a history-making season for Seneca Valley as the Raiders made it to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) semifinals for the first time in school history, won a section title for
the first time in school history and a state playoff game for the first time in school history. Brown played a big role in the historical moments. He averaged a double-double - "13" points and "12" rebounds a game and was at his best in the W.P.I.A.L. playoffs, averaging "19" points in three games. Brown is one of the best two-sport athletes in the W.P.I.A.L... He was a standout quarterback in football and will play quarterback at the University of Maryland.
MATT MADIA, HAMPTON
Madia was the only senior on Hampton’s team and he gave the Talbots great leadership, helping them to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) championship for the first time in school history. He was a good shooter, but also good at knifing through defenses on dribble drives. He averaged 19.6 points a game. Coaches picked him the No.#1 player in W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) Section# 1. He has not made a college decision....
NATE PERRY, HEMPFIELD
Perry is only a junior, but already has done some big things. He was the third-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished the year averaging 25.7 points. He had "35" in a first-round playoff loss to Central Catholic. Perry is one of the best shooters in the W.P.I.A.L. and also averaged "5" rebounds and 3.5 assists. Some mid-major Division I colleges have expressed an interest in him and Coastal Carolina is one of the schools he is seriously considering.
NICK WILCOX, PETERS TOWNSHIP
Peters Township won the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) championship and Wilcox was the driving force in the Indians’ title run. Wilcox, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, did a little of everything for the Indians. He led the team in scoring with a "21.2" average and also averaged "6.2" rebounds and "3.2" assists a game. Wilcox also is a talented soccer player and also was considered one of the top W.P.I.A.L. players in that sport. He has not made a college decision yet.
JEFF YUNETZ, LATROBE
Yunetz is a left-handed shooter, but when he shot, it was usually right. Yunetz finished his career with more than "200"~"3"-pointers. He helped Latrobe to one of its best seasons in the past few decades, as the Wildcats won Class (AAAA) Section #1. He averaged 21.8 points a game. Yunetz is being recruited by Division II schools and West Liberty is one of the schools he likes.
==================================================================================================================================================================================
"2009" SPORTS GIRLS ALL-NETTERS BASKETBALL TEAM.......
3/27/2009 -
The "2009" Girls’ All-Netters Team is a lot of old faces, and one fresh face. The team is picked by the staff and takes into consideration all players in the W.P.I.A.L... Nine of the 10 players on the team are seniors. The other is a freshman, Gateway’s Destiny Brown.
The squad also includes two players who won W.P.I.A.L. Championships and a handful who are headed to Division I colleges. Here is a look at the Girls’ All-Netters:
FIRST TEAM:
Player of the Year.............
DEVIN McGRATH, OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART
McGrath is the player of the year. If we gave out a comeback player of the year, she’d win that, too.
She collapsed at her home in February of "2008" and was in the hospital for weeks with a mysterious illness. She was placed in an induced coma and doctors told her parents she was gravely ill. But McGrath came back from the illness and had a superb senior season.
A guard, she averaged "20.3" points a game after averaging (17) as a junior. She was the only returning starter on this year’s team and led the Chargers to a W.P.I.A.L. playoff spot and they made it to the Class (AA) semifinals before losing to eventual champion Sto-Rox....
McGrath was a four-year starter and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,667 points. OLSH won (89) games during her four years...
McGrath also is an excellent volleyball player and plays softball. She has not made a college decision yet.
DESTINY BROWN, GATEWAY
This is all you need to know about Brown’s talent: Although she is only a freshman, she already has a scholarship offer from Rutgers.
"If she keeps going and working, she has the potential to be one of the best girls to come out of Western Pennsylvania," said Gateway coach Cornelious Nesbit.
Brown, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored (572) points this season and averaged 20.4 points. She could score 1,000 points by the time she is a sophomore. She led Gateway to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoffs, and the Gators were the surprise team of the postseason, making it to the W.P.I.A.L. semifinals. They finished in fourth place in their section during the regular season...
LILY GRENCI, MARS
There were almost 3,000 reasons for Mars to like Grenci. That’s what you come up with when you combine Grenci’s career points and rebounds. It might not be an overstatement to call her the best player in school history.
Grenci, a senior forward, finished her career with 1,718 points and over 1,100 rebounds. She is the school’s all-time leader in both categories. She had a big senior season, averaging a double-double. She averaged 24.2 points a game in helping Mars reach the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAA) quarterfinals. She was the second-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season...
Grenci has signed with Siena, an N.C.A.A. Division I school.
COLLEEN KISS, OAKLAND CATHOLIC
A number of Oakland Catholic opponents were "Kissed" goodbye this season. Kiss, a senior, helped the Eagles to an 18-9 record and they also reached the semifinals of the W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoffs. A 5-9 guard-forward, Kiss averaged 15.4 points a game....
She was a versatile player who attracted some Division I college interest. She has signed with St. Bonaventure of the Atlantic #10 Conference...
KAT OWUNNA, MOUNT ALVERNIA
Owunna’s ability to make an impact in the pain was clearly seen in the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) final against North Catholic. Even though Mount Alvernia lost, 48-44, Owunna still was dominant with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
It was a typical performance for this 6-foot senior forward-center. She averaged 10 points a game last year for the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) Champion Lions, but upped her average to 16.1 this season in helping the Lions reach the title game again...
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SECOND TEAM:
EMILY MILLER, MOUNT LEBANON
Miller suffered a broken back last summer. But she came back this season and numerous times Mount Lebanon coach Dori Oldaker said Miller "carried us on her back." Miller, a 5-11 senior forward, was the leading scorer on a Mount Lebanon team that featured balanced scoring. And she seemed to be at her best against the top competition. She scored "21" in the P.I.A.A. Championship game. She scored 18, 25 and (17) in three other P.I.A.A. games...
EMILY CORREAL, PETERS TOWNSHIP
A 6-3 senior, Correal was one of the top inside players in the W.P.I.A.L. The daughter of a former Penn State football player, Correal averaged (20) points a game for the Indians, who were a W.P.I.A.L. Class (AAAA) playoff team. She finished her career with 1,807 points. She has signed with William & Mary.
CARLY VENDEMIA, BEAVER
Vendemia, a 6-1 senior, averaged a double-double this season. She was the third-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 22.7 average. She also averaged (13) rebounds a game. She finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,6,64 points. Vendemia has signed with Duquesne University.
JOCELYN FLOYD, WASHINGTON
Floyd played only two years at Washington after transferring from Mount De Chantal Academy in Wheeling and she had quite an impact on the Little Prexies. An athletic, 5-8 senior guard, she was the fourth-leading scorer in the W.P.I.A.L. during the regular season and finished with a 20.8 average in leading Washington to a section title. She averaged 16 a game as a junior. Floyd has signed with Duquesne University.
LAUREN SAVULCHAK, NORTH CATHOLIC
Savulchak, a 6-foot senior guard-forward, led North Catholic to the W.P.I.A.L. Class (A) Championship this season and a spot in the P.I.A.A. Semifinals. She averaged 18.6 points a game and finished her career with 1,118 points.
The Chops...