Feb. 22, 2008

Daytona Beach, Fl - The Florida Sun Conference announced their conference awards at the FSC Tournament brunch. Cindy Castrillon was selected to the All-FSC first team and Carissa Staiano was selected to the All-FSC third team.

Castrillon led the conference in scoring with 16 points per game boosted by a 35 percent three-point field goal percentage, third best in the conference. She scored a season high 33 against Northwood, one of her three games with 30 points or more. She did more than put the ball in the basket for the Bobcats, she also finished third in the conference in assist with 3.1 assists a game.

Satiano completed the Bobcat backcourt scoring 10 ppg, the 15th best scoring average in the conference. She did most of her damage to opposing defenses from behind the three-point line also shooting 30 percent from long range, good enough for sixth in the conference. Staiano played passing lanes well all season and kept active hands on defense resulting in two steals a game, fourth best in the conference.

Northwood's Kara Otterbine was announced as the FSC women's basketball Player of the Year. Otterbine average 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds during FSC regular season play. She earned the league's Player of the Week honors four times and finished the regular season with seven double-doubles.

Otterbine's head coach at Northwood, John Thurston, was also honored for his work during the regular season as he was named the league's Coach of the Year after leading the Seahawks to their second straight FSC title in 2007-08.

Northwood placed four players on the All-Conference roster, including FSC Defensive Player of the Year, Caitlin Noble. Noble averaged 9.5 points and five rebounds in FSC play and finished with 38 steals, 47 assists and only 51 turnovers.

League runner-up Savannah College of Art and Design also had two players with special honors as Janay Wilson was named Freshman of the Year, while Brittany Carter was the league's Champion of Character Award Winner.

Semifinal action in the FSC tournament, which is being hosted by Webber International, gets underway on Friday evening with top-seed Northwood taking on St. Thomas at 5 p.m. and SCAD going up against Webber International at 7 p.m. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa Mar. 12-18.

First Team All-FSC Kara Otterbine, NU Antoinette Upshaw, EWC Cindy Castrillon, STU Kieshia Alexander, FMU Ashley Gabbert, WIU

Second Team All-FSC Katie Vican, NU Janay Wilson, SCAD Katie Stover, SCAD Dakota Whitney, SCAD Caitlin Noble, NU

Third Team All-FSC Carissa Staiano, STU Adrienne Iannone, WIU Ericka Golding, EWC Ivana Soberal, WSC Taylor Wencis, NU

Player of the Year Kara Otterbine, Northwood

Freshman of the Year Janay Wilson, SCAD

Defensive Player of the Year Caitlin Noble, Northwood

FSC Champion of Character Brittany Carter, SCAD

Coach of the Year John Thurston, Northwood