The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Trio of Blazers Garners All-Conference Accolades
3/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
IRVING, Texas – UAB women’s basketball seniors Chelsee Black and Brittany Winborne were named to the All-Conference USA Second Team, while freshman Deanna Kuzmanic earned a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman team, the league announced Sunday.
The All-C-USA teams were selected by a vote of the league’s coaches and a select panel of media representatives.
Winborne led the Blazers and all C-USA players in rebounds per game, field goal percentage and offensive boards per contest. The Baltimore, Maryland, native reeled in 11.1 boards in 2015-16, including the second-most rebounds in a single game, 23, against Middle Tennessee. She also leads the country in offensive rebounds per contest (5.0).
Winborne’s total dominance of the glass this season earned her fifth in UAB single-season history with 322 rebounds. Her 11.1 rebounds per outing ranks as the 12th-most secured per game in the country. The senior forward led the Blazers on the glass in 25 games. Not only did she dominate the boards, she also averaged a double-double per contest with 10.7 points per night. In the season, she tallied 16 double-doubles, a league best and the 16th-most in the country.
Black paces the UAB offense pouring in 12.9 points per contest. This season, Black became the 27th Blazer to join the 1,000-point club. She has totaled 1,324 points throughout her four years representing the Green and Gold, earning the Bessemer, Alabama, native 17th place on UAB’s all-time scoring list. Black has tallied double-figure points 67 times throughout her career. This season, she has led the Blazers’ offensive attack 14 times, eight times in conference action. She poured in a career-best 31 points against in-state foe Troy earlier this season. In the league, she ranks fourth in free-throw percentage (.836), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.366) and sixth in treys per contest (1.9).
Kuzmanic, a Wheeling, Illinois, native, pours in 12.6 points per showing, the most by any freshman in the conference. She also leads all freshmen in triples per contest (2.5) and her percentage from beyond the arc (.361). Her 2.5 treys per night ranks fifth among all NCAA freshmen. Kuzmanic has led the Blazers 11 times this season, and put up a career-best 20 points against Charlotte. In UAB single-season history, she ranks sixth overall with 72 made buckets from long range.
Winborne and Black join 20 former women’s hoops players to be named to the All-Conference USA team, 10 of whom were named to the second team. Kuzmanic is the eighth UAB freshman to earn a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman squad in the Blazers’ 21-year stint in the league.
The C-USA Tournament returns to Birmingham this year and opens play Tuesday. The Blazers clinched the No. 8 seed and will face Southern Miss on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
2015-16 All-Conference USA First Team
Brandi Wingate, LA Tech, Sr., G/F, Columbia, Maryland
Leah Scott, Marshall, Sr., G/F, Detroit, Michigan
Brea Edwards, Middle Tennessee, Sr., G/F, Rockford, Illinois
Jennie Simms, Old Dominion, RS-Jr., G, Accokeek, Maryland
Cameasha Turner, UTEP, Sr., G, Dallas, Texas
Jenzel Nash, UTEP, RS-Jr., Houston, Texas
Kendall Noble, WKU, RS-Jr., G, Hazard, Kentucky
Tashia Brown, WKU, So., F, Lake Park, Georgia
2015-16 All-Conference USA Second Team
Lefty Webster, Charlotte, Jr., G, Norfolk, Virginia
Alexis Alexander, Charlotte, Sr., F, Atlanta, Georgia
Ali Gorrell, Florida Atlantic, RS-Sr., G, Evergreen, Colorado
Ty Petty, Middle Tennessee, Jr., G, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Caitlin Jenkins, Southern Miss, Fr., C, Shreveport, Louisiana
Brittany Winborne, UAB, Sr., F, Baltimore, Maryland
Chelsee Black, UAB, Sr., G, Bessemer, Alabama
Starr Breedlove, UTEP, RS-Sr., G, Teaneck, New Jersey
2015-16 Conference USA All-Defensive Team
Kelsey Criner, North Texas, Jr., G, Dallas, Texas
Caitlin Jenkins, Southern Miss, Fr., C, Shreveport, Louisiana
Starr Breedlove, UTEP, RS-Sr., G, Teaneck, New Jersey
Cameasha Turner, UTEP, UTEP, Sr., G, Dallas, Texas
Kendall Noble, WKU, RS-Jr., G, Hazard, Kentucky
2015-16 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Laia Raventós, Charlotte, Fr., Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer, Spain
Grace Hunter, Charlotte, Fr., Raleigh, North Carolina
Alex Johnson, Middle Tennessee, Fr., F, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Caitlin Jenkins, Southern Miss, Southern Miss, Fr., C, Shreveport, Louisiana
Deanna Kuzmanic, UAB, Fr., G, Wheeling, Illinois
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