Smith & Black Named All-ACC Freshmen; Bales All-ACC Defensive On Wednesday

March 2, 2005

DURHAM, N.C. - On Wednesday, the All-ACC Freshman and All-ACC Defensive teams were released by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Office with Wanisha Smith and Chante Black earning All-ACC Freshman honors and Alison Bales was named to the All-ACC Defensive Team. The All-ACC Freshman team was voted on by the 74 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association (ASCWA), while the All-ACC Defensive team was voted on by the 11 league head coaches.

On the five-member All-ACC Freshman team were Crystal Langhorne (Maryland-74 votes), Erlana Larkins (UNC-74), Smith (Duke-65), Chioma Nnamaka (GT-52) and Khadijah Whittington (NCSU-35). Duke's Black received 24 votes and was selected honorable mention along with Virginia's Sharnee Zoll of Virginia.

A freshman from Upper Marlboro, Md., Smith has stepped in and led the sixth-ranked Blue Devils at the point guard position the entire year. On the season, she is averaging 11.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and is hitting 43.8 percent from the field. The 5-11 guard ranks sixth in the ACC in assists and 24th in scoring. In ACC games only, Smith is third in assists (4.86) and second in three-point field goal percentage (44.2).

Smith has registered 132 assists on the season, which is a new Duke single season freshman record, breaking Lindsey Harding's mark of 124 back in 2002-03.

Over the last month, Black has been one of the most dominating post players in the league. For her efforts she received Honorable Mention All-ACC Freshman honors on Wednesday. A product of Winston-Salem, N.C., Black has come off the bench to average 7.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 assists in the last seven games.

Black started the first two games of her career at Duke before suffering an ankle injury late in the second game versus South Florida, which forced her to miss two games and two weeks of practice. On the season, the 6-5 center is averaging 5.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.4 blocks.

In the ACC stats, Black ranks sixth in rebounding (7.4), sixth in blocked shots (1.37), 10th in offensive rebounds (2.78) and seventh in defensive rebounds (4.63). In ACC games only, she is sixth in rebounding (7.3), tied for ninth in blocks (0.86), tied for seventh in offensive rebounds (2.86) and tied for ninth in defensive rebounds (4.43).

For the sixth straight year, a member of the Duke squad has been named to the All-ACC Defensive team as Bales earned the honor for the first time in her career. A sophomore from Dayton, Ohio, Bales is one of the most improved players in the ACC this season averaging a league-best 3.9 blocks, 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Her 3.9 blocks also ranks fifth in the nation.

On the season, Bales has registered 112 blocks to break the Duke single season record and she is two away from tying the ACC single season record of 114 held by Dawn Royster of North Carolina. In only two years, Bales has blocked 141 shots and already ranks 21st on the ACC career charts. In the ACC stats, Bales also ranks ninth in rebounding.

Other members of the All-ACC Defensive team include Nikita Bell (UNC), LaTonya Blue (Virginia), Alicia Gladden (Florida State) and Ashley Key (NCSU). Bell was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

The ACC Rookie of the Year will be released March 3, ACC Coach of the Year on March 4 and ACC Player of the Year on March 5.

Duke is seeded second in the upcoming ACC Tournament and will next take on the winner of the seventh-seeded Virginia Tech versus 10th-seeded Wake Forest winner on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C.

- d - u - k - e -

All-Freshman

Crystal Langhorne, Maryland *........................ 74 Erlana Larkins, North Carolina *..................... 74 Wanisha Smith, Duke.................................. 65 Chioma Nnamaka, Georgia Tech......................... 52 Khadijah Whittington, NC State....................... 35

*unanimous selection

Honorable Mention All-Freshman

Chante Black, Duke................................... 24 Sharnee Zoll, Virginia 24

2004-05 ACC All-Defensive Team

Alison Bales......................................... Duke Nikita Bell.......................................... North Carolina LaTonya Blue......................................... Virginia Alicia Gladden....................................... Florida State Ashley Key........................................... NC State

2004-05 ACC Defensive Player of the Year

Nikita Bell.......................................... North Carolina