Northwestern University Athletics
Multiple #B1GCats Receive All-Big Ten Recognition
3/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill -- The Big Ten Conference announced its 2014-15 All-Big Ten teams on the Big Ten Network's Women's Sports Report Monday afternoon and Northwestern proudly boasts three players who received recognition for outstanding performances this season.
Nia Coffey earned a place on the All-Big Ten First Team (media and coaches), while Ashley Deary and Maggie Lyon both received honorable mention (media and coaches). Deary was pegged for the All-Defensive Team by the league's 14 head coaches, while senior Karly Roser was named the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Coffey, who leads the Wildcats in scoring (15.9 ppg), rebounding (8.9 rpg) and blocks (1.8 bpg), ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in all three of those statistical categories this season. She is one of only two players conference-wide to hold that distinction, alongside fellow First Team honoree Amanda Zahui B. of Minnesota.
The Minneapolis, Minn., native registered 14 double-doubles for NU during the 2014-15 season, including 11 in Big Ten play. Coffey accomplished the feat in six consecutive games between Feb. 1 - Feb.18, and seven times total as she helped the 'Cats finish the calendar's second month with an unblemished 8-0 record. She was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll four times in February, and after helping Northwestern down No. 18/18 DePaul in double overtime on Nov. 29, she was named the conference's Player of the Week.
The forward scored 20-plus points six times this season, including three times in Big Ten games. On Jan. 29, Coffey scored a career-high 35 points against Iowa, while helping to set an NCAA record for the most combined 3-pointers in a single game (32).
Coffey's classmate, Deary, received All-Big Ten honorable mention Monday. The Flower Mound, Texas, native averaged 10 points per game in the regular season to go along with 4.9 assists and 3.1 steals per contest. Deary ranks second in the Big Ten in thefts, third in helpers and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Deary turned in several memorable moments throughout the season. On opening night at Chicago State, the point guard, who was one of five players named to the All-Defensive Team, registered her first career double-double behind 10 points and an eye-popping 11 steals. She matched NU's single-game record in steals that evening, and she enters the Big Ten Tournament in need of only three steals to set the program's best single-season mark. The second-year player was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 12 after helping the 'Cats complete a season sweep of Michigan State. She posted another double-double when she scored 18 points and handed out a season-high 10 assists against the Spartans. During a 20-0 first-half run, Deary scored the first eight points by herself and 11 in total over 5:53.
Lyon joins Deary in receiving All-Big Ten honorable mention from both the media and coaches. The Wilmette, Ill., native ranks second on the Wildcats and 20th in the Big Ten with 14 points per game. She led Northwestern, and ranked in the top six in the league, with 35.8 minutes per game and a 3-point field-goal percentage of .417. She made 80 shots from beyond the arc, including at least one in every game this season. Lyon made multiple 3-pointers in 24 of 29 regular-season games, and four or more on eight different occasions. She made a career-high six on Nov. 14 at Chicago State and five at Penn State on Jan. 25.
The junior has received All-Big Ten honorable mention in each of her first three seasons. Lyon scored 20 points or more three times, including on Jan. 25 when she eclipsed 1,000 career points at Penn State. The team captain led the Wildcats in scoring eight times and she played 40 minutes of more in seven of Northwestern's final 11 regular season games. In one of those games, at Wisconsin on Feb. 22, Lyon scored with 1.8 seconds left in regulation to help the Wildcats erase a sizable 15-point deficit in the second half and eventually win the game in overtime, 86-83.
Roser received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Monday. The senior captain came off the bench for the first 22 games of the season before she was thrust into the starting lineup, where she has been since Feb. 8, to fill a need. The Hamilton, Ontario, native is a positive influence for her teammates both on and off the floor.
No. 24 Northwestern finished in fourth place at the end the regular season with 22 wins, including 12 in the competitive Big Ten Conference. The Wildcats will open the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday, March 6 in the quarterfinal round at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Chicago's Big Ten Team will play the winner of the game between No. 5 Rutgers and No. 12 Indiana and No. 13 Penn State. Friday's game tips off at approximately 2 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
For more information about the Big Ten Tournament, or to purchase tickets, please click here.
2014-15 Northwestern All-Big Ten Honorees
Nia Coffey
All-Big Ten First Team (coaches)
All-Big Ten First Team (media)
Maggie Lyon
All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
Ashley Deary
All Big-Ten honorable mention (coaches)
All Big-Ten honorable mention (media)
Big Ten All-Defensive Team (coaches)
Karly Roser
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
