March 1, 2004

FURMAN’S SHEALEY NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE BY LEAGUE COACHES

GREENVILLE, South Carolina - Furman guard Deshara Shealey earned her third All-Southern Conference nod from the league coaches with Monday’s announcement of the 2004 team. The award was the 30th given to a Lady Paladin player since 1985-86, when the league began sponsoring a women’s all-conference team.

Entering Southern Conference Tournament play, Shealey ranks 13th in the league in scoring (11.7), ninth in assists (3.00), second in steals (2.44) and ninth in assist/turnover ratio (0.80). In addition, the senior from Greenbay, Va., has moved into eighth on Furman’s all-time scoring list, with 1,247 points, and is fourth in career assists, wtih 346.

This season Shealey is leading the team in scoring, free throw percentage and assists, and has been the squad’s top scorer in nine games and the assists leader in 15. In addition, Shealey has scored in double figures 18 times this season and 64 times in her career.

Shealey joins three players from Chattanooga, two from East Tennessee State, two from Elon, and one each from UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina on the coaches’ all-conference team. Chattanooga’s Katahsa Brown earned Player of the Year, while Davidson’s Katie Hamilton took Freshman of the Year.

Furman finished the regular season with a 17-10 overall record and 14-6 mark in the Southern Conference. As the number two seed in the league tournament, the Lady Paladins will face the winner of Wednesday’s game between UNC Greensboro and College of Charleston, on Thursday at 5 p.m. in The Citadel’s McAlister Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on WCSZ - 1070 AM.