Senior guard Shey Peddy has been named the Atlatntic Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the year, becoming the first player to win both awards since Temple’s own Candace Dupree did so in 2005 and 2006.
Peddy finished second in the conference with 17 points per game, second in steals with 3.1 per game, fifth in assist-to-turnover ration with 1.6, and third with 60 three-pointers.
Peddy’s numbers spiked during conference play as she helped lead the Owls to a 13-1 record in the A-10, good enough for the tournament’s second seed. She led the A-10conference season with 18.6 points per game and was first in assist-to-turnover ratio with2.5, second in steals with 3.1 per game, and sixth in assists with 3.8 per game.
Peddy beat out Dayton’s Justine Raterman (14.7 points per game), both of whom alsoreceived A-10 All-Conference first team honors. Richmond’s Abby Oliver and St.Bonaventure’s Jessica Jenkins and Megan Van Tatenhove round out the first team.
A four-time A-10 Player of the Week this season, Peddy also won the United States Basketball Writers Association’s National Player of the Week. She was also a candidate for the preseason Naismith Award watch, for the nation’s 35 best players.
She wasn’t the only Owl to receive conference honors. Senior guard Kristen McCarthy was named to A-10 Second Team for the second consecutive year. She was named to thefirst team in her sophomore year and the All-Rookie Team in 2008-09.
Peddy and McCarthy lead the Owls to action in the A-10 Conference Tournament, hosted by St. Joseph’s at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena, on Saturday in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. They face the winner of the Duquesne vs. George Washington game. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.
-Jake Adams