Official All-PSAC Release
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Mercyhurst junior forward
Amy Achesinski has been named to the All-PSAC West Women’s Basketball Second Team for the second year in a row, as announced Tuesday, March 9 by league officials. This is Achesinski’s third all-conference honor in as many seasons, as she was a second team honoree in the GLIAC South and GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2007-08.
PSAC West champion Gannon was represented by four players, including player of the year Kristina Freeman. IUP’s Sarah Pastorek was named freshman of the year, while Gannon head coach Cleve Wright earned coach of the year.
Achesinski, a Butler, Pa. product, was previously voted to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team this season. She led the Lakers in scoring and rebounding for the third season in a row, tallying 12.7 points and a career-best 8.5 rebounds per contest. Achesinski scored her 1,000th point and grabbed her 500th rebound Jan. 10 at Millersville, the fourth fastest to reach 1,000 points in program history. She is currently 10th in career scoring at 1,166 and 8th with 615 rebounds. The junior forward posted eight double-doubles on the campaign, including a three-game streak, giving her 21 for her career. Achesinski nearly attained a triple-double Jan. 20 vs. Edinboro, totaling 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
A clutch player, Achesinski came through with 20 of her season-high 26 points during the second half of a 61-58 win at Clarion Jan. 28, making two three-pointers to help the Lakers’ comeback effort. Achesinski posted a career-high 17 caroms to go with 25 points Nov. 28 at Ashland. She continued to excel from the foul line, shooting .785 on free throws, and now ranks fourth all-time in free throws made.
Achesinski is the first Laker to earn all-conference honors three seasons in a row since Julie Anderson made All-GLIAC during her sophomore through senior seasons, culminating with back-to-back first-team nods in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
The Lakers concluded the 2009-10 season with a 12-14 record, a two-win improvement over last season, including 4-10 in PSAC West play. The team posted a decade-best seven-game winning streak from Nov. 20 through Jan. 9. Mercyhurst claimed four wins out of the first five divisional contests, including a 70-65 victory over rival Edinboro and a last-second, 61-58 triumph at Clarion. The team went 4-1 against PSAC East opponents, including a win over PSAC tournament semifinalist West Chester. Mercyhurst made 175 three-pointers, the third highest total in program history. The Lakers also set a new record for single-season free throw percentage at .754.
All-PSAC West First Team
Kristina Freeman, Gannon
Samantha Reimer, Edinboro
Kayla Smith, California
Lizzie Suwala, Clarion
Brittany Tabron. Gannon
Brooque Williams, California
All-PSAC West Second Team
Amy Achesinski, Mercyhurst
Renee' Brown, Edinboro
Lacey Claar, IUP
Kelsey Conklin, Edinboro
Tiffany Crocker, Gannon
Carrie Nolan, Gannon
PSAC West Player of the Year
Kristina Freeman, Gannon
PSAC West Freshman of the Year
Sarah Pastorek, IUP
PSAC West Coach of the Year
Cleve Wright, Gannon
All-PSAC East First Team
Lauren Beckley, Shippensburg
Kelsey Gallagher, Bloomsburg
Kasey Gardner, Shippensburg
Raquel Green, Millersville
Melissa McQuade, Kutztown
Angel Stephens, Cheyney
All-PSAC East Second Team
Jenna Craig, Millersville
Janelle Garber, West Chester
Ashley Moyer, Millersville
Lutfiyya Muhammad, Cheyney
DeAnna Rayam, East Stroudsburg
Rachel Wisemiller, Kutztown
PSAC East Player of the Year
Lauren Beckley Shippensburg
PSAC East Freshman of the Year
Dana Wieller Bloomsburg
PSAC East Coach of the Year
Mary Fleig Millersville