Murphy Named UAA Rookie of the Year; Two Others Earn Honorable Mention

(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Carnegie Mellon University freshman women's basketball player Lisa Murphy (McLean, Va./McLean) was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Women's Basketball Rookie of the Year when the league announced its All-Association team Monday, March 3. Murphy is the third Tartan to receive rookie of the year honors from the UAA.

The 6-1 forward who led the Tartans in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, was also named to the UAA First Team, the first for a Tartan freshman. She averaged 18.5 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks a game, with 37 total blocks. Murphy also led the UAA in scoring and field-goal percentage, making 62.8% of her attempts from the field.

In UAA play, Murphy recorded nine double-doubles and finished with an average of 17.6 points per game and 11.1 rebounds a game. For the season, the forward collected 12 double-doubles and set new school records in points (463), field goals made (167), field-goal percentage (.628), free throws made (129) and free throws attempted (177).

Joining Murphy on the All-UAA squad is senior Jacquie Shaw (Portland, Ore./Grant) and sophomore Liza Otto (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) on the honorable mention team.

Shaw finished as the team's third leading scorer with 11.3 points per game while she led the team in assists with 84 and was second in blocks with 24. The senior guard shot 53.0% from the field and averaged 4.5 rebounds a game, while ending her career 11th all-time in Tartan scoring history with 914 points, sixth in blocks with 89 and eighth in assists with 211.

Otto, last year's D3hoops.com Great Lakes Rookie of the Year, averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game in conference play. She was second on the team in assists with 77 and recorded six double-doubles for the year while shooting 41.4% from the floor. The honorable mention selection marks Otto's second UAA honor as she was a second-team member last year.

As a team, the Tartans set four season records and two single-game records. The four season records are led by the most points with 1,933, topping the 1,862 set by the 1988-89 team. This year's squad also averaged the most points per game in school history with 77.3, again bettering the 1988-89 team which averaged 69.0. Other season records include field-goal percentage (.431) and three-pointers made (165) while the team set single-game marks of 109 points and 12 blocks against Penn State Altoona on January 4.