OUA announces 2014 women's basketball West division major awards and all-stars

HAMILTON, Ont. – Women’s basketball is taking centre stage as Ontario University Athletics (OUA) is proud to announce the major award winners and all-stars for the OUA West division. The recipients of the six major awards represent five different schools.
 
After a record-breaking season, the OUA West player of the year, presented by ArcelorMittal Dofasco, is Jenny Vaughan of the Western Mustangs.
 
In 2013-14, the Dundas, Ont., native broke the OUA single-season scoring record. Her total of 506 points topped the previous record of 499 set by Laurentian’s Cassandra Carpenter in 2005-06. Vaughan’s average of 23.0 points per game was tops in the OUA and second in the CIS.
 
The dynamic guard made 155 free throws on the year, 45 more than anyone else in the country, and her 88.1 percent from the charity stripe was second in the OUA. Vaughan also added 83 assists, averaging 3.8 per game; fourth in the OUA in both categories.  
 
The award is the first player of the year honour for the fifth-year guard, who also garners first team all-star status this season for the third time.
 
Windsor Lancers guard Miah-Marie Langlois caps off her OUA career by being named the OUA West defensive player of the year for the third year in a row. She has also earned the CIS defensive player of the year in each of the past two seasons.
 
Langlois lead the CIS in steals with 83 this season, while guiding her hometown Lancers to an OUA best 50.2 points allowed per game. She added 128 rebounds plus 15.3 points per game while continually being tasked with guarding opponents’ top backcourt players. Langlois also becomes a first team all-star for the third year in a row.
 
For the first time since 2005-06, the OUA West rookie of the year wears the purple of the Western Mustangs as Mackenzie Puklicz receives the award. The guard from London, Ont., collected 156 total points, 7.1 per game, for the Mustangs this year, while chipping in 66 rebounds. She shot 37.8 percent from the field on 143 attempts while playing almost 19 minutes per game for Western.
 
The Joy Bellinger award is given out annually to a player who exhibits outstanding service to basketball and advancement of university athletics. The OUA West winner for the 2013-14 season is Hailey Milligan of the McMaster Marauders.
 
The Brantford, Ont., native had a brilliant season on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Her 257 rebounds was tops in the CIS, 36 better than the nearest player, and her 18.4 points per game was second in the OUA. For her on-the-court efforts she was named to the OUA West first team this year, her second straight first-team honour.
 
In the classroom, the Honours English student boasts a sparkling grade point average while balancing her time between athletics, academics and community involvement. The fifth-year student-athlete has given back to the community by being the driving force behind the On The Move girls basketball program that developed from a single event to permanent program at several of the Boys and Girls Clubs in the Hamilton area. She is also key to the development of the MACMENTORING program, which was developed through the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club of Hamilton to foster relationships between McMaster female athletes and young girls in the community.

Doreen Bonsu of the Laurier Golden Hawks in the OUA West recipient of the Tracy McLeod award, given in recognition of determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit.  In each of the past two campaigns the Oakville, Ont., native suffered serious injuries that ended her seasons and left the future of her career in doubt. The fourth-year guard worked diligently with trainers and staff to get healthy enough to return to the court early in the 2013-14 season. This year Bonsu posted five points and five rebounds per game and held the role of a veteran leader for the Golden Hawks, who finished third in the OUA West.
 
Windsor Lancers head coach Chantal Vallée is no stranger to postseason accolades. 2013-14 marks her ninth season at the helm of the Lancers and also marks her fourth OUA West coach of the year award. Vallée guided the Lancers to a 21-1 regular season record. Her squad led the OUA in both points scored (83.0 PPG) and points allowed (50.2). Additionally, four of her players received all-star honours this season.
 
Joining Vaughan, Langlois and Milligan on the West division first team are perennial all-star Jessica Clémençon of the Windsor Lancers and Lakehead’s Jylisa Williams.
 
Clémençon (St. Rambert, France), a former OUA and CIS player of the year, earns the distinction of being a first team OUA all-star in each of her five seasons. This season she scored 18.2 points per game and added 7.7 rebounds to lead the top-ranked Lancers in both categories. Clémençon wraps up her OUA career second in all-time scoring with 1,894 points, and eighth in career rebounding with 807.
 
Jylisa Williams becomes a first team all-star in her debut OUA season. The transfer student averaged a double-double in 12 games for the Lakehead Thunderwolves, collected 20.2 points and 10.8 rebounds. The slashing guard was always a threat to drive to the hoop, where she was equally at good scoring or kicking out to a teammate; she shot 42.7 percent from the field and averaged 4.8 assists per contest.
 
The OUA West second team features one former all-star, a former rookie of the year and three fresh faces.
 
McMaster’s Danielle Boiago (Hamilton, Ont.) was the West division rookie of the year last season and has been named to the second team in 2013-14 on the strength of a 15.7-point, 4.4-rebound campaign for the Marauders.
 
Windsor Lancers guard Korissa Williams lands on the second team in back-to-back years. This season, the Windsor, Ont. native averaged 14.3 points per game for the potent Windsor offence.
Katherine MacTavish (Waterloo, Ont.) lands on the second team thanks to a career-high 18.0 points per game for the Guelph Gryphons.
 
Laura Doyle of the Laurier Golden Hawks also becomes an all-star for the first time with her second team honour this season. The Guelph, Ont., native led the Golden Hawks by scoring 10.5 points per game.
 
Melissa Rondinelli of the Western Mustangs rounds out the OUA West second team. The native of Sarnia, Ont. was an inside presence for Western as she collected 6.7 rebounds and 11.4 points per game for the Mustangs.
 
Joining rookie of the year Mackenzie Puklicz on the all-rookie team are Windsor forward Cheyanne Roger (Windsor, Ont.), Alexandra Spadaro  (Grimsby, Ont.) of the Laurier Golden Hawks, Waterloo’s Kristen Osborne (Markham, Ont.)  and Brock Badgers forward Kira Cornelissen (Aylmer, Ont.).

OUA MAJOR AWARDS

West Player of the Year
Jenny Vaughan - Western

West Rookie of the Year
Mackenzie Puklicz - Western

West Defensive Player of the Year
Miah-Marie Langlois - Windsor

West Joy Bellinger Award
Hailey Milligan - McMaster

West Tracy McLeod Award
Doreen Bonsu - Laurier

West Coach of the Year
Chantal Vallée - Windsor

West First Team
Jenny Vaughan - Western
Miah-Marie Langlois - Windsor
Jessica Clémençon - Windsor
Hailey Milligan - McMaster
Jylisa Williams - Lakehead

West Second Team
Danielle Boiago - McMaster
Katherine MacTavish - Guelph
Korissa Williams - Windsor
Laura Doyle - Laurier
Melissa Rondinelli - Western

West All-Rookie Team
Mackenzie Puklicz - Western
Cheyanne Roger - Windsor
Alexandra Spadaro - Laurier
Kristen Osborne - Waterloo
Kira Cornelissen - Brock