Lady Tigers' Fowles, Chancellor earn top honors

• Advocate staff report
• Published: Mar 5, 2008 - Page: 1C

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — To the perfectionists go the spoils.

Two days after the LSU Lady Tigers completed a perfect record in Southeastern Conference play, LSU coach Van Chancellor and Lady Tiger center Sylvia Fowles received the conference’s top honors in women’s basketball.

Fowles was named player of the year — beating out Tennessee forward Candace Parker —  and Chancellor was tabbed coach of the year.

It is the fifth time in SEC women’s basketball history — and second time at LSU — that the conference player and coach of the year came from the same school in the same season.

A 6-foot-6 senior center, Fowles was also named the SEC’s defensive player of the year.

Senior guard Quianna Chaney joined Fowles on the first team, while senior point guard Erica White was a second-team All-SEC selection. Sophomore guard Allison Hightower shared the Sixth-Woman of the year award with Vanderbilt’s Jessica Mooney.

The honors, released by the conference office Tuesday, were voted on by the 12 SEC coaches.

“It is nice for this program to receive all of these honors,” Chancellor said in a written statement. “These players worked so hard all season to accomplish the goal of becoming SEC champions and these honors reflect the hard work.”

LSU, 25-4 and 14-0 in the SEC, plays at noon Friday in the SEC tournament quarterfinals in Nashville, Tenn.

The Lady Tigers, No. 1 seed in the tournament, will take on the winner of Thursday’s tournament opener between No. 8-seeded Ole Miss (12-15, 6-8 SEC) and No. 9 Mississippi State (16-13, 4-10).

Fowles is just the second LSU player to receive the SEC’s top honor.

Former Lady Tiger Seimone Augustus was the SEC player of the year as a junior in 2005 and as a senior in 2006.

“This means a lot to me,” Fowles said. “For the coaches to select me as the SEC’s top player is a great honor, but I share this award with my teammates and my coaches. Without them I would not be able to accomplish what I have on the court.”