Foster honored by Cox Sports as Coach of the Year
NEWPORT, R.I. - For the first time in Salve Regina University basketball history, three Seahawks will be honored at the 2010-11 Cox Sports Rhode Island Basketball Media Awards Luncheon. Men's basketball head coach Sean Foster will receive the Jim Baron Award as the Division III/CC Coach of the Year, women's basketball head coach Cori Hughes will be presented with the Tom Carmody Award as the Division III/CC Coach of the Year, and senior Erin Phillips will receive the Kevin McNamara Award as the Division III/CC Women's Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year. The Luncheon will take place at the Radisson Hotel in Warwick on Monday, March 28.
After posting a 4-21 mark in 2009-10, the Salve Regina men's basketball program was picked to finish 12th in The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) preseason coaches poll. What transpired was one of the most remarkable one-year turnarounds in school history. The Seahawks went 17-11 (8-5 TCCC) to earn the No. 5 seed in the conference championship playoffs, then ran the table to earn the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Salve Regina upended No. 4 Regis 62-58 in the quarterfinals, then eliminated No. 1 Anna Maria 89-80 in the semifinals to advance to the finals against No. 2 Wentworth. Despite losing a 12-point lead in the second half, the Seahawks rallied in overtime to post a 68-58 win over the Leopards and earn the program's second NCAA Tournament berth.
"I'm extremely honored to receive the Cox Sports Coach of the Year award for our staff and program," said Foster, who shares the award with Jamie Benton of Johnson & Wales. "There are tremendous people coaching at this level in Rhode Island who I have the utmost respect for and are well deserving of this award for their efforts this season. The efforts of our players this year being after picked 12th in the preseason and winning the conference speaks to the character of the student-athletes we have in our men's basketball program. This award is a reflection of their commitment to our goals."
The women's basketball team tied the school-record with 25 wins, including a 20-game win streak that ran from the regular season through TCCC Championship. Led by Phillips (Morristown, N.J.), the Seahawks did not lose a game from December 21 through March 4 - a span of 45 days. During that time, Salve Regina captured the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout by defeating Westminster (Pa.) and Oswego State while also dealing defending TCCC champion University of New England its only loss of the season. That win enabled the Seahawks to post a perfect 13-0 mark in conference play and earn the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
The Seahawks opened TCCC Championship play with a 66-44 win over Curry at Rodgers Recreation Center. Two nights later, Salve Regina welcomed the Pride of Regis (Mass.) to Newport for a semifinal matchup, and promptly dealt them a 56-42 loss. In TCCC Championship game, Phillips poured in a game-high 30 points and snared 13 rebounds to propel the Seahawks past UNE, 76-74, and into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years and sixth time in school history.
"There are so many talented, hard-working coaches in Rhode Island. I am humbled and honored to be recognized," said Hughes, who joins Amanda Van Voorhis as the only SRU women's hoops coaches to receive this award. "And with talented players like Erin Phillips - well, all the credit for our success belongs to the team."
Phillips ranked third in TCCC in scoring (17.0 ppg), fourth in blocked shots (1.7 bpg), fifth in steals (2.7 spg), and eighth in rebounding (8.4 rpg). A two-time All-TCCC First Team selection (2009-10, 2010-11), Phillips was named to the D3hoops.com Women's All-Northeast Region Second Team as well as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Women's Basketball New England Second Team following the season. She finished her career No. 2 all-time in scoring at Salve Regina with 1,498 points. She is also the school's all-time leader in field goals (578) and ranks fourth in blocked shots (146) and steals (279), and seventh in rebounds (688).
"For the second year in a row, Erin has been chosen by Cox as the best Division III female basketball player in Rhode Island," said Hughes. "What a testament to the level of play she has been able to sustain here at Salve Regina. She is unquestionably one of the best players I have ever had the privilege of coaching."
Last year, Phillips became the third Seahawk to win the Kevin McNamara award, joining Lindsay Frederick and Allegra Lovoy. Foster and Hughes are being honored for the first time.
Other Division III/CC winners include Lamonte Thomas of Johnson & Wales, who receives the Steve McDonald Award as Men's Player of the Year, and the Rhode Island College men's basketball team, which receives the Dave Gavitt Award as Team of the Year.
Jim Baron of the University of Rhode Island will receive the Joe Mullaney Award as Division I Men's Coach of the Year. Marshon Brooks of Providence College will take home the Bill Reynolds Award as Men's Player of the Year while Megan Shoniker of URI grabs the Mary Burke Award as Women's Player of the Year.
