Big Five dishes out women's hoops honors

On paper, the event last night at the Hyatt on Penn's Landing was considered the Big Five's annual women's basketball postseason awards dinner. By the time Temple and La Salle finished compiling most of the major honors, it seemed more like an evening for the Big Two.

The Owls, who captured their third straight City Series title, landed three awards, including senior Kamesha Hairston's selection as player of the year.

Hairston, chosen in the first round of the WNBA draft by Connecticut, was at the Sun's training camp.

Temple junior Lady Comfort was named most improved player, and freshman LaKeisha Eaddy was named rookie of the year.

La Salle's Tom Lochner won his first Big Five coach of the year award after the Explorers finished with a 19-11 record. The team was third in the City Series at 2-2 behind Temple (4-0) and St. Joseph's (3-1).

Lochner just finished his third season after having been promoted from assistant coach.

"Needless to say, I'm shocked," Lochner said. "You look around and Dawn [Staley of Temple] had another outstanding year. Cindy [Griffin of St. Joseph's] did a fine job. But our kids did everything we asked of them and everybody understood their roles."

La Salle senior Jenna Graber, meanwhile, took the sportsmanship award.

Comfort and Hairston were joined on the six-player first team by Villanova senior Jackie Adamshick, St. Joseph's senior Ayahna Cornish, La Salle senior Crista Ricketts, and Explorers junior Carlene Hightower.

Penn seniors Joey Rhoads and Monica Naltner were named to the second team along with St. Joseph's senior Whitney Ffrench, Temple senior Fatima Maddox, and Villanova's Lisa Karcic.

Milligan gets Rider job. St. Joseph's assistant coach Lynn Milligan was introduced at her alma mater as Rider's new head coach yesterday.

She replaces Tori Harrison, who left the team at the end of the season because of illness.

Milligan is the second person in the last two seasons from the staff of Hawks coach Cindy Griffin to land a head coaching job, following Joe Logan at Loyola of Maryland.