FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Marci Lippert, Director of Athletic Communications- 610-606-4666 x. 3727

CEDAR CREST BASKETBALL MAKES HISTORY AGAIN AS DONOHUE IS NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR AND SUNDERHAUS IS NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Aston, PA (February 22, 2009) – Cedar Crest College Head Coach Valerie Donohue was named the 2008-2009 Colonial States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and freshman Lizzy Sunderhaus (Hamilton, OH/Stephen T. Badin) was named the CSAC Rookie of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches released by the conference office on Sunday afternoon.

Sunderhaus was also named First-Team All-Conference and to the CSAC Sportsmanship Team. This marks the first time a Cedar Crest basketball player was named to the First-Team since the 1998-99 season when Angela Ensley and Tija Hopkins earned the honor. Sunderhaus ranks fourth in the CSAC, averaging 15.0 points per game. She also ranks third in the CSAC and 12th in the nation, averaging 11.9 rebounds per contest. She leads the CSAC in blocked shots (53) and field goal percentage (51.6%).

Donohue, who has been the head coach at Cedar Crest for four seasons, helped her team tie the school record of 13 wins in a season, which was set in the 1998-99 season when the Falcons last made the playoffs. Donohue was an assistant for Cedar Crest for seven seasons before being named the head coach in 2005. Cedar Crest finished the regular season at 13-11 overall and 8-8 in the CSAC. The Falcons posted more conference victories this season than in the last nine seasons combined and have earned the highest playoff seeding in school history.

Donohue, who is assisted by Chad Werkheiser and Dan Donohue, will lead Cedar Crest to battle for its first playoff win ever on Monday evening. The Falcons will be the sixth seed overall and will play the number three seed Centenary College on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in Hackettstown, NJ. You can watch the Falcons live at http://www.pennatlantic.com . There is no charge to watch online.

The Falcons are also led this season by junior Lakeema Jones (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) who averages 14.7 points per game, ranking 5th in the CSAC. Jones also leads the CSAC and ranks 10th in the nation in free-throw percentage, averaging 89.4 percent from the line. Junior Kelly Oakes (Wilmington, DE/Delcastle) is averaging 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per outing for the Falcons.

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