The University of Idaho headlined the 2003-04 Big West Women's Basketball All-Conference Team, as the Vandals swept the three major conference awards and placed three players on the All-Conference teams.
Sophomore Emily Faurholt (Kennewick, Wash.) was selected as the Big West Player of the Year, Leilani Mitchell (Kennewick, Wash.) earned Freshman of the Year honors, and Mike Divilbiss was honored as the conference's Coach of the Year.
Faurholt, a 5-11 post player, currently ranks first in the nation in scoring with a 26.1 points per game average. She ranks in the top-10 in the Big West in four categories, including first in points, sixth in rebounding (7.0 rebounds per game), fourth in field-goal percentage (.496) and second in three-point percentage (.410). She earned Big West Player of the Week honors twice (Jan. 6 and Feb. 23) to become the first Idaho player to earn multiple Big West awards in a single season since Alli Nieman in the 1998-99 season. Faurholt scored 30 or more points in a game seven times, including a school-record 39 against Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 29).
"I am very excited about the award and I feel very privileged," Faurholt said. "I am very lucky to have the teammates I have and the opportunity to play with the people I have played with who all helped me get this award."
Mitchell, a 5-5 guard, currently ranks in the top-10 in the Big West in five categories, including first in steals (3.08 steals per game) and assists (6.0 assists per game), third in 3-point shooting percentage (.402), fifth in scoring (15.7 ppg), and seventh in field goal percentage (.478) Mitchell is one of only two Big West players to record a double-double with points and assists this season. Against Portland State (Nov. 21), she dished out 16 assists, the second highest single-game assist total in Idaho history, and scored 11 points.
"This award comes to me because of our team and is very much a team award," Mitchell said. "I would not have the stats I have if my teammates did not do their part to put the baskets in or get me the ball. I am excited about the success our team has had this season and this award is another step."
Divilbiss, in his third season at the Vandal helm, earns his first Big West Coach of the Year award. Divilbiss guided Idaho to 13 conference victories, which was the most for the Vandals in 19 years, and the team's 21 victories thus far are the most since the 1985-86 season. The second place finish is the highest for Idaho since joining the Big West during the 1996-97 season.
"It has been a very rewarding year and I feel very honored to be recognized as coach of the year by my peers. This is something I really appreciate," Divilbiss said. "Individual awards are all really team awards that come from team success. Great players will make a coach look a little better than he may be."
Idaho becomes only the second school ever to sweep the Big West awards since 1987 when the Freshman of the Year award began. The first was UC Santa Barbara in 1998 when Erin Buescher was Player and Freshman of the Year and Mark French was Coach of the Year.
"We have a lot of work left to do, but these awards are nice. They are great for the women's basketball program, great for the University of Idaho, and great for our community, which has been very supportive of us," Divilbiss said.
Junior wing Heather Thoelke was the third Vandal selected to an All-Conference team. She was selected as a Big West All-Conference Honorable Mention.
A total of two juniors, two sophomores, a senior and a freshman were selected to the All-Big West First Team. UC Santa Barbara and Idaho had two selections each. Senior Lindsay Taylor (Chandler, Ariz.), junior Kristen Mann (Santa Ana, Calif.), UC Riverside junior Casandra Reeves (Apple Valley, Calif.) and Cal State Northridge sophomore Ofa Tulikihihifo (Hawthorne, Calif.) each made the First Team for the second year in a row.
