Bucknell University Athletics
Several Bucknell Women's Basketball Players Honored at Annual Banquet
5/14/2002 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 14, 2002
LEWISBURG, PA - Bucknell junior Molly Creamer (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham), senior Monique LeBlanc (Cumberland, R.I./Bishop Feehan), junior Kate Franks (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) were honored with major awards at the annual women's basketball banquet, held Sunday, April 21, on Bucknell's campus. Sophomore Kristin Valdner (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park) and sophomore Desire Almind (Blairstown, N.J./North Warren Regional) also received recognition at the banquet.
For the second year in a row, Creamer received the Catalyst Award. A starter in all 31 games this season, and 85 straight dating back to her freshman year, Creamer had one of the most impressive seasons by a Bucknell women's player in school history. The 5-10 guard entered the year with 1,008 career points as just a junior, and this year became the first player in school or Patriot League history to score over 1,500 points, hand out over 400 assists and grab over 200 steals. Creamer set a Bucknell single-season scoring record with 695 points, passing the old mark of 619 held by Jen Walz, which had stood since 1988-89. She was named the MVP of both the Nassau Knockout and the Patriot League Tournament, in addition to garnering her second-straight Patriot League Player of the Year award. Including a school record-setting single-game scoring performance of 43 points in a contest against Army in January, Creamer will enter her senior season with 1,703 career points,
LeBlanc was honored as the team's top defender for the second year in a row, earning the Defensive Player of the Year Award for 2002. Often given the assignment of marking the opposing team's top player, she finished the season with a career-high 33 steals, while also reaching a career-best average of 6.4 rebounds per game. A 6-0 forward and a starter in all 31 contests, LeBlanc finished her career with 522 points and 537 rebounds.
The 2002 Bison Award went to Franks, a 5-10 guard for the Orange and Blue. Franks received the award for her dedication, devotion and contributions to the team. A starter in all 31 contests, Franks had one of the best seasons of her career, averaging high's in points per game (10.7), rebounds per game (4.2), assists per game (3.2) and three pointer's made (43). With 851 points in her career through three seasons, she enters her final year needing just 149 points to reach the 1,000-point plateau. A clutch performance in Bucknell's run to the Patriot League title, averaging 16.0 ppg and 6.0 apg during the conference tournament, earned Franks a spot on the Patriot League All-Tournament Team for the first time in her career.
Valdner picked up the team's Most Improved Player honors after seeing increased playing time in 2001-02. Valdner averaged 1.0 ppg and 0.9 rebounds per outing while playing in 24 of Bucknell's 31 games. She was perfect from the floor in four of the nine games she scored in and never shot lower than .500 from the field. A 6-1 forward, Valdner was critical on defense on several occasions throughout the season, including a game in February against Colgate when she grabbed a career-best three steals on three consecutive trips down the floor. Her five points in four minutes of action against Army in Bucknell's semi-final win in the conference tournament helped to lead the Bison to the championship tilt.
A new award this year, The Comeback Player of the Year, was presented to Almind. A 6-0 guard/forward, Almind overcame several illnesses and injuries to end the year averaging 10.4 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Missing most of the preseason due to mono and an injured foot, Almind came off the bench for the first six games of the season. After earning a start in five straight games, she was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer in late December that held her out of the first two contests of her career. The 2000-01 Patriot League Rookie of the Year came back with a vengeance, however, averaging 11.9 ppg and 5.2 rpg in conference play to end the year on a strong note. With 725 career points to date, Almind needs just 275 with two seasons remaining to reach 1,000 points in her career.
Bucknell ended its season with a school record 21 wins and 10 losses. It is the second-straight 20-win season for the program, and only the second in Bison history. The Orange and Blue captured the school's first-ever Patriot League title, defeating the four-time defending league champions, Holy Cross, to snap the Crusaders 61-game home win streak over Patriot League opponents. Bucknell's season came to a close with an 80-56 loss to seventh-ranked Baylor in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
