[givemethemic]

BIG SOUTH ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Liberty’s Allyson Fasnacht has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week in women’s basketball, while Ashley Thornton of Birmingham-Southern was tabbed the New Balance Freshman of the Week, the League announced today.

Fasnacht, a sophomore from Salem, Va., averaged 15.5 points per game in leading Liberty to a 2-0 record on the week. Against UNC Asheville on Feb. 7, she posted a season-high 19 points on 5-of-7 from the floor (72 percent), 3-of-3 from the arc (100 percent) and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe (100 percent) as the Flames downed the Bulldogs, 66-50. At Coastal on Feb. 11, she poured in 12 points on 43 percent from the floor (3-of-7), 33 percent from the arc (1-of-3) and 83 percent from the free throw line (5-of-6). She also added four assists and one steal in the win over the Chanticleers.

Thornton, a guard from Pinson, Ala., averaged 11.0 points per game as the Panthers went 2-0 on the week, including a key road League win at Winthrop to move BSC into a three-way tie for third in the Big South standings. She picks up her second Freshman of the Week honor as she poured in a season-best 14 points on 3-of-3 from the floor (100 percent) and 8-of-11 from the line (73 percent) against Savannah State on Feb. 8. For the week, she connected on 7-of-9 from the floor (78 percent) and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe (67 percent), while picking up eight rebounds, two steals and one assist.

[BJWilliams]

Props to Allyson!

Now how many LU players is it this year that have been named PotW?

[PAmedic]

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

Fasnacht takes on role as LU's leader

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 16, 2006

At first blush, Allyson Fasnacht doesn't seem like someone prone to bursts of anger.
She's kind of quiet, always speaking in soft, measured tones. When she's frustrated, though, she's apt to do crazy things.

Like hit 80-foot shots.

"Eighty-one feet, seven inches," she said.

Of course, she remembers the exact number. As a junior at Glenvar High School, Fasnacht was angry that her Highlanders were struggling against J.J. Kelly. Just before halftime, she took an inbounds pass and chucked the ball at the basket. It hit the back iron and dropped through the net.

The lesson here? Don't tick off Fasnacht. She may not show it outwardly, but she'll find a way to make her displeasure known.

Such was the case during last Saturday's Big South tournament championship game. Fasnacht's first-half numbers (two points, two fouls, three turnovers) left her flustered. According to LU assistant coach Heather Stephens, Fasnacht kept to herself in the locker room at halftime, quietly contemplating how she could turn her game around.

Fasnacht came out for the second half inspired, scoring the first five points and chopping a nine-point deficit to four in a blink. Her team followed suit. A 14-0 run helped Liberty regain control, and LU beat High Point 53-50 for its 10th straight tournament title.

Fasnacht's burst wasn't as spectacular as burying an 81-footer, but it was just as effective in signaling to the opposition that you might be able to knock her down, but you won't knock her out easily.

"She knew she could do better and that we needed her to do better," Stephens said. "She was frustrated, but at the same time, she was confident and determined."

Fasnacht's team

Since Megan Frazee went out with a season-ending knee injury Jan. 16, Fasnacht has embraced her role as Liberty's unquestioned leader.

The concept is not totally unfamiliar to her. She was the top scorer on a Glenvar team that made multiple deep marches in the Group A state tournament.

As a freshman at Liberty, though, she operated in stealth, masked by the Flames' four senior starters, including 6-foot-8 future WNBA draft pick Katie Feenstra. Fasnacht averaged 3.9 points and took only 96 shots.

Her 18-point performance in Liberty's NCAA upset of Penn State seemingly came out of nowhere.

"I think Penn State kind of overlooked me," Fasnacht said. "They thought, 'oh, this is a freshman point guard averaging like three points a game, she's not going to do anything.' I hit a couple of shots in the beginning and got my confidence going ? and things just kind of opened up."

That outing was enough to boost Fasnacht's confidence heading into her sophomore season. At 5-foot-8, she doesn't possess the quickness and athleticism to win games by herself, not in Division I. She's OK with that, though. She doesn't try to play outside of her abilities. That would be a detriment to her team and to herself.

"She's a very smart person," Stephens said. "She knows her limitations as an individual, and she knows her role on the team. She works well and maximizes her abilities that way."

That's not to say Fasnacht is unskilled. She elevates well on her jumper and uses her strength to free herself for open looks.

More importantly, Fasnacht brings a sense of calm to the floor. She's a steadying presence, and Liberty's offense flows better when she's directing it.

"She keeps her poise and she's very composed," said LU freshman Rachel Hammond, a reserve who splits time between the point and shooting guard. "She takes control. She keeps everyone on the same page."

She's also pretty strong. Some Liberty men's players were a humbled because Fasnacht was outlifting them in the bench press in preseason workouts.

"She's definitely our bench queen," Hammond said.

The only daughter of Allan and Barbara Fasnacht, Allyson honed that toughness by playing driveway hoops with her two older brothers, who wouldn't let her have a pass because she's a girl.

Steadying force

Hammond admits that she still messes up more than she'd like. But she's a freshman, and it comes from the territory.

The development of Hammond's game from September to March is a testament to Fasnacht's ability to lead and teach.

Early on, Hammond was at times spectacularly talented and at others terrifyingly reckless. Now as one of LU's top reserves, she plays under control, picking her spots to take shots and drive the lane.

Hammond credits Fasnacht for helping her make such a quick transition.

"The best way to lead a group of people is to have their heart," Hammond said. "She has my heart because she's encouraging. She doesn't beat me down. It's easy to do that when you have freshmen that don't know what they're doing out there."

Fasnacht has very little in the way of ego. Much like her head coach, Carey Green, she deflects credit whenever possible. But Hammond and other teammates won't understate the impact Fasnacht has had on them.

As the underdog Flames prepare to play DePaul in the first round of the NCAA tournament Saturday, Fasnacht won't let her teammates get too tense. The tournament is all about having fun, she says.

Loose, balanced and grounded is how Stephens describes Liberty's leader. If her teammates follow form, anything can happen.

"There are so many times that you run into kids, and they're so one-dimensional - and it's ball," Stephens said. "You take basketball away from them, they are lost. Allyson is not one of those kids. She's really well balanced.

"I think at times that helps her game. You don't get too high or get too low. It's not life or death."