Bailey Named "MVP" for Women's Basketball

4 May 2004

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Senior Brooke Bailey has been selected as the "Most Valuable Player" for the 2003-04 Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team.

Bailey, a 5-foot-11 center from Byron HS, was a second team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin selection after being on the third team a year ago. She led IWU with a 13.8 scoring average and 6.6 rebounds per game and ended her career as IWU’s 11th leading scorer with 1,044 points and fourth with 678 career rebounds.

In other IWU career records, Bailey ranks sixth in 3-point field goals (92), eighth in both field goals (374) and free throws (204) and 15th in assists (156).

For the second straight year, 5-foot-7 senior guard Cassie Twaddle (Carthage HS) was chosen as the Titans’ “Defensive Player of the Year” and she also earned the team's "All-American Titan" honor, bestowed for sportsmanship, integrity, leadership and overall responsibility to basketball success.

Twaddle was second on the team with 28 steals and fourth with 4.5 rebounds per game while scoring at a 6.1 clip.

Head coach Mia Smith, whose team was 12-13 overall and 7-7 in the CCIW, awarded letters to 13 players. The letterwinners are, with hometowns and high schools:

SENIORS - Brooke Bailey (Byron HS); Claire Deveaux (Atlanta, Ga., Paideia HS); Jessie Freiburg (Quincy, Notre Dame HS); Cassie Twaddle (Carthage HS).

JUNIORS – Davina Biloche (Robbins, Blue Island Eisenhower HS); Hannah Meharry (Tolono, Unity HS).

SOPHOMORES – Katie Blonn (Des Plaines, Maine West HS); Debbie Bartell (Wheaton, Glenbard West HS); Val Fleishman (Oak Brook, Hinsdale Central HS); Amanda Glerum (Champaign, Centennial HS); Karen Gorzynski (Schiller Park, East Leyden HS); Heidi Harnisch (Urbana HS); Tina Mazzula (Toulon, Stark County HS).

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206