Washington U.’s Dani Hoover and Melissa Gilkey Earn D3Hoops.com All-Region Honors
St. Louis, Mo., March 13, 2012 – Washington University in St. Louis senior guard Dani Hoover was named to the 2012 D3Hoops.com All-Central Region Second Team and freshman forward Melissa Gilkey was selected as the Central Region Rookie of the Year, as announced Tuesday by the website.
Hoover received second-team All-Region honors after being named to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) first team. She led Washington University with 11.1 points per game, 43 three-pointers and 38 steals in her senior season, and ranked second on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game and 65 assists. Hoover also finished the season with a .833 free-throw shooting percentage, which ranks seventh on the Washington U. all-time single-season list.
She scored in double-figures in 16 games in 2011-12, including 11 of 14 UAA contests. Hoover was named the Most Valuable Player at both the McWilliams Classic and the Wartburg Holiday Tournament, and also received all-tournament honors at the Forester Tip-Off Classic.
Gilkey garnered the Central Region Rookie of the Year award after being named the UAA Rookie of the Year. She started all 27 games for Washington U. in her first collegiate season, finishing second on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg). Gilkey was the leading rebounder for the Bears this season, averaging 7.3 per game, while also leading the team with 38 blocked shots.
She tied a Washington University single-game record with seven blocked shots in the Bears’ NCAA first-round win over Ferrum College. Her 38 blocks ranks ninth in Washington U. history for a single season. Gilkey was named the UAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week twice this season, on Feb. 14 and again on March 5.
Washington University concluded the 2011-12 season with a 21-6 overall record and a 10-4 mark in the UAA. The Bears finished second in the UAA and earned their 23rd-consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, falling at Centre College, 57-55, in the second round.