3/2 - ALL-CONFERENCE: Cave Second Team All-Northwest Conference, Thomas Honorable Mention
NEWBERG, Ore. - Darby Cave was named to the All-Northwest Conference Second Team and Kellie Thomas received Honorable Mention for All-Conference in voting by the league's nine coaches for their performances during the 2003-04 George Fox University women's basketball season, according to a release from NWC information director Steve Flegel at Whitworth College.
Cave, a 6-0 senior post from Portland, Ore., finished high in several statistical categories in the conference, including scoring (12.8, 6th, tied with Thomas), rebounding (7.4, 6th), field goal pct. (.569, 2nd), and blocked shots (1.92, 2nd). Her .569 shooting mark is the 2nd-best ever in a single season for a Bruin (All-American Katie Greller shot .582 in 1997-98), and her 48 blocked shots are the 8th-best season mark. She reached double figure in points 16 times and in rebounds 4 times, with 3 double-doubles. She had career highs of 23 points at Whitworth on Feb. 27 and twice had highs of 13 rebounds, vs. St. Thomas (Minn.) on Nov. 30 and vs. Lewis & Clark on Feb. 17. She led the Bruins in scoring 9 times and in rebound s 11 times.
Cave completed her four-year career as the No. 2 field goal pct. shooter in Bruin history with a .530 mark (419-791), second only to Greller's .543. She finished just short of becoming the 9th Bruin to reach 1,000 career points with 994, ranking 9th all-time, while her 544 career rebounds are 9th and her 92 blocked shots are 3rd.
Thomas, a 5-10 sophomore wing from Medford, Ore., also ranked high in several NWC categories, including scoring (12.8, 6th, tied with Cave), assists (2.88, 7th), free throw pct. (.761, 7th), blocked shots (0.84, 5th), 3-point field goals (1.56, 7th), and 3-point field goal pct. (.351, 5th). She scored in double figures 19 times, with a career-high 24 vs. nationally-ranked Carleton in Minnesota on Nov. 29 and 22 vs. Willamette on Jan. 20. She posted her first career double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds at Whitworth on Feb. 27. She was the Bruins' top scorer 5 times.
After only two seasons, Thomas has 633 career points and seems well on her way to becoming only the 9th player in Bruin history to reach 1,000 career points. Her .780 free throw pct. (128-164) ranks 5th all-time, and her .355 3-point field goal pct. (77-217) is also 5th.
Both Cave and Thomas were First Team All-Conference selections last year. This year's Bruin team, with Cave and Thomas playing key roles, posted its 11th straight winning season with a 13-12 record and tied for 5th in the conference at 7-9.
Post Tiffany Speer of Whitworth repeated as NWC Player of the Year, while Michelle Ferenz of league co-champion Whitman, which was picked to finish 6th in the pre-season, was named NWC Coach of the Year. Other First Team All-Conference choices were Lindsay May of co-champion Puget Sound, Courtney Johnson of Pacific Lutheran, Katie Patneaude of Whitman, Sarah Shogren of Whitworth, and DeeDee Arnall of Pacific.