April 5, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State senior point guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished as a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award , announced by the Rotary Club of Detroit on Friday. The criteria for the Lieberman Award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country determined the award winner and finalists.
Former Lady Lion Helen Darling was a finalist for the award in 2000. Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins took home the award. The other two finalists along with Bentley were Lindsey Moore (Nebraska) and Odyssey Sims (Baylor). Bentley was named a final Nominee for the award on Feb. 22 when the list was seven players long.
A first team All-Big Ten selection for the third consecutive season, Bentley finished her Lady Lion career with 1,786 career points, good for eighth in school history. Additionally, Bentley ranks second in steals with 325 thefts and tied for sixth with Dana Eikenberg with 567 career dimes. Her 725 career made field goals also ranks sixth in program history.
Bentley, who finished as the Big Ten's leader in steals this year with 3.4 thefts per game, has earned a number of honors following this season including being named an AP honorable mention All-American for the first time of her career. The senior captain also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, recognizing the nation's most outstanding female player that is 5-8 or under and has excelled academically and athletically. She was additionally named to the All-Big Ten defensive team along with junior Dara Taylor (Wilmington, Del.)
Past winners of the awards were Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame; 2012, 2013), Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga; 2011), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State; 2010), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut; 2009), Kristi Toliver (Maryland; 2008), Lindsey Harding (Duke; 2007), Ivory Latta (North Carolina; 2006), Diana Taurasi (Connecticut; 2003, 2004), and Sue Bird (Connecticut; 2000, 2001, 2002).
For further information visit the official Nancy Lieberman Award website: www.pointguard.org Facebook: The Nancy Lieberman Award, Twitter: twitter.com/LiebermanAward or contact Chris Flynn (Award Co-Chair) at 313-824-4264 or via e-mail at contact@pointguard.org .
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