Harmony, Cousins Headline Conference Awards 2/21/2013 5:26:43 PM MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Coach Robin Harmony and senior forward Constina Cousins of St. Thomas were named Sun Conference Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, respectively, to highlight the 2013 women's basketball conference awards, announced Thursday at the tournament banquet for The Sun Conference Women's Basketball Championships presented by Shula's Hotel and Golf Club. St. Thomas Head Coach Robin Harmony was named The Sun Conference Coach of the Year as the 12th ranked Bobcats went undefeated in regular-season conference play and won a school-record 27 games. Harmony won the award for the second time in her six-year career at the helm of the STU program, having also won the award in 2009. Cousins, a 5-11 senior forward from Englewood, N.J., led the Bobcats in scoring with an average of 14.6 points-per-game. In the opening round game of The Sun Conference Championships, she scored a game-high 25 points against Warner, her eighth 20-point game of the season. Cousins became the first player from St. Thomas to win The Sun Conference Player of the Year. Ave Maria's Annie Artise was named Freshman of the Year. A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., the 5-11 guard averaged 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. St. Thomas' Dannisha Pierce and Northwood's Yasmene Harris shared Defensive Player of the Year honors. It was the second straight season winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award for Pierce, a 5-9 senior from New Haven, Conn. who ranks 12th nationally in total steals (89). Harris, a 5-6 senior from Long Island, N.Y., led the Seahawks with 3.1 steals-per-game. In addition to individual on-court accomplishments, Ave Maria's Emily Huber won The Sun Conference Champion of Character award. Nine student-athletes were named Academic All-Conference for their scholastic achievement. To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference, a student-athlete must have completed one full academic year at the league institution and have a 3.5 or better grade point average, while Champions of Character Award honorees are nominated by their head coaches. Sun Conference tournament play resumes on Friday with the semifinals and finals being played at the Fernandez Family Center on the St. Thomas campus. On Friday, fourth-seeded Webber International (13-13) will face no. 1 seed St. Thomas (27-2) at 5 p.m., followed by third-seeded Northwood (14-14) against no. 2 seed Ave Maria (21-8) at 7 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. First Team All-Conference (vote totals) Constina Cousins, St. Thomas (83) Emily Huber, Ave Maria (78) Nadia Givens, Southeastern (74) Dannisha Pierce, St. Thomas (67) Amy Myler, Ave Maria (61) Brooke Garmon, Warner (59) Yesenia Lora, Webber International (57) Second team All-Conference (vote totals) Myia Russell, Johnson & Wales (53) Berna Miranda, St. Thomas (52) Yasmene Harris, Northwood (50) Sharnele Brown, Northwood (49) Dominique Jackson, Florida Memorial (49) Annie Artise, Ave Maria (38) Jakita Sheriff, Northwood (18) Player of the Year Constina Cousins, St. Thomas Coach of the Year Robin Harmony. St. Thomas Freshman of the Year Annie Artise, Ave Maria Co-Defensive Players of the Year Yasmene Harris, Northwood and Dannisha Pierce, St. Thomas Co-Newcomers of the Year Sharnele Brown, Northwood and Brooke Garmon, Warner Champions of Character Emily Huber, Ave Maria Academic All-Conference Erin Henry, Webber International Shambrika Tomlin, Webber International Sarah DiLeonardo, Webber International Amy Myler, Ave Maria Leah Smith, Warner Hannah Demarest, Southeastern Rachel Turner, Southeastern Constina Cousins, St. Thomas Dannisha Pierce, St. Thomas -30-