Trio of Lady'Backs receive 2007 SEC women's basketball honors

FAYETTEVILLE — Junior post player Lauren Ervin was voted to the all-Southeastern Conference second team by the league’s 12 women’s basketball coaches, the SEC office announced today.

Only the second Lady’Back to average double figures for points and rebounds for the season, Ervin ranked top 25 most of the season in rebounds and blocked shots in Division I. The 6-4 Los Angeles, Calif., post player led Arkansas in scoring this season with 12.4 ppg. Ervin also averaged 10.4 rpg and 2.5 blocks per game.

Ervin was joined on the all-conference honors by her senior teammate Sarah Pfeifer who was named the 2007 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s basketball. Rookie guard Donica Cosby was a unanimous selection to the eight-player all-SEC freshman team.

"I’m excited for all three of our players chosen by the coaches," Gardner said. "Lauren has worked extremely hard this year, and deserves the recognition of the league. I am so proud for Sarah to have made her comeback this year and to repeat as the scholar-athlete. And Donica was an impact player for us all season, and its good to see one of our young players honored."

Pfeifer is the first repeat winner of the scholar-athlete award. She was the first, and to date only, underclassman to win the honor in 2005 as a redshirt sophomore. Pfeifer returned to the team after missing last year due to her fifth surgery of her career, an ACL repair, and by the close of this season had also returned to the starting lineup as Arkansas’ third leading scorer.

Cosby is Arkansas No. 2 scorer and one of the top scoring freshmen in the SEC this season. She becomes the first Lady’Back selected for the freshman team since Kristin Peoples was tabbed in 2004.

Ervin’s selection to the second team is the first all-conference player for Arkansas since 2004 when Shameka Christon was named both first-team and player of the year. Ervin is the first Lady’Back true post player to receive all-conference honors since 1999 when Karyn Karlin was second team.

The Lady Razorbacks travel to Duluth, Ga., on Wednesday to practice and prepare for their opening game at the 2007 SEC Tournament against seventh-seed Kentucky on Thursday. Game time is 2:30 p.m. central, and can be heard over the Lady Razorback Radio Network as well as on the internet at LADYBACKS.COM. The game will also be televised by Fox Sports Net.