Nuggets' Powell is NAIA All-America finalist on WBCA team

Nuggets' Powell is NAIA All-America finalist on WBCA team
Ed Cassiere 03/09/10

NEW ORLEANS -- It's the latest in a slew of honors for Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball standout Brittany Powell.She was announced Tuesday as one of 29 finalists -- one of five in Region 6 -- for the NAIA State Farm® Coaches' All-America Team.

Women's Basketball Coaches Association members will consider Powell and the others in voting for the 10-member All-America team, which will be announced at a banquet March 16 at the Jackson (Tenn.) Civic Center in conjunction with the NAIA Division I National Championship.

Xavier is one of 32 teams to qualify for the national tournament, which will begin March 17.Powell, a 6-foot senior forward/center from Milwaukee and a graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, is one of two finalists from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The other is Loyola's Trenese Smith.

The WBCA also announced finalists for All-America teams in NCAA divisions II and III and the junior/community colleges. Powell is one of two finalists from an HBCU (historically black college or university). The other is Fort Valley State's Takesha Riggs in NCAA DII.Powell's other honors this season are:* Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year.*

All-GCAC for the second straight season.* GCAC Player of the Week three times.* Louisiana Player of the Week twice.* NAIA Division I National Player of the Week.* Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month for January.*

Four-time HBCU Division II National Player of the Week in the Heritage Sports Radio Network fan poll.Through 33 games Powell leads Xavier in scoring (14.6), rebounding (5.8), blocked shots (1.3), minutes played (26.6), field-goal percentage (.537), free throws made (108) and free throws attempted (142).

The Gold Nuggets are 28-5 with a 21-game win streak -- the second longest in the program's history -- and ranked 20th in the NAIA entering the national tournament. First-round tournament pairings will be announced Wednesday.