March 7, 2010

TULSA, Okla. - While the 2009-10 Tulane University women's basketball team used a concerted team effort to claim the Conference USA regular-season title, a trio of Green Wave standouts earn honors for their individual performances Sunday on the eve of the 2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship.

Senior guard Chassity Brown and junior forward Danielle Nunn were named second- and third-team All C-USA, respectively, and rookie Olivia Grayson claimed a spot on the C-USA All-Freshman Team. In addition, Brown earned a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive Team.

The respective honors were the first of the careers of all three student-athletes. Brown is just the second Tulane player to earn a spot on the C-USA All-Defensive Team, joining D'Aundra Henry who earned the honor in 2006-07. Grayson is the sixth Green Wave rookie to C-USA All-Freshman Team honors, joining current teammate Brett Benzio (2008-09) along with Ashley Langford (2005-06), Sarah Goree (1998-99), Grace Daley (1996-97) and Kelly Scanlon (1996-97).

A senior from Shreveport, La., Brown claimed All C-USA and All-Defense honors after leading the team in points (367), points per game (13.6), field goals made (118) and minutes per game (29.2) while ranking second in 3-pointers made (48), free throws made (83), free throw percentage (.716) and steals (79). She also paces C-USA in steals per game (2.9), while ranking seventh in 3-pointers per game (1.8), ninth in points per game (13.6) and 19th in both assists per game (2.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (.331).

Brown scored in double-digits on 20 occasions, including a career-high tying 23 points against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 20 and at Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 4. In addition, she had five or more assists four times, including a season-best seven vs. Prairie View A&M on Dec. 4.

Defensively, Brown tallied eight games with four or more steals and set a Tulane single-game record with nine thefts at SMU on Jan. 17. She pulled down a career-high eight rebounds, vs. McNeese State on Dec. 22, vs. Southern Miss (1-7) on Jan. 23 and vs. Memphis on Feb. 18.

Nunn, a native of Arlington, Texas in her first season playing for the Green Wave after transferring from TCU, claimed third-team all-league honors after pacing the team in field goal percentage (.552) and free throws made (111) while ranking second in points (325), points per game (11.2) and field goals made (107), and finishing the regular season tied for second in rebounds (133) and rebounds per game (4.6). She also leads C-USA in field goal percentage (.552) while ranking 13th in steals per game (1.7) and 19th in points per game (11.2).

A starter in each of the last 19 games, Nunn posted double-digit scoring totals in 18 games, including a career-best 23 at UTEP on March 3 when she connected on 5-of-8 shots and drained 13-of-17 free throws. In addition, she had a career-high 10 rebounds (1 offense, 9 defense) to go with 21 points for her first career double-double at Rice on Feb. 25.

She was named MVP of the Tulane DoubleTree Classic after averaging 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game in the Wave's wins over Long Island and Texas Tech. Since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 28, Nunn is averaging 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.6 assists per game.

Grayson, meanwhile, earned C-USA All-Freshman Team honors after leading the team in free throw percentage (.750) while ranking second in assists (81) and minutes (804) and sitting tied for second in rebounds (133), rebounds per game (4.6) and blocks (14).

She has played in all 29 games with 16 starts and has lined up at all five positions for the Green Wave at various points during the year. Grayson made immediate impact, scoring seven points, pulling down a season-high eight rebounds and handing out a career-best 10 assists in first collegiate game vs. Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 13. She currently ranks tied for 14th in Conference USA in steals per game (1.7), tied for 16th in free throw percentage (.750) and 18th in assists per game (2.8).

A native of Metairie, La., Grayson scored in double digits 12 times, including a season-best 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Rice on Jan. 10, and had five or more assists four times. She was named C-USA Freshman of the Week on Feb. 22 after averaging 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game while connecting on 7-of-13 shots from the field (.538).

Brown, Grayson, Nunn and the Green Wave return to action at noon on Tuesday, March 9, when they open C-USA Women's Basketball Championship play with a quarterfinal contest against the winner of Monday's UCF/Marshall matchup in Tulsa, Okla.

The C-USA Championship concludes on Friday, March 12, with the championship game tipping off at 12:30 p.m. That contest will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network and the winner will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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