All-SSC Women’s Basketball Team Announced With Tom Jessee and Ellen Nurmi Earning Major Awards

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The 2013-14 All-Sunshine State Conference Women's Basketball Team was announced on Friday, with the regular season champion University of Tampa collecting a pair of major awards to go with several all-conference selections.

Barry senior Tyler Hardy was named the SSC Player of the Year as Rollins' Emmalee Schill was named Defensive Player of the Year. Fellow Tar Tanaya Jones was named Freshman of the Year. Tampa's Ellen Nurmi was named Newcomer of the Year, and Spartan head coach Tom Jessee was named Coach of the Year.

Named to the All-SSC First Team with Hardy was Saint Leo's senior guard Teresa Manigrasso, Rollins' senior guard Sarah Taylor, Tampa's senior guard Illyssa Vivo and Florida Tech's junior guard Kayk Wilson.

Receiving a spot on the all-conference second team was Nova Southeastern's sophomore guard Taylor Buie and redshirt junior forward Jasmine Wilkins, Tampa's sophomore guard Ellen Nurmi and senior guard Shamika Williams, and Saint Leo's senior forward Chelsea Williams.

An All-Newcomer Team was also selected. Earning a spot with Rollins' Jones and Tampa's Nurmi were Saint Leo's sophomore guard Chachi Williams, Tampa's sophomore center Taylor McVey and Barry's junior forward Kaylia Richardson.

Voting for the All-SSC Women's Basketball Team was conducted among the league's women's basketball coaches.

A senior from Ann Arbor, Mich., Hardy ranked second in the conference in both scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (8.7 rebounds per game). She also ranked second in defensive boards with a total of 166 (6.1 per game). Hardy led the league in minutes per game with 36. Hardy was a four-time SSC Women's Basketball Player of the Week during the 2013-14 season.

A junior forward from St. Augustine, Fla., Schill led the league in blocked shots (47) and blocked shots per game (1.6).

A sophomore from Turku, Finald, Nurmi led the regular-season SSC Champion Spartans in total points (305), points per game (11.7), steals (28), 3-pointers made (49) and minutes played (33.7).

Rollins' freshman point guard, Jones, led the league in steals with 78 and ranked in the top-10 in assist-turnover ratio with 1.3 ratio. She recorded a total of 90 assists during the season.

Tampa head coach Tom Jessee is named SSC Coach of the Year for the third time. He also earned the recognition in 2010 and 2003. Jessee led the Spartans to their fifth regular-season conference crown, fourth during his tenure. Tampa, who now ranks No. 17 in the top-25 poll, was picked to finish third in the league in the conference preseason poll.

2013-14 All-SSC Women's Basketball Team
FIRST TEAM
Tyler Hardy, Barry (Sr.)
Teresa Manigrasso, Saint Leo (Sr.)
Sarah Taylor, Rollins (Sr.)
Illyssa Vivo, Tampa (Sr.)
Kayk Wilson, Florida Tech (Jr.)

Player of the Year - Tyler Hardy, Barry
Defensive Player of the Year - Emmalee Schill, Rollins
Newcomer of the Year - Ellen Nurmi, Tampa
Freshman of the Year - Tanaya Jones, Rollins
Coach of the Year - Tom Jessee, Tampa

SECOND TEAM
Taylor Buie, Nova Southeastern (So.)
Ellen Nurmi, Tampa (So.)
Jasmine Wilkins, Nova Southeastern (RJr.)
Chelsea Williams, Saint Leo (Sr.)
Shamika Williams, Tampa (Sr.)

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Chachi Guzman, Saint Leo (So.)
Tayana Jones, Rollins (Fr.)
Taylor McVey, Tampa (So.)
Ellen Nurmi, Tampa (So.)
Kaylia Richardson, Barry (Jr.)