RELEASE DATE: 3/7/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Alison Tagliaferri Named PSAC East Player of the Year – Tagliaferri and Uhrich Earn All-PSAC East First Team Honors

Mansfield – Alison Tagliaferri (Linden/Jersey Shore) capped off her outstanding basketball career by being selected as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Player of the Year.

Tagliaferri and teammate Jessica Uhrich (Palmyra/Palmyra) were both named to All-PSAC East First Team honors in voting among PSAC East coaches released by the conference office today.

It marked the first team in the women’s program history that two players have earned All-PSAC East First Team honors in the same season and the first time the program has produced the conference Player of the Year.

Tagliaferri also became the first player in conference history to earn All-PSAC East First Team honors in each of her four seasons since the PSAC went to the two-team conference selection process in 1989-90. Bloomsburg’s Theresa Lorenzi was named to All-PSAC East honors four straight seasons with the 1985-86 and 1986-87 teams consisting of one team. Patty Gruber was a two-time All-PSAC East selection under the old one team system at Kutztown (1986-87, 1987-88) and earned First Team All-PSAC East honors at West Chester under the present system (1989-90, 1990-91).

This season Tagliaferri ranked second overall in the PSAC in scoring averaging 16.7 points per game. Her 468 points set a new Mansfield single season scoring record while her 1,795 career points are the most scored by a basketball player – man or woman – in school history. She topped the record previously held by Tommy Harvey (1997-2000) on her first basket of the Mountaineers first ever playoff game at Millersville.

A three-time PSAC East Player of the Week selection this season, Tagliaferri finished sixth in the PSAC in rebounding (8.5 rpg), 10^th in field goal percentage (49.0) and 11^th in blocked shots (34 – 1.21 bpg). She posted nine double-doubles during the season while scoring in double figures in 27 of 28 games.

She holds 14 school career or season records finishing her career ranked first in scoring (1,795 points), field goals made (669), free throws made (457), and blocked shots (130). Tagliaferri also finished fourth in rebounding (852), 9^th in assists (227) and 12^th in steals (145) while earning  PSAC East Player of the Week honors a school record nine times during her career. She was the PSAC East Rookie of the Year as a freshman.

Uhrich was one of the top all-around players in the PSAC East this season ranking among the conference scoring and rebounding leaders. The junior forward was 16^th in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game while ranking third in rebounding pulling down an average of 9.8 boards per contest. She also ranked 11^th in the conference in blocked shots (34, 1.21 pg).

Uhrich recorded three of the top four rebounding games in the PSAC this season including a NCAA Division II best 24 rebounds against Lock Haven on Jan. 8. She posted a team best 10 double-doubles on the year, pulling down 15 or more rebounds six times.

A three-time PSAC East Player of the Week selection this year, Uhrich already ranks 17^th in school career history in scoring (733 points) and rebounds (550).

Mansfield finished the season with 12-16 overall mark including a school record 7-5 conference record.