March 5, 2003
Duquesne University's Beth Friday (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) and Candace Futrell (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) have been named to the 2003 Atlantic 10 All-Conference team as selected by the league head coaches. Friday was named a first team selection while Futrell earned a spot on the third team. Friday was also named an Academic All-Conference pick and as the leagues' Academic Student-Athlete of the Year.
Friday, a 6-1 senior forward, earns her second-straight first team honor after leading the Dukes with 19 double-double scoring and rebounding games this season. She is first for Duquesne and second in the league with 10.6 rebounds per game, which also ranked 10th among NCAA leaders. Friday boasts a team-best field goal percentage of .533 (163-306) and adds 14.4 points per game. Her 45 blocks leads the team and stands second among Atlantic 10 leaders. Friday is third with 26 steals. She will end her collegiate career as the University's all-time leading rebounder and is the only DU women's basketball player to record 1,000 career points and rebounds. Friday has 1,4000 points and 1,152 rebounds to date.
The accounting major also was lauded with her third-consecutive Academic All-Conference citation posting a 3.70 GPA. A 2003 Verizon District II Academic All-America, Friday was voted as the league's Student-Athlete of the Year by the sports media relations directors.
A 5-10 guard, Futrell (left) leads Duquesne with 19.5 points per game and has netted season bests of 34 and 31 points this season. Her league games only scoring average of 19.3 ppg stands third among A-10 leaders. Futrell became the 16th Duke to score 1,000 points with her game-best 31 markers at UMass March 2, and is just the fourth junior to do so. All this despite missing eight games this year due to an injury. She is shooting .770 (57-74) from the free throw line and adds 3.9 rebounds per game. Futrell is second with 28 steals and has 47 assists. She earns her second all-Conference honor as she was named a second team selection last year and as the A-10's 2002 Most Improved Player. Futrell has scored in double figures in 18 of her 19 games this season and in 48 career games.
Duquesne will face Fordham in the noon Conference championship opener on Thursday, March 6, at Rhode Island's Ryan Center.
