April 4, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - After leading Temple to a record-setting fourth Philadelphia Big Five title, Head Coach Dawn Staley has been voted Big Five Coach of the Year. This is the fifth Coach of the Year honor for Staley, who has guided the Owls to a record-breaking 18 consecutive city series wins in eight seasons. Senior Ashley Morris was named the Big Five's Most Improved Player, marking the second straight season that Temple has taken home the honor.
Morris was also named to the First Team with fellow senior Lady Comfort. Sophomore LaKeisha Eaddy garnered Second Team honors and senior Candice Borrows was selected to the All-Academic Team for the third straight season.
Morris, also selected the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player, entered her senior season with just one career start, a career scoring average of 3.2 points per game and a career average of 1.67 assists per game. This season, the senior captain started all 34 games for Temple while averaging 15.2 points per game and 4.3 assists per game. She also led Temple in assists (147), which ranks third on TU's single-season list, and three-point shooting, making at least three treys in 12 different games. Morris sank an incredible seven three-pointers in Feb. 6's game against Charlotte, just one shy of the Liacouras Center record. Her 32 points was just six points fewer than the building record.
Comfort led Temple in rebounding (8.4), blocks (38) and field goal percentage (.467) and was second in scoring (9.4). She was named to the Atlantic 10's Second Team and All-Tournament Team, helping the Owls to an A-10 regular season title, a #1 seed in the Conference Tournament and their fifth straight NCAA Tournament. She collected seven double-doubles but it was her standout performance against Duquesne on Feb. 17 that really turned heads. The senior scored 16 points, collected a career-high 18 rebounds and added two blocks to aid in Temple's 74-66 victory. Comfort graduates as Temple's all-time leader in field goal percentage, making nearly 53% of her shots. She is also sixth on the all-time rebounding and blocks lists with 771 boards and 115 blocks.
Averaging 9 ppg, Eaddy led Temple in steals this season, posting 46. In her two seasons as an Owl, Eaddy has compiled 98 career steals and is on track to finish in the Top 10 on the Cherry and White's all-time steals list.
An accounting major, Borrows carries a 3.8 grade point average.
