AZUSA, Calif. -- Junior center Kristie Hala’ufia and sophomore forward Alex Moore-Porter were named to the 2009 All-Golden State Athletic Conference women’s basketball team Tuesday after leading the NAIA’s No. 19-ranked Azusa Pacific to its program-record sixth consecutive 20-win season.
Both players finished in the top 5 in the GSAC in scoring and rebounding, and they were the only pair of teammates to appear in the top 15 in the league in both categories. Hala’ufia’s season averages of 16 points and 8 rebounds per game ranked fifth in the GSAC in both categories, while Moore-Porter ranked second in the conference in scoring (18.1/game) and third in rebounding (8.8/game).
Hala’ufia helped get a young Cougar squad off to a quick start, averaging over 20 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game to lead a team with no seniors to a 7-2 start that included 3 victories over teams ranked in the NAIA’s Top 10 at the time. She averaged 25 points and 8 rebounds in those wins, scoring 26 and 24 points on back-to-back nights against Lambuth (Tenn.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at the prestigious Jackson (Tenn.) Rotary Classic.
Her 2 best performances of the season came at the beginning and the end of the regular season. In the opener, a 74-71 road win over then-No. 8 Carroll (Mont.), Hala’ufia posted the first of 7 double-doubles on the season with a 25-point, 11-rebound effort. She then lifted Azusa Pacific past No. 17 Westmont Monday with a 24-point, 17-rebound performance that secured a first-round home game for the Cougars, who are 11-2 in the Felix Event Center this year, in the upcoming GSAC Postseason Tournament.
Moore-Porter posted 11 double-doubles, the third-highest total in the conference, and she posted 1 of the league’s 12 30-point performances with a 30-point, 15-rebound effort that led Azusa Pacific to a 79-63 road win over California Baptist Feb. 7. Both were season-highs for the 5-foot-10 sophomore, who scored at least 9 points in all 30 games of the regular season and had 12 20-point games.
During a 6-game stretch through the heart of the GSAC schedule, Moore-Porter posted 4 of her double-doubles and scored at least 20 points 5 times to lead the Cougars to 5 wins in the 6 games. She also finished the regular season with a double-double, grabbing 12 rebounds and scoring 15 of her 19 points in the second half to spark a 15-0 run that spurred Azusa Pacific to the 21-point victory over a quality Westmont squad that finished third in the GSAC.
Azusa Pacific opens the GSAC Postseason Tournament with a 7:30 p.m. first-round contest against Biola on Wednesday, March 4, at the Felix Event Center. Full conference tournament information can be found by clicking the following link to this announcement, which also appears on Azusa Pacific’s athletics home page.
To view the entire 2009 All-GSAC Women’s Basketball Team, visit the GSAC website.
