2015-16 AP Women's All-America Teams
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – George Washington women’s basketball senior forward Jonquel Jones and Saint Louis’ sophomore guard Jackie Kemph were named honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press on Monday.
Jones, a Freeport, Bahamas, native has also been selected as a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and has been named to watch lists for a number of national player of the year awards, including the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
Jones is the second two-time AP All-American in program history, joining Kimberly Beck, who was also an honorable mention in 2007 and 2008. Darlene Saar ('95), Debbie Hemery ('95) and Cathy Joens ('04) each received the distinction once in their careers.
The only player in the Atlantic 10 to average a double-double for the third straight season, Jones leads the nation in rebounding (14.6 rpg) and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (16.2 ppg). She registered 18 double-doubles in 23 games played and also ranked second in the A-10 in blocked shots (3.3 bpg).
Despite missing 10 games with an injury, the 6-6 forward's 336 rebounds on the year ranked as the third-highest single-season total in program history.
Jones returned from her injury to earn a spot on the Atlantic 10 Championship's All-Tournament Team as the Colonials won their second straight A-10 title, and she posted her 54th career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds plus six blocks in the final game of her career in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2015 A-10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Jones is a three-time all-conference selection and two-time all-defensive team honoree. She is the third Colonial ever with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 100 blocks and concludes her outstanding career ranking third all-time at GW in rebounds (961), fourth in scoring (15.4 ppg), fifth in blocks (177) and 23rd in points (1,171). Including her time at Clemson as a freshman, Jones is one of 18 active Division I players with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career (1,249 and 1,041).
Kemph, an Arlington Heights, Ill., native was selected A-10 co-Player of the Year – the first SLU women’s basketball player to earn a conference top-player award – and became the first Billiken to garner first-team All-Conference accolades since Theresa Lisch in 2009.
The All-America recognition is the latest in an impressive array of honors for Kemph, who led Saint Louis to an Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season co-championship, the WNIT round of 16, and school records for total victories (26), overall winning percentage (26-8, .765), conference wins (13), conference winning percentage (13-3, .813), home victories (14) and road victories (10). She is the first player in Billiken women’s basketball history to earn All-America plaudits.
Kemph led the Billikens in scoring (16.6 ppg, third in the A-10), assists (7.0 apg, first in the A-10, third in the nation), assist-turnover ratio (2.28-to-1, second in the A-10, 27th in the nation), free throws made (159, first in the A-10, 25th in the nation), free throw attempts (191, first in the A-10, 37th in the nation) and minutes (35.4 mpg, fourth in the A-10). She also ranked among the conference leaders in free throw percentage (.832, third) and field goal percentage (14th, .436).
Kemph registered a SLU season-record 239 assists to bring her career total to 413, only 107 shy of the Billikens’ all-time mark. Her 564 points and 159 free throws made are Saint Louis season records for sophomores, and both totals rank second on SLU’s overall single-season charts.
Kemph scored in double figures in all but three games and tallied 20 or more points nine times, including a career-high and SLU season-high 28 points at St. Bonaventure. She was the Billikens’ top scorer in 21 games, and she led the team in both scoring and assists in 18 contests. Kemph posted six double-digit assist totals, five of which were part of points-assists double-doubles.