PITMAN, N.J. -- William Paterson's Erin Monahan was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, while sophomore guard BriAnna Lucas (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) was selected to the All-NJAC First Team and senior guard Julie Haledjian (Montvale, N.J./Pascack Hills) was a second-team honoree, the league office announced Feb. 24.

Monahan received her fifth NJAC Coach of the Year Award (1992-93, 1995-96, 2003-04, 2006-07, 2009-10) after leading the Pioneers to a 25-1 overall record and a 12-1 mark in conference play this season. William Paterson, ranked eighth in both the current USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the D3hoops.com Top 25 Polls, won the NJAC's North Division title, and earned a berth in the tournament final with a 75-60 semifinal victory against South No. 2 Seed Rowan (17-9) Feb. 23. The Pioneers, whose only loss came in a 102-66 decision at Kean Jan. 9, will play in the NJAC Tournament championship game Friday, Feb. 26, at No. 2/2 Kean at 7:00 p.m.

The NJAC and ECAC Metro Region Rookie of the Year as well as a second-team all-conference honoree a year ago, Lucas leads the Pioneers with 16.1 points and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 42.0 (47-112) percent from three-point range and 74.0 (94-127) percent from the free-throw line. The 5-4 guard, who is adding 2.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest, ranks second in the NJAC in scoring, third in three-point field-goal percentage, fourth in steals and three-pointers made (1.81 pg), and tied for seventh in free-throw percentage. She has reached double figures in 23 of 26 games this season, including eight 20-point efforts.

An honorable-mention all-league selection last winter, Haledjian leads the Pioneers with 4.3 assists per game while ranking second with 13.2 points and 2.1 steals per contest, all while shooting 74.0 (54-73) percent from the free-throw line. Adding 3.1 rebounds per game, she leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.82, 29th in Division III) and is third in assists, sixth in three-point field-goal percentage (.385), tied for seventh in free-throw percentage and three-pointers made (1.42 pg), and tied for ninth in scoring in the league statistics. She has reached double figures in scoring in 19 games this season (six 20+ points), and her 406 career assists are eight shy of matching the WP record (416, Michelle Jones, 1987-91). 























2009-10 NJAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Melissa Beyruti, Kean
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Naimah Clemons, Kean
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tiffany Patrick, Kean
COACH OF THE YEAR: Erin Monahan, William Paterson

FIRST TEAM
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Kisandra Ayanbeku* Montclair State JR F Burlington, MA/Randolph
Melissa Beyruti%#$ Kean SR G Union City, NJ/Union Hill
Amanda Jennings Rowan SR F Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township
BriAnna Lucas^ William Paterson SO G Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham
Tiffany Patrick Kean JR F Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway

SECOND TEAM
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Naimah Clemons Kean FR G Newark, NJ/Newark Tech
Julie Haledjian+ William Paterson SR G Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills
Cardiss Jackman*& Kean SR F Tobyhanna, PA/Pocono Mountain West
Meghan Reilly Ramapo FR F Morganville, NJ/Marlboro
Courtney Vacca Rutgers-Newark SR F Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills

HONORABLE MENTION
Name School Yr. Pos. Hometown/High School
Catherine Cristino& Montclair State SR F Farmingdale, NJ/Colts Neck
Ebony Cunningham NJCU SO G East Orange, NJ/East Orange Campus
Aliyah Nelson Richard Stockton SO G Pleasantville, NJ/St. Joseph
LaTonya Oliver+ Richard Stockton SO C West Berlin, NJ/Overbrook
Hannah Tait TCNJ SO F Staten Island, NY/Notre Dame Academy

Key:
* - First Team All-Conference 2008-09
^ - Second Team All-Conference 2008-09
+ - Honorable Mention 2008-09
% - First Team All-Conference 2007-08
& - Honorable Mention 2007-08 
# - First Team All-Conference 2006-07
$ - Honorable Mention 2005-06