Temple University Athletics
Cardoza And McCarthy Headline Temple's Big Five Women's Basketball Honorees
4.23.09 | Women's Basketball
April 23, 2009
PHILADELPHIA- In just their first season on North Broad Street, Tonya Cardoza and Kristen McCarthy have made quite an impact on the Temple women's basketball team and the Philadelphia Big Five. After leading the Owls to their sixth straight Big Five crown, Cardoza was named the Coach of the Year and McCarthy took home Rookie of the Year honors. Shenita Landry and LaKeisha Eaddy were selected to the First Team. Eaddy was also named to the All-Academic Team.
Cardoza led the Owls to a 21-10 mark and their six straight NCAA Tournament in her first season as a head coach. She coached the squad to a second place finish in the A-10, after winning nine of the last 10 regular season games. The Cherry and White upset #13 Xavier during that stretch, making Cardoza the first coach in TU women's basketball history to upset a ranked team in her rookie season.
McCarthy made quite an impact in her first season, starting in 20 of 31 games and averaging 8.6 ppg and 4.3 rpg. She scored in double figures for the first time in a tough game against Florida State and notched double digits in 10 more games, including a career-high 19 in wins against Rhode Island and Saint Louis. The La Puente, Calif. native was instrumental in the win at George Washington, scoring 15 points on three-of-five shooting from long range. A member of the A-10's All-Rookie Team, McCarthy netted 12 points in TU's NCAA Tournament game vs. Florida.
Voted the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player, Landry nearly doubled her scoring and rebounding averages from her junior to senior seasons. As a junior, she averaged 6.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg and as a senior, she led the Owls with 12.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg. Landry had 11 double-doubles this season, after posting just two in her previous three seasons, and was twice named A-10 Player of the Week. A First Team A-10 and All-Defensive team selection, Landry opened the season with a career-high 17 rebounds in a win against Bowling Green and scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Owls over Charlotte.
A First Team All-A-10 and All-Defensive team selection, Eaddy led Temple and the A-10 in assists and steals, compiling 165 assists and 83 steals. Her assists tally ranked second on Temple's single season assist list and was second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 ppg. Eaddy had four double-doubles on the season, including three in points and assists, and set a new Liacouras Center record for most assists in a game with 12 against URI (1/14). The Columbia, Md. native reached double figures in 20 games, including a season-high 26 in the win over St. Bonaventure in the A-10 Tournament. Eaddy is just as successful off the court, posting a 3.18 GPA as a sport and recreation management major.
