Mangakahia Named Finalist for Nancy Lieberman Award
1/29/2018 1:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Springfield, Mass. – Syracuse University sophomore Tiana Mangakahia is one of 10 finalists for the 2018 Nancy Lieberman Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Monday afternoon. Now in its nineteenth year, the award recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I women's college basketball.
Mangakahia currently paces the Orange in 14 statistical categories including points per game (17.6), assists (221) and steals (54). The national leader in assists and assists per game (10.0), Mangakahia has tallied an Atlantic Coast Conference high 10 double doubles this season. She fell one rebound shy of the first points-rebounds-assists triple double in program history against Miami on Jan. 18.
She ranks top-30 nationally in assists (1st), assists per game (1st), double doubles (18th), free throws made (17th), and free throw percentage (26th). Additionally, the Australia native is the ACC leader in assists, assists per game, double doubles, free throw attempts, free throws made, free throw percentage and is fourth in steals and steals per game.
Potentially the most memorable performance of Mangakahia's season thus far has been when she scored a career-high 44 points in the Orange's 88-77 win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 4. Against the Yellow Jackets, she shot 12-for-23 from the field and a program record 20-for-21 at the charity stripe. Her 44 points are the second most scored by any Syracuse player in Carrier Dome history.
The communications and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts is the second Orange to be named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award in as many years. Last year, Alexis Peterson was a top-5 finalist which was eventually awarded to former University of Washington point guard Kelsey Plum at the 2017 Final Four weekend.
Mangakahia has built a name for herself at 'Cuse. In just 22 games for the Orange, she became the quickest player in program history to amass 200 assists in a season. Currently she is 11 helpers shy of breaking the program record of 231 in a season set by Petersen during the 2016-17 season.
Joining Mangakahia on the list are Kia Nurse (Connecticut), Lexie Brown (Duke), AJ Alix (Florida State), Katelynn Flaherty (Michigan), Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon), Jessica Kovatch (St. Francis (PA)), Brooke McCarty (Texas) and Jordin Canada (UCLA).
The list will be narrowed down to five finalists in late February/early March and a selection committee will choose a winner by mid-March. The winner of the 2018 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award will then be announced during ESPN2's telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, March 30.
Mangakahia and the Orange (17-5, 5-4 ACC) return to the Carrier Dome for a pair of games this week. One of just eight teams undefeated at home this season with at least 11 wins, 'Cuse looks to keep the 12-game home win streak alive on Thursday, Feb. 1, when it hosts Virginia Tech at 7 p.m.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
Mangakahia currently paces the Orange in 14 statistical categories including points per game (17.6), assists (221) and steals (54). The national leader in assists and assists per game (10.0), Mangakahia has tallied an Atlantic Coast Conference high 10 double doubles this season. She fell one rebound shy of the first points-rebounds-assists triple double in program history against Miami on Jan. 18.
She ranks top-30 nationally in assists (1st), assists per game (1st), double doubles (18th), free throws made (17th), and free throw percentage (26th). Additionally, the Australia native is the ACC leader in assists, assists per game, double doubles, free throw attempts, free throws made, free throw percentage and is fourth in steals and steals per game.
Potentially the most memorable performance of Mangakahia's season thus far has been when she scored a career-high 44 points in the Orange's 88-77 win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 4. Against the Yellow Jackets, she shot 12-for-23 from the field and a program record 20-for-21 at the charity stripe. Her 44 points are the second most scored by any Syracuse player in Carrier Dome history.
The communications and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts is the second Orange to be named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award in as many years. Last year, Alexis Peterson was a top-5 finalist which was eventually awarded to former University of Washington point guard Kelsey Plum at the 2017 Final Four weekend.
Mangakahia has built a name for herself at 'Cuse. In just 22 games for the Orange, she became the quickest player in program history to amass 200 assists in a season. Currently she is 11 helpers shy of breaking the program record of 231 in a season set by Petersen during the 2016-17 season.
Joining Mangakahia on the list are Kia Nurse (Connecticut), Lexie Brown (Duke), AJ Alix (Florida State), Katelynn Flaherty (Michigan), Kelsey Mitchell (Ohio State), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon), Jessica Kovatch (St. Francis (PA)), Brooke McCarty (Texas) and Jordin Canada (UCLA).
The list will be narrowed down to five finalists in late February/early March and a selection committee will choose a winner by mid-March. The winner of the 2018 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award will then be announced during ESPN2's telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, March 30.
Mangakahia and the Orange (17-5, 5-4 ACC) return to the Carrier Dome for a pair of games this week. One of just eight teams undefeated at home this season with at least 11 wins, 'Cuse looks to keep the 12-game home win streak alive on Thursday, Feb. 1, when it hosts Virginia Tech at 7 p.m.
For the latest news on the Syracuse women's basketball program, follow /SyracuseWBB on Facebook, @CuseWBB on Instagram, and @CuseWBB on Twitter.
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