Third-straight year the Franklin Pierce women's basketball program has earned the Daktronics East Region award

RINDGE, N.H. (March 9, 2011) -- The memorable 2010-11 women's basketball season continued on Wednesday for Franklin Pierce University standout Jewel White (Worcester, Mass.), as she was named the 2011 Daktronics East Region Player of the Year. By being named the region's top player, White was also placed on the Daktronics All-East Region First-Team.

The 6-0 junior center has strung together one of the finest seasons in program history in 2010-11 as she ranks among the league and national leaders in several statistical categories at the Division II level.

White is averaging a double-double for the season with 19.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, as both averages are tops in the Northeast-10 Conference. She also ranks among the league leaders in the following categories: field goal percentage (1st, 59.9%); blocked shots (3rd, 1.65 bpg); offensive rebounding (1st, 3.90 orpg); and defensive rebounding (7.97 drpg).

She has scored in double-figures in every game this season, while also registering 21 double-doubles, including two in the NE-10 Tournament and in five of the last six games overall. White has scored 20-or-more points 12 times, including tossing in a career-high 42 points in a 90-75 triumph over Assumption last Friday in the conference semifinals. The 42 points were a new NE-10 high for points in a tournament game, and they were just five shy of the Franklin Pierce school-record of 47 points, which is held by former standout Shelia Lindsey.

On the glass this season, White has ripped down at least 14 rebounds in 12 games, including a season-high 20 boards in a 90-87 overtime win over No. 17 Bentley back on Feb. 19 in Rindge. White has collected 14 boards in each of the past two games.

At the Division II national level, White ranks 14th in scoring, seventh in rebounding and fourth in field goal percentage.

Wednesday's East Region honors mark the latest in a long line of awards for White during this past season. During the regular season, White earned four NE-10 player-of-the-week awards, which was the most for any player in the conference. Those awards, along with her strong play, enabled White to be named the conference's player of the year, and earn a spot on the All-NE-10 First-Team, prior to the start of the post-season tournament. White also averaged 26.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 assists per game last week in the three contests of the NE-10 Tournament to land on the All-Championship Team.

White's East Region Player-of-the-Year honor marks the third-straight season the Franklin Pierce women's basketball program has taken home the award, as former standout Johannah Leedham earned the accolade in each of the past two seasons (2009 & 2010).

By earning the East's top award, White now moves on for consideration for the Daktronics National Player-of-the-Year award and the organization's All-America team. The announcement for those awards will happen later this month at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in St. Joseph's, Mo.

White and the Ravens are currently gearing up for the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament East Regional, which will tip off this Friday with the first round at the Dana Center on the campus of Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. Franklin Pierce, seeded third in the tournament, will take on sixth-seeded and fellow NE-10 member Pace, in the first round at 12 p.m. Fans wishing to watch the game live can purchase tickets at the gate the day of the game. A Franklin Pierce win on Friday would send the Ravens to the second round, which would be played on Sunday at 12 p.m. as well. If Franklin Pierce were to be victorious on Sunday, the Ravens would advance to Tuesday's regional championship with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women's basketball, please visit the team's page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceAthletics).