NYSWCAA All-Star Paula Foote (Photo by Kevin Colton)

NYSWCAA All-Star Marisa Vespa (Photo by Kevin Colton)

April 14, 2006

GENEVA, N.Y.—Two more awards found their way to the highly successful William Smith College basketball team this week. Junior Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) and sophomore Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) were named New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association All-Stars.

The backcourt tandem helped lead the Herons to a 22-6 overall record, the Liberty League regular season and tournament championships, and the program’s 10th NCAA Tournament appearance. William Smith defeated St. John Fisher in the first round, marking the eight consecutive time the Herons have won their tournament opener, before falling to 12th-ranked Baldwin-Wallace.

Both Foote and Vespa earned first-team All-Liberty League honors this season. Vespa garnered second-team All-ECAC Upstate praise, while Foote received honorable mention.

Foote averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 28 games for the Herons. She ranked in the top 10 in the Liberty League in assists (8th), scoring (9th), field goal percentage (9th, .433), and free throw percentage (9th, .743). Foote scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including a three-pointer, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line during a home win over Union. She reached double digits in the scoring column a team-high 16 times during the season.

The 2005 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, Vespa’s sophomore season was slowed by a foot injury that held her out of eight games, but she still managed to rank among the conference leaders in eight different categories. She led the Liberty League in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranked second in assists and three-point field goal percentage, and was fifth in steals per game. Vespa averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in 20 games. She scored a season-high 21 points against Baldwin-Wallace.

In just two seasons at William Smith, Vespa ranks seventh in career free throws made (174) and 10th in career assists (245).

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