WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Big Ten announced this season’s conference awards Monday evening and five Purdue women’s basketball players were honored.

For the second time in her career, Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton was named first team All-Big Ten by the coaches and the media and for the third time is a member of the All-Defensive team. Wisdom-Hylton was one of two unanimous selections by the coaches to the first team. The senior forward finished the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten in both rebounding and steals, averaging 9.1 boards and 2.6 steals per game. Wisdom-Hylton also ranked in the top-10 in scoring and field goal percentage, averaging 12.8 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting. She leads the team in scoring and rebounding, is tied for the team lead in blocks averaging 1.6 per game, and is second in assists and steals.

Brittany Rayburn became the second Boilermaker in four years to earn Sixth Player of the Year.

Freshman Brittany Rayburn received the Sixth Player of the Year award and was named to the All-Freshman team after averaging nine points per game, second among Big Ten freshman. The Attica, Ind. native also ranked in the top-four among conference freshman in steals (1.1) and assists (1.6) per game.

Lakisha Freeman was named third team All-Big Ten by the coaches and picked up an honorable mention by the media along with teammates Danielle Campbell and FahKara Malone. Freeman is Purdue’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game. Campbell finished in a tie for the team lead in blocked shots and second in team rebounding, swatting 1.6 per game and pulling down 221 rebounds, an average of 7.6 boards per game. Malone earned her second career honorable mention All-Big Ten award and did so despite missing half of the conference season due to injury. The 5-foot-3 point guard is averaging 7.5 points, 2.6 steals and a team-best 4.6 assists per game.

Wisdom-Hylton was also selected as Purdue’s recipient of the conference’s Sportsmanship Award.
Ohio State took home four of the conference’s major awards. Jantel Lavender was named Player of the Year and head coach Jim Foster was named Coach of the Year by both the coaches and the media. The Buckeyes’ Shavelle Little was tabbed as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a member of the All-Defensive Team and Samantha Prahalis was named Freshman of the Year and is an All-Freshman team member.

Purdue (20-9, 13-5) finished the Big Ten regular season in a tie with Michigan State and Iowa for second place and has earned the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers will defend their 2007 and 2008 tournament titles by taking on the winner of Thursday’s matchup between No. 6 seed Indiana and No. 11 seed Michigan at approximately 2 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6 in Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

All-session ($65) and single-session ($12-16) tickets for the 2009 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament are still available and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster charge-by-phone numbers and ticketmaster.com.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Seniors Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton and Danielle Campbell couldn’t have scripted a better senior night as both players put up career numbers in a 70-53 win over Michigan on Thursday night. Wisdom-Hylton finished with a career-high 15 rebounds en route to her 23rd career double-double, while Campbell scored a season-high 18 points.

Purdue began the game playing fairly tight with Michigan, but managed to take a 34-21 lead into the locker room at halftime after a 13-point first half performance by Campbell. The Boilermakers went on to start the second half on a 11-4 run powered by Wisdom-Hylton and fellow senior Lakisha Freeman. Freeman finished with six points, three assists and four rebounds.

Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton finished with a career-high 15 rebounds en route to her 23rd career double-double.

In her last game in Mackey Arena, Wisdom-Hylton scored 13 points, 15 rebounds, dished out four assists, stole four and swatted two blocks.

Senior Campbell scored a season-high 18 points on six of eight shooting from the floor and six of seven shooting from the free-throw line. Campbell also grabbed seven boards, three assists and two steals.

Senior Natasha Bogdanova got into the action with her 45th career three-pointer midway through the second half. Bogdanova finished with seven points, five rebounds and an assist.

Lauren Mioton was the only senior not to score in a night dedicated to Purdue’s five graduating seniors. Mioton missed her only two attempts from the floor in nine minutes of play.

Chantel Poston provided a spark off the bench, scoring six points and pulling down three boards, all of which came during a critical stretch in the first half. Poston also added a steal.

Carly Benson and Melinda Queen provided the scoring for Michigan, each scoring 13 points, while Krista Phillips used her 6-6 frame to record a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

After the game, Purdue’s graduating seniors Natasha Bogdanova, Danielle Campbell, Lakisha Freeman, Lauren Mioton and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton were honored with a ceremony that included career highlights, a framed jersey and speeches by head coach Sharon Versyp.

The Boilermakers will finish their Big Ten regular season this Sunday, Mar. 1 when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. to take on Michigan State at noon.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue women’s basketball senior, Kalika France has an opportunity to extend her playing career beyond the college level. France has signed a free agent training camp contract with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

Purdue senior Kalika France is headed to the Washington Mystics training camp.

France will report to Mystic’s training camp, beginning on April 20, where she will join her former Maryland teammate, Crystal Langhorne, who was selected in the first round by the Mystics in the WNBA Draft earlier this month.

France, a 5-foot-9 guard started all but one game for the Boilermakers this past season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. France got hot at the end of the season, averaging 12.1 points over her final eight games, leading Purdue to a Big Ten Tournament Championship and a second-round birth in the NCAA Tournament. One of her best games of the season came in the first-round of the NCAA tournament against No. 17 Utah. France scored 17 points and knocked down a career-high eight field goals, leading Purdue to a 66-59 upset victory.

The Bladensburg, Md., native transferred to Purdue in Jan. 2007, after earning her bachelors degree in accounting from Maryland in just three and a half years. Having earned her undergraduate degree while only playing two seasons, France was eligible for the Boilermakers immediately due to an NCAA rule that has since been rescinded. At Maryland, France averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds and was named to the 2004 ACC All-Freshman Team and honorable mention All-ACC the same year. Knee problems caused France to redshirt the 2005-06 season with the Terrapins. France is in the health and kinesiology graduate program at Purdue.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue women’s basketball senior, Kalika France has an opportunity to extend her playing career beyond the college level. France has signed a free agent training camp contract with the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

Purdue senior Kalika France is headed to the Washington Mystics training camp.

France will report to Mystic’s training camp, beginning on April 20, where she will join her former Maryland teammate, Crystal Langhorne, who was selected in the first round by the Mystics in the WNBA Draft earlier this month.

France, a 5-foot-9 guard started all but one game for the Boilermakers this past season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. France got hot at the end of the season, averaging 12.1 points over her final eight games, leading Purdue to a Big Ten Tournament Championship and a second-round birth in the NCAA Tournament. One of her best games of the season came in the first-round of the NCAA tournament against No. 17 Utah. France scored 17 points and knocked down a career-high eight field goals, leading Purdue to a 66-59 upset victory.

The Bladensburg, Md., native transferred to Purdue in Jan. 2007, after earning her bachelors degree in accounting from Maryland in just three and a half years. Having earned her undergraduate degree while only playing two seasons, France was eligible for the Boilermakers immediately due to an NCAA rule that has since been rescinded. At Maryland, France averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds and was named to the 2004 ACC All-Freshman Team and honorable mention All-ACC the same year. Knee problems caused France to redshirt the 2005-06 season with the Terrapins. France is in the health and kinesiology graduate program at Purdue.