Feb. 6, 2008

Loudonville, N.Y. - Siena women's basketball senior tri-captain Laura Menty was named a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Player of the Month Honorable Mention as announced today by the WBCA. Menty led the Saints in January, posting 19.4 points per game, while also shooting an astonishing 55.2% from the floor. Tennessee's Candace Parker won the award, while Menty and 26 others received honorable mentions.

"It's a great honor for Laura and well deserved," remarked head coach Gina Castelli. "She is in great company and has worked very hard not only during the past month but over the course of the year and I am really proud of her."

Menty was remarkably consistent during the month of January and began and ended the month leading the league in scoring. The only MAAC honoree of the month, she converted 35 of her first 39 free throw attempts (89.7%), and connected on 38 of her first 62 field goal attempts (61.2%).

The Wilbraham, Mass. native also earned MAAC Co-Player of the Week honors on Jan. 21 following a career high tying 28 point performance on 12 of 16 shooting in a 67-57 Siena win at Loyola. Earlier in the month, Menty became the seventh player in program history to score 1,500 career points. She currently ranks sixth on the all-time on the Siena scoring list with 1,614 career points.

Menty and the Saints will return to the hardwood in search of a season series sweep when they travel to Buffalo Friday night to square off with Canisius.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls.