WALTHAM, Mass. - Brandeis University women's basketball junior guard Jessica Chapin of Mendon, N.Y., has been selected to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-District I team, making her a finalist for All-America honors. She is now one of 42 players eligible for first-team All-America honors and will be at least an honorable-mention All-America honoree.
Chapin, who previously earned first-team All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors for the first time in her career, leads the Judges in scoring (14.2 ppg, 3rd in the UAA), rebounding (6.7 rpg, 6th in the UAA), assists (3.3 apg, 6th) and steals (3.0 spg, 2nd), making her one of three players in the UAA in the top 10 in all four categories. She also finished second in the conference in minutes played, averaging 32 per game. Chapin has been the team's leading scorer 14 times and leading rebounder 13 times, recording three double-doubles in her last four regular-season games. Chapin ranks second on Brandeis's all-time list with 120 career 3-pointers, 27 out of first place, while her 45 trifectas are a single-season record. She also ranks No. 5 on Brandeis's career steals list with 188.
In head coach Carol Simon's 22nd season at the helm (320-239 record), the Judges earned a fourth-straight at-large berth to the NCAA tournament thanks to the second-toughest schedule in the nation, according to the d3hoops.com's most recent calculations. Brandeis played 11 of their 24 games against NCAA tournament squads, posting a 6-5 record against them. That includes a Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament that saw all four squads make the Field of 63: Brandeis, Bowdoin, Western Conn., and Widener. The Judges earned the right to host first- and second-round games for the first time on March 6 and 7, and they defeated Western Connecticut State University, 62-49, in the first round and Mount St. Mary (N.Y.) College, 79-52, in the second to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time. Brandeis will take on Muhlenberg College, also a Sweet 16 debutante, at 5 p.m. on Friday evening at Amherst College.
Chapin is the fourth Brandeis player to earn All-District honors from the WBCA, joining Danielle Fitzpatrick '04, Caitlin Malcolm '07 and Jaime Capra '08. She hopes to become the first Judge to be named a first-team All-American by the WBCA.