NORFOLK, Va. – Savannah State women's basketball head coach Cedric Baker was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Coach of the Year, the conference announced on Friday.
MEAC Preseason Player of the Year and SSU redshirt senior Ezinne Kalu earned All-MEAC first team honors, along with fellow senior Jasmine Norman. Sophomore Tiyonda Davis earned All-MEAC third team honors.
Baker, in his 12th season at SSU, coached a 2014-15 Savannah State team to its second consecutive winning season, ending the regular season campaign with an 18-10 overall mark and the program's best MEAC record, 13-3. The Lady Tigers finished the regular season with the No. 2 seed for the upcoming MEAC Basketball Tournament.
This year's Lady Tigers garnered huge program wins. They earned the program's first NCAA Division I win over a Southeastern Conference Team, beating Florida 68-58 in Tiger Arena.
In January, they upset five-time defending MEAC champion, and this year's No.1 seed, Hampton University with a 61-55 victory, handing the Lady Pirates their first conference loss in 54-consectuive games.
Since coming to Savannah State, Baker has gradually improved the women's basketball program. The Lady Tigers under Baker made history in the 2014 MEAC Tournament with wins over Morgan State and Florida A&M. They were the first basketball team in the school's history to make the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament.
In the 2013-14 season, Baker eclipsed 300 career wins and broke 100 Savannah State NCAA Division I wins, etching himself into the record books with the most NCAA Division I wins (111) in school history.
Baker comes to SSU from Benedict College where he served as head women's basketball coach and guided the program to a 55-29 overall record during his tenure. Prior to his coaching position at Benedict, He served as head coach of the Voorhees College women's basketball team where he compiled a 139-86 record during his seven years at the program's helm.
Baker graduated from Voorhees College in 1990, earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics and applied sciences. At Voorhees, he was a four year basketball letterman and a member of the 1987 Voorhees Men's Basketball EAIC Championship team. He graduated from Kendrick H.S. in Columbus, Ga.
This season, Kalu led the team in points (444), averaging 16.4 a game, steals (90), and assists (89). She has led the Lady Tigers in scoring all four years of full competition. (Her junior season was cut short with an injury). Kalu leads the MEAC and is ranked 7th nationally in steals per game.
Kalu eclipsed 2,000 career points in a 70-59 win over Howard on February 21. She is the first women's basketball player in Savannah State's history to reach 2,000 career points.
Among active players, Kalu is the third highest NCAA Division I women's basketball scorer; trumped only by Rachel Banham of Minnestoa and Damika Martinze of Iona. Kalu leads all active players in NCAA Division I women's basketball in career steals (371).
A true sixth woman, Norman was the only other Lady Tiger in double-digit scoring for the 2014-15 season. She averaged 11.0 points a game off the bench, and currently has 975 career points.
Davis led the team in field goal percentage (.549), rebounds (200) and blocks (64). She was ranked nationally in blocked shots per game this year. 2014-15 Women's Basketball All-MEAC TeamsAs voted on by the Conference's Head Women's Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors
Player of the Year: Malia Tate-DeFreitas, Hampton
Rookie of the Year: Kayla Roberts, Norfolk State
Defensive Player of the Year: Alexis Udoji, Maryland Eastern Shore
Coach of the Year: Cedric Baker, Savannah State
First Team| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School | Hometown |
| Ezinne Kalu | G | Sr. | Savannah State | Newark, N.J. |
| Malia Tate-DeFreitas | G | So. | Hampton | Harrisburg, Pa. |
| Jasmine Norman | G/F | Sr. | Savannah State | Alexandria, Va. |
| Tierra Hawkins | F | r-Sr. | Delaware State | Clinton, Md. |
| Kailyn Williams | C | r-So. | Bethune-Cookman | New Orleans, La. |
Second Team
Name | Pos. | Cl. | School | Hometown |
| Rae Corbo | G | r-Sr. | Norfolk State | Englewood, N.J. |
| Tracey Carrington | G | Sr. | Morgan State | Baltimore, Md. |
| Kourtney Williams | G/F | Sr. | South Carolina State | Warren, Ohio |
| Kayla Roberts | F | Fr. | Norfolk State | Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| Aprill McRae | C | r-Jr. | North Carolina A&T State | Raleigh, N.C. |
Third Team| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School | Hometown |
| Jessica Long | G | Sr. | Maryland Eastern Shore | Fort Washington, Md. |
| Debbie Smith | G | r-Sr. | North Carolina A&T State | Hampton, Va. |
| Ryan Jordan | G/F | Jr. | Hampton | Manassas, Va. |
| Alexis Udoji | F | r-Jr. | Maryland Eastern Shore | Randolph, Mass. |
| Tiyonda Davis | C | So. | Savannah State | Athens, Ga. |
Rookie Team| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School | Hometown |
| Breannan Farrar | G | Fr. | Morgan State | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Dawn King | G | Fr. | Florida A&M | Waxahachie, Texas |
| Genesis Lucas | G | r-Fr. | Coppin State | Brandywine, Md. |
| Kayla Roberts | F | Fr. | Norfolk State | Miami Gardens, Fla. |
| Moengaroa Subritzky | G | r-Fr. | Maryland E. Shore | Auckland, New Zealand |
