McCowan, Howard Named to Wooden Award Watch List
November 07, 2018 | Women's Basketball
By Brock Turnipseed, Associate Director/Communications
STARKVILLE– Another national award watch list included Mississippi State women's basketball seniors Teaira McCowan and Anriel Howard.The Bulldog duo was tabbed to the Top 30 watch list for the Wooden Award, making MSU one of six programs to put multiple players on the list.
McCowan, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the list for the second-straight year after making the national ballot as a junior.
The latest honor comes after McCowan was named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list for the nation's top center, and Howard was placed on the list for the Katrina McClain Award, which recognizes the top power forward in the country.
McCowan led Mississippi State to a season-opening win against Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday, tallying her 40th-career double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds. She also added a career-high seven blocks.
Howard logged 19 minutes in her Bulldog debut, coming just short of a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds.
The pair are the SEC's active career rebounders, with McCowan's 1,032 boards sitting just ahead of Howard's 1,009.
McCowan is coming off an All-American season that saw her earn the inaugural Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Award after averaging 18.2 ppg and an SEC-leading 13.9 rpg.
The Brenham, Texas, native tallied SEC records with her 544 rebounds and 29 double-doubles. Her rebounds total was the second-best posted in NCAA Division I single-season history.
McCowan, who tallied five 20-point, 20-rebound games a year ago, averaged 17.7 ppg and an SEC-best 14.4 rpg in leading the Bulldogs to a perfect 16-0 league record.
Last season at Texas A&M, Howard eclipsed 1,000-career rebounds after registering a double-double for the second-straight year with 12.1 ppg and 12.2 rpg.
The Texas A&M career rebounding leader, Howard tallied 20 double-doubles a year ago, giving her 32 over her first three collegiate seasons.
The Atlanta, Ga., native collected 22 double-figure scoring games in 2017-18, and she had 10-plus boards in 30 games.
McCowan is the nation's top returning rebounder from a season ago while Howard is third, just behind Iowa's Megan Gustafson.
The Bulldogs face a tough road test Friday as they head to Virginia for a 6 p.m. tip. Fans can stream the contest online or via the WatchESPN app through ACC Network Extra.
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