March 2, 2006

FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood University seniors Amber Mason/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) and Ashley Mason/Virginia Beach (Princess Anne) have been named to the 2006 Division I Independent Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team. The academic team was selected by sports information directors at member institutions. Nominations from each school were accepted for student-athletes who had at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA, had reached at least a sophomore athletic standing and were a starter or a key reserve for the team. 

Amber Mason, a 5-10 forward, played in all 28 games for the Lancers this season, getting the starting nod 25 times. She finished second on the team in points (11.0), rebounds (5.3) and assists (2.4) per game, while adding a team-best 55 steals. She closed out the season shooting 42.6% (115-270) from the field and was 69.9% (58-83) at the charity stripe. 

Amber Mason scored a career-high 28 points against Morgan State (12/17) and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds at High Point (12/10). She scored in double-figure points 12 times this season, including five 20+ point performances and also recorded two double-doubles. She was named Division I Independent Player of the Week once (12/13). She has a 3.71 GPA while majoring in criminal justice and is a member of the 2005-06 Geist Chapter of Mortar Boar, which is a national college senior honor society recognizing three outstanding qualities in students: service, scholarship and leadership (Pi Sigma Alpha). 

Ashley Mason, a 5-10 forward, played in 25 games for the Lancers this season, getting the starting nod 22 times. She led the team in points (16.4) and rebounds (8.6) per game, along with blocks (16) and field goal percentage (52.0%/141-271). She also has chipped in 49 assists and 29 steals.

Mason posted a career-high 34 points at IPFW (1/28) and tied her career-high of 15 rebounds, twice this season. She has recorded nine double-doubles, scored in double-figure points 19 times, including 10 20+ point performances and one 30+ point performance, and grabbed double-figure rebounds in nine different contests.

Mason has been named Division I Independent Player of the Week three times (1/17, 1/30, 2/12) and was named to the Lancer Invitational, UNC Greensboro, and Virginia Tech All-Tournament teams. Mason has a 3.54 GPA while majoring in criminal justice. She is the secretary of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and a member of  the 2005-06 Geist Chapter of Mortar Board.
Amber and Ashley Mason are the daughters of Lisa Mason O’Neal and James Mason.

Longwood, under the direction of first-year interim head coach Nikki Atkinson, closed out the 2005-06 campaign and the third year of its four-year reclassification period toward NCAA Division I certification with a 9-19 record. 

The Division I independent institutions include Longwood, UC Davis, IPFW, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Savannah State, South Dakota State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley State.