MONTREAL -- Gladys Hakizimana has been named most valuable player of the McGill University women's basketball program. The news was made public over the weekend by Martlets head coach Ryan Thorne, who also announced that Trishia Villedrouin was a double award recipient, meriting both, the team's most improved player and rookie-of-the-year honours.

Rounding out the laureats was NCAA transfer Sirah Diarra (most outstanding defensive player), along with veterans Stephanie Mondou (Martlet Award for Leadership) and Ruth Tshikudi-Tshila, who won the Gerardo Rojas Him Memorial Award for courage, dedication, and commitment to the program through adversity.

Hakizimana, a 5-foot-7 point-guard from Montreal was voted an RSEQ second-team all-star.  The 24-year-old social work senior started in 15 of 16 league games and finished 10th among the league's scoring leaders, averaging 11.4 points per game. She was third in three-point shooting (.390), sixth in assists (2.9 per game), seventh in both free-throw percentage (.727) and steals (1.2 per game) and also ranked 11th in field-goal shooting (.404). Hakizimana led the team in both minutes played (28.4) and assists (46), tied for the lead in steals (19) and registered 44 of her 53 rebounds in the defensive zone.

Villedrouin, a 5-foot-7 guard from Montreal, was named to the conference's all-rookie team. The 20-year-old economics freshman started in seven of 16 games and averaged 20.6 minutes of court time, along with 5.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest. She shot 34.8 per cent from the field, 34.1 from the arc, 88.9 from the free-throw line and added 20 assists, 13 steals and one blocked shot.

Diarra, a 6-foot-1 centre from Longueuil, Que., also made the RSEQ second-all-star squad. The first-year transfer from Clemson is a 23-year-old social work major who started all 16 games, ranked 12th among league leaders in scoring (11.0), led the RSEQ in rebounding with an 11.1 average and was second in blocked shots (1.4 per game). Diarra also placed seventh in steals (1.2) and eighth in field-goal shooting (.424). She shot 23.1 per cent from three-point range, 75.0 from the free-throw line and collected 22 blocks, 20 assists and 19 steals.

Mondou, a 5-foot-9 guard from Sorel, Que., dressed for all 16 league games after missing 21 consecutive regular season contests over the previous 18 months while recovering from knee surgery. The 23-year-old physical education junior averaged 12.8 minutes per game and registered 24 points, 31 rebounds, a dozen assists, one block and four steals.

"Stephanie has just been a player that embodies what it is to be a Martlet," said Thorne. "She is hardworking and dedicated to improving every day. Regardless of how many minutes she plays, she never waivers in her effort."

Tshikudi-Tshila, a six-foot starting forward from Laval, Que., suffered a torn ACL in her knee in Week 2 of the regular season. After a four-month layoff, the 23-year-old physical education junior returned to the court to play the final four games of the regular season. In  her first game back, she played 13 minutes in a victory over UQAM, where she contributed seven points along with three rebounds. She then followed that up two days later with a four-point, six-rebound effort in 18 minutes of play against No.1 ranked Laval. She started the next two contests and ended up averaging 16 minutes of court-time over her four games, collecting 15 points, 13 rebounds, a pair of assists and one steal.

"We had very high expectations for Ruth this season and believed she could move seamlessly into a starting role and help the team with her rebounding and strong defence," said Thorne. "Throughout the preseason, she emerged as one of the vocal leaders, both on and off the court. Then she missed four months while rehabbing from surgery. Despite that setback, she remained a vocal presence, both on the bench and in the locker room. Ruth went through a tough season but never let it stop her effort."

The awards capped an injury-plagued 97th season for the Martlets, who posted a 10-6 third-place finish in the Quebec conference before succumbing 62-55 to second-seeded Concordia in an RSEQ semifinal.