GREENVILLE, N.C. -- East Carolina senior Samantha Pankey (Dilwyn, Va.) has been named to the first-team 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women's Basketball District III University Division Team, announced today by College Sports Information Directors of America.

Pankey, a double major in English and communications, is a three-time Conference USA Commissioner Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient, two-time PCS Phosphate All-Academic Team selection and a ECU Athletic Director's Chancellor's List recipient every semester since the fall of 2001, while compiling an overall GPA of 4.0.

To be eligible for the prestigious award, a player must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 in the classroom and be a starter or key reserve on the basketball court.

Pankey has played in 100 career games with 63 starts, while averaging 3.3 points, 1.9 assists a game, and has a career free throw percentage of .799 (111-139).

On the season, Pankey recorded career-highs in points (18) against Southern Miss, free throws made (10) against Louisville and tied a career-high with seven assists against Tulane. Currently she ranks second on the team in free throw percentage .816 and assists 76 (3.2 per game). Pankey has lead the Pirates (10-14, 6-5) 11 times in assists and eight times in steals and ranks ninth in C-USA in assist to turnover ratio (1.52) and 13th in assists (3.17)

For her career she is averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists a game, and has a career free throw percentage of .789 (71-of-90).

"This is a great honor for Samantha," said ECU head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "I am extremely proud of the effort she has put into the classroom, as well as on the court."