UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame
Cherie Lea signed on with the Seahawks for the 2002-03 women's basketball season and made an immediate impact with the team.
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A transfer from UNC Chapel Hill, the versatile guard powered the Seahawks to a 37-19 record over two seasons, earning First-Team All-CAA and Team MVP recognition both years.
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The Blanch, N.C., product scored 884 points (14.7 ppg), grabbed 301 rebounds (5.4 rpg) and dished out 165 assists (2.9 apg) in 56 appearances for the Seahawks. She started 55 of those contests and continues as the only two-time First-Team All-CAA pick in Seahawk women's hoops history. She was honored as a CAA legend in 2005.
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Lea also excelled in the classroom during her time in Wilmington. She was a two-time selection to the CAA's All-Academic Team and was tabbed as the CAA's Women's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2003-04. Following her senior year, Lea was named recipient of the prestigious Dean Ehlers Award from the CAA.
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Following graduation, Lea enjoyed an outstanding professional career overseas. She played professionally in Luxembourg and Holland, where she was the two-time MVP of the Dutch League and a participant in four All-Star Games. Lea won a pair of Dutch titles during her time in The Netherlands.
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Lea is in her eighth season on the women's basketball staff at Duquesne, where she was named associate head coach last June.
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Lea earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from UNCW in 2004.
