ALBANY, N.Y. - Fresh off their impressive MAAC Quarterfinals win over Iona earlier in the day, Siena Women's Basketball found another reason to celebrate Friday night. Senior captain Tehresa Coles was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and freshman forward Margot Hetzke was the unanimous choice for MAAC Rookie of the Year at the MAAC Postseason Awards Show at Swyer Theater at the Egg.

A local product from Loudonville, N.Y., Coles is Siena's fourth MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and first since Lauren Surber won the award following the 2004-05 regular season. Recently named a Second Team All-MAAC selection, Coles entered play Friday ranking 12th nationally averaging 3.1 steals per game.

Coles has led the MAAC in steals in each of the past three years and just last Sunday became the sixth player in the league's 33-year history to eclipse 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 steals. Her program record 299 steals rank third nationally amongst all active Division I players and are the eighth most in MAAC history.

The anchor of Siena's defense throughout her stellar four-year career, Coles had quarterbacked a Siena defense which ranks second in the MAAC in both scoring defense (60.4) and steals (8.8), while allowing an average of just 52.0 points during the Saints' current five-game winning streak.

Hetzke becomes Siena's fifth MAAC Rookie of the Year and first since Laura Menty in 2004-05. A native of Penfield, N.Y., Hetzke was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week a program record nine times, which was third most in conference history, in addition to being tabbed the Corvias ECAC Division I Metro/Upstate Rookie of the Week five times. 

Also named a Third Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Rookie Team selection, Hetzke ranks fifth in the league in scoring (14.0) and fourth in rebounding (7.3). Her 419 points are the third most by a Siena freshman in program history and she's scored in double figures 24 times, recorded five double-doubles and posted five 20+ point scoring performances.

Other major award winners including Iona's Damika Martinez who won her third consecutive MAAC Player of the Year Award and Quinnipiac's Tricia Fabbri and Maria Napolitano who were named the conference's Coach of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year respectively.

Coles, Hetzke and Saints continue their quest for the program's second MAAC Championship Sunday when they face regular season champion Quinnipiac at 11 a.m. in the conference semifinals at the Times Union Center on ESPN3.