Loney, Owens head All-Europe selections
Two-time Stars and Stripes players of the year Janelle Loney and Tre’von Owens headline the All-Europe boys’ and girls’ basketball teams selected in late March by panels of coaches chaired by DODDS-Europe athletic coordinator Karen Seadore.
Loney and Owens, both seniors, each made the school system’s all-star squad for the fourth straight year.
Loney, a 5-foot-6 guard for Patch, was a second-teamer as a freshman in 2009. She achieved first-team status for the third consecutive time in 2012 after averaging 21 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.0 steals, 4.2 assists and 3.0 blocks per game. She’s currently evaluating college offers from several schools.
Owens, a 6-6 guard for Rota, was, like Loney, a second-team All-European in 2009, and completed his third straight season as a first-teamer after averaging 27.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 4.4 blocks and 3.2 steals per game.
Not coincidentally, Rota won the European Division III title each year Owens, who’s accepted a scholarship offer from Cal-Riverside of the NCAA’s Division I, made the first team.
Owens is joined on the senior-laden All-Europe boys’ first team by his fellow first-teamer from 2011, guard Jun Jun Gallardo of European D-II champion Naples. Naples forward Nigel Alexander and Ramstein guard Devonte’ Allen moved from last year’s second team to the Top 10 after their standout senior seasons. AFNORTH junior guard Nuri Karaca is the lone 2012 boys’ first-teamer who’s not a senior.
Loney was the lone 2011 first-teamer on this year’s squad. Last year’s second-teamers moving up to the Top 10 this year are Ramstein senior guard Mackenzie Crews, who was voted All-Europe for the third time; senior guard Rebecca Luna of D-I champion Heidelberg, and Baumholder sophomore Dionna Marcus.
Aviano sophomore point guard Kyerha Smith made the second team for the second straight year.
Marcus and Smith were among seven sophomores voted to the All-Europe girls’ teams.
Ten of the Top 20 girls and nine of the Top 20 boys came from D-I schools. Fifteen of the Top 40 came from D-II schools, and the other six from D-III programs.
