C Spire Gillom and C Spire Howell Trophies return to Starkville

JACKSON, Miss., (March 11, 2019) – Mississippi State players have won both the C Spire Gillom Trophy which goes to the state’s most outstanding female basketball player and the C Spire Howell Trophy emblematic of the most outstanding male basketball player.  For the men, Quinndary Weatherspoon made it two in a row after capturing the 2018 award and on the ladies’ side Senior Teaira McCowan wins the Gillom Trophy.

Breein Tyree of Ole Miss, winner of the C Spire fan voting with a slight edge over Weatherspoon made it close but Weatherspoon the senior Bulldog guard who averaged over 18 points per game took home his second straight Howell Trophy. Cortez Edwards of the University of Southern Mississippi was the third finalist.  Both Tyree and Weatherspoon take an 18 point per game average into the men’s SEC Tournament this week in Nashville, TN.  Ole Miss had claimed the trophy five straight times until Q’s two in a row.

McCowan becomes the fifth straight Lady Bulldog winner following the awards only four-time winner, Victoria Vivians. McCowan has been the driving force behind the Lady Bulldogs winning both the conference regular season and tournament.  They will advance to the NCAA tourney in hopes of making it to the championship game for the third consecutive year and looking for the school’s first national title. 

McCowan’s teammates, Jordan Danberry and Anriel Howard were the other two finalists for this year’s award.  The Lady Bulldogs have now won five of the last six titles and six of the last seven.  Coach Vic Schaefer’s program has been a consistent winner during that time.

C Spire presents the Most Outstanding Player Awards for four different sports.  The C Spire Conerly Trophy for football, the C Spire Ferriss Trophy for baseball, the C Spire Gillom Trophy for women’s basketball and the C Spire Howell Trophy for men’s basketball.  The C Spire Ferriss Trophy will be presented on May 20^th this year at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.