ROCK HILL, S.C. - - The South Atlantic Conference announced its end of regular season awards for women's basketball Thursday and UVA Wise had two student-athletes receive honors from the league. Senior Kalee Johnson was named Second-Team All-SAC with junior Nia Vanzant earning Third-Team All-SAC accolades.
The honor is the second for Johnson who was a First-Team All-SAC selection as a junior. The Elizabethton, Tenn. native averaged 14.3 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 85.6 percent from the free throw line this season. Johnson ended the regular season with a flurry as she earned SAC Player of the Week following a week that saw her average 17 points and 13.5 rebounds in a pair of wins. The senior put together one of the best games of her career on her Senior Day when she netted 23 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, collected five steals and blocked two shots in UVA Wise's 75-69 victory over No. 23 Catawba.
Vanzant was her team's most consistent scorer this winter. The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native averaged a team-best 15.6 points per game and scored in double figures 26 times over the course of the season. The guard enjoyed the best shooting season of her career to date as she shot 45.8 percent from the floor; the number includes an 8-for-8 performance in UVA Wise's win over Catawba. Earlier this year, the junior earned SAC Player of the Week when the Cavs knocked off Mars Hill and Tusculum in the same week behind Vanzant averaging 24.5 points per game in the victories. This marks the second consecutive season she has been honored by the league; a year ago, Vanzant was an Honorable Mention All-SAC honoree.
UVA Wise finished the season 12-15 after losing in the SAC Tournament Quarterfinals. A complete list of this year's award winners may be found below:
First Team
Quin Byrd, Limestone
Shameka McNeill, Anderson
Shemya Stanback, Catawba
Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman
Bryanna Troutman, Wingate
Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman
Second Team
Haleigh Brandon, Wingate
Hannah Clark, Wingate
Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne
Kalee Johnson, UVA Wise
Reagan McCray, Limestone
Lyrik Thorne, Catawba
Third Team
Jalia Arnwine, Tusculum
Addison Byrd, Carson-Newman
Brianna Dixon, Tusculum
Kalaya Hall, Queens
Brandi Hudson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Nia Vanzant, UVA Wise
All-Freshman
Maddie Dillinger, Lenoir-Rhyne
Maddie Gillie, Mars Hill
Kalisha Hill, Limestone
Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Campbell Penland, Carson-Newman
Player of the Year
Bryanna Troutman, Wingate
Freshman of the Year
Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Defensive Player of the Year
Shemya Stanback, Catawba
Coach of the Year
Ann Hancock, Wingate
Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Shameka McNeill, Anderson; 22.5
Three-Pointers Per Game – Reagan McCray, Limestone; 3.22
Rebounds Per Game – Haleigh Brandon, Wingate; 13.3
Blocked Shots Per Game – Samantha Michel, Anderson; 2.24
Field Goal Percentage – Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman; 64.2
Assists Per Game – Quin Byrd, Limestone; 4.3
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Abby Wilson, Carson-Newman; 2.30
Steals Per Game – Shemya Stanback, Catawba; 2.59
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – Reagan McCray, Limestone, 45.5
Free Throw Percentage – Lauren Sullivan, Wingate; 44.5
Team Scoring Offense – Carson-Newman; 81.4
Team Steals – Catawba; 328
Team Field Goal Percentage – Carson-Newman; 46.6
Team FG Percentage Defense – Anderson; 35.8
Team Assists – Carson-Newman; 527
Team Rebounds – Anderson; 1,270
Team Blocked Shots – Carson-Newman; 140
Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Wingate; 39.1
Team Scoring Defense – Tusculum; 59.3
Team Free Throw Percentage – UVA Wise; 77.0
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Carson-Newman; 1.21