The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Basketball Award Winners

March 3, 2021

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Carson-Newman sophomore guard Braelyn Wykle was voted the 2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Anderson's Samantha Michel was voted the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and Lenoir-Rhyne's Emily Harman was voted the SAC Freshman of the Year. In addition, UVA Wise head coach Jamie Cluesman was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.

Wykle, a sophomore from Greenville, Tenn., becomes just the fourth player in Carson-Newman women's basketball history to be named Player of the Year. The league leader in scoring, averaged 23.6 points per game while also ranking second in the league for points scored in the first 40 minutes of play. She earned player of the week honors two consecutive times in a row and is ranked fourth nationally in NCAA DII for points per game. Wykle earned second-team D2CCA All-Region honors, first-team All-SAC, SAC Freshman of the Year and SAC All-Freshman team laurels in 2019-20. She was the only underclassmen to earn an all-region plaudit. The SAC Freshman of the Year became the sixth player in school history to be the league's Freshman of the Year and first since Kaitlyn Cupples in 2013-14. She was also a first-team All-SAC selection and the top member of the All-Freshman team. In addition to being named the Player of the Year, Wykle is a First Team All-SAC selection.

Michel, a senior forward from Apex, N.C., leads the SAC and is first in NCAA Division II in total blocks (175) and blocked shots per game (7.3). She is now fourth all-time in the SAC in blocks in a season. In addition to her blocking prowess, Michel averages 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She had 10 double-doubles this season, while also earning one SAC player of the week honor for her extraordinary performance against Coker, where she scored 26 points and collected 13 rebounds. In addition to being named the Defensive Player of the Year, Michel is a Second Team All-SAC honoree.

Harman, a guard from Greeneville, Tenn., is second in the league for free-throw percentage, shooting 86.4 percent from the line and is also ninth in the SAC for points per game averaging 14.6. She is one of the league's top leaders in assists totaling to 69 overall. Harman was the final South Atlantic Conference AstroTurf Women's Basketball Player of the Week named for the 2020-21 season. In addition to being named the Freshman of the Year, she is also an All-Freshman selection.

Cluesman picks up her first Coach of the Year honor after becoming head coach just three seasons ago. Her team finished the regular season with a record of 15-5 overall, going 13-4 in league play. As a team, UVA Wise was first in the league for assists per game (18.2) while coming in second for total points (1,573) and total points per game (78.7).

In addition to Carson-Newman's Braelyn Wykle and teammate Lindsey Taylor, Tusculum's Maddie Sutton, UVA Wise's Caitlyn Ross and Kalee Johnson and Wingate's Bryanna Troutman all made appearances on this years All-SAC First Team honoree list.

2020-21 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Agate

First Team

Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman

Maddie Sutton, Tusculum

Caitlyn Ross, UVA Wise

Kalee Johnson, UVA Wise

Bryanna Troutman, Wingate

Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman

Second Team

De'Ja Marshall, Mars Hill

Addison Byrd, Carson-Newman

Quin Byrd, Limestone

Shemya Stanback, Catawba

Samantha Michel, Anderson

Reagan McCray, Limestone

Honorable Mention

Haleigh Hatfield, Wingate

Nia Vanzant, UVA Wise

Jalia Arnwine, Tusculum

Brianna Dixon, Tusculum

Lauren Flowers, Lincoln Memorial

Skylar Boshears, Carson-Newman

All-Freshman

Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne

Reagan Kargo, Limestone

Peyton Davis, Wingate

Payton Cronen, Newberry

Amari Davis, Queens

Player of the Year

Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman

Freshman of the Year

Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne

Defensive Player of the Year

Samantha Michel, Anderson

Coach of the Year

Jamie Cluesman, UVA Wise

            Statistical Champions
            Points Per Game – Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman, 23.3
            Three-Pointers Per Game – Reagan McCray, Limestone, 3.57
            Rebounds Per Game – Maddie Sutton, Tusculum, 15.3
            Blocked Shots Per Game – Samantha Michel, Anderson, 2.52
            Field Goal Percentage – Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman, 63.8
            Assists Per Game – Caitlyn Ross, UVA Wise, 6.9
            Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Marta Rodrigues, Tusculum, 2.64
            Steals Per Game – Lyrik Thorne, Catawba, 3.00
            Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – Reagan McCray, Limestone, 45.5
            Free Throw Percentage – Reagan Kargo, Limestone, 87.8
            Team Scoring Offense – Carson-Newman, 81.8
            Team Steals – Lincoln Memorial, 151

            Team Field Goal Percentage – Carson-Newman, 47.0
            Team FG Percentage Defense – Tusculum, 34.6
            Team Assists – UVA Wise, 338
            Team Rebounds – Anderson, 1,004
            Team Blocked Shots – Anderson, 156
            Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Tusculum, 37.7
            Team Scoring Defense – Tusculum, 57.5
            Team Free Throw Percentage – UVA Wise, 76.8
            Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – UVA Wise, 1.23

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