The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Basketball Major Award Winners
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate junior forward Bryanna Troutman was voted the 2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Catawba's Shemya Stanback was voted the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and Anderson's Diamond McDowell was voted the SAC Freshman of the Year. In addition, Wingate head coach Ann Hancock was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.
Troutman, a junior from Salisbury, N.C., becomes just the ninth player in Wingate women's basketball history to be named Player of the Year. One of the league leaders in scoring, averaged 19.5 points per game while also ranking first in the league for points scored in the first 40 minutes of play. She earned SAC player of the week honors three times this season and is ranked in the top 20 nationally in points per game. Troutman earned first team All-SAC honors, led the team with 13.8 points per game and recorded six double-doubles in her sophomore season. In addition to being named the Player of the Year, Troutman is a First Team All-SAC selection.
Stanback, a senior guard from Kannapolis, N.C. is second In the SAC for steals (57) and 32nd in all of DII with 2.6 steals per game. She is also ninth in the SAC for rebounds per game and seventh in assists. Stanback was also named to last year's All-SAC second team for her outstanding performances. In addition to being named the Defensive Player of the Year, Stanback is a First Team All-SAC honoree.
McDowell, a freshman forward from Asheboro, N.C., is third in the league for rebounds per game with 9.2 and fifth for total rebounds with 193. McDowell was one of her team's top points earners with 9.3 points per game along with total points scored. In addition to being named the Freshman of the Year, she is also an All-Freshman selection.
Hancock picks up her first Coach of the Year honor after 10 seasons with Bulldogs. Her team finished the regular season with a record of 23-4 overall, going 21-3 in league play. As a team, Wingate takes home the SAC regular season title and was second in the league for points per game (75.2), total points (1,811), total rebounds (43.6) and first in three-point percentage (39.5).
In addition to Wingate's Bryanna Troutman, Carson-Newman's Lindsey Taylor and Braelyn Wykle,Limestone's Quin Byrd, Anderson's Shameka McNeill and Catawba's Shemya Stanback all made appearances on this year's All-SAC First Team honoree list.
2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference
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 – Reagan Kargo, Limestone; 92.6
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
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