The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Basketball Major Award Winners
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Catawba senior guard Lyrik Thorne was voted the 2022-23 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Tusculum's Mya Belton was voted the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year and Wingate's Emily Hege was voted the SAC Freshman of the Year. In addition, Catawba head coach Terence McCutcheon was tabbed as the Coach of the Year, the Conference announced today.
Thorne, a senior from High Point, NC, is one of the league leaders in scoring as she averaged 19.5 points per game. She has scored 525 points this season in 27 games, helping to lead Catawba to a 23-4 record and to secure the Piedmont Division Title. In addition to being named the Player of the Year, Thorne is a First Team All-SAC selection.
Belton, a graduate student from Blythewood, S.C., is tied for first in the league for blocks, averaging 2.0 blocks per game. She is among the top of the standings for rebounds per game, averaging 8.6, and steals per game, averaging 1.7. In addition to being named the Defensive Player of the Year, Belton is a Third Team All-SAC selection.
Hege, a freshman from Lexington, N.C., averaged 13.4 points per game this season and was one of the top free-throw shooters in the Conference as she shot 89.6% (95-106) from the free-throw line. Hege also shot 39.6% from the three-point line. In addition to being named the Freshman of the Year, she is also an All-Freshman selection.
McCutcheon picks up his first Coach of the Year honor after three seasons with the Indians. His team completed their regular season at 24-4 including a perfect 14-0 record at home and finished atop the Piedmont Division at 16-2 in the South Atlantic Conference.
In addition to Catawba's Thorne, Limestone's Quin Byrd, Lenoir-Rhyne's Blaikley Crooks, Tusculum's Jami Tham, Wingate's Bryanna Troutman, and Carson-Newman's Braelyn Wykle all made appearances on this year's All-SAC First Team honoree list.
2022-23 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference
First Team
Quin Byrd, Limestone
Blaikley Crooks, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jami Tham, Tusculum
Lyrik Thorne, Catawba
Bryanna Troutman, Wingate
Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman
Second Team
Janiya Downs, Catawba
Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne
Emily Hege, Wingate
Saquita Joyner, Lincoln Memorial
Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Alexa Smiddy, Lincoln Memorial
Third Team
Mya Belton, Tusculum
Hannah Clark, Wingate
Reagan McCray, Limestone
Sara McIntosh, Catawba
Blayre Shultz, Tusculum
Nia Vanzant, UVA Wise
All-Freshman
Emily Hege, Wingate
Tori Rutherford, Carson-Newman
Ashlyn Sheridan, Anderson
Alexa Smiddy, Lincoln Memorial
Breanna Yarber, Emory & Henry
Player of the Year
Lyrik Thorne, Catawba
Freshman of the Year
Emily Hege, Wingate
Defensive Player of the Year
Mya Belton, Tusculum
Coach of the Year
Terence McCutcheon, Catawba
Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman; 21.0
Three-Pointers Per Game – Alexa Smiddy, Lincoln Memorial; 2.81
Rebounds Per Game – Jami Tham, Tusculum; 13.4
Blocked Shots Per Game – Kaitlin Bailey, UVA Wise; 2.00
Field Goal Percentage – Jami Tham, Tusculum; 51.6
Assists Per Game – Caitlin Ross, UVA Wise; 7.6
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Megan Landsiedel, Lenoir-Rhyne; 2.50
Steals Per Game – Lyrik Thorne, Catawba; 2.68
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman; 43.7
Free Throw Percentage – Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman; 93.0
Team Scoring Offense – Carson-Newman; 74.4
Team Steals Per Game – Catawba; 11.9
Team Field Goal Percentage – Wingate; 45.2
Team FG Percentage Defense – Tusculum; 35.5
Team Assists Per Game – Tusculum; 17.2
Team Rebounds Per Game – Tusuclum; 42.96
Team Blocks Per Game – UVA Wise; 5.4
Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Wingate; 36.8
Team Scoring Defense – Tusculum; 56.0
Team Free Throw Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne; 77.6
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Tusculum; 1.14
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