Tweet
KATY, Texas - Abilene Christian junior guard Alexis Mason has been named the 2015-16 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches and sports information directors, the conference office announced Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference basketball teams.
Among the league's other postseason award winners are Lamar's freshman guard Chastadie' Barrs, who was named the defensive player of the year along with the Cardinal's rookie forward Kiara Desamours earning freshman of the year honors. Stephen F. Austin's senior guard Taylor Schippers was named newcomer of the year and ACU mentor, Julie Goodenough was selected as the coach of the year.
Mason is ACU's first conference player of the year since 2001 when it was a DII member in the Lone Star Conference. During the course of her historic season, the McKinney, Texas, native started all 29 games and averaged 17.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game to go along with career season highs of 54 steals and six blocks. She produced the highest shooting percentages of her career, making 43.2 percent of all her shots (36 percent from 3-point range) and 77.4 percent of her free throws. Mason reached double figures in scoring during all 18 Southland Conference games and scored a career-high 30 points at Lamar following back-to-back double-doubles against Houston Baptist and the Cardinals.
Mason was honored with the league's player of the week honors four times, including three straight weeks from Jan. 11-25. In ACU's regular-season finale win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi she joined the Wildcat's 500-single season point club. Her 513 points ranks her tied for 20th for the most points scored in a single season and is the first Wildcat to score 500 points in a season since 2009-10.
This is Goodenough's second coaching award while at ACU, having previously been named Lone Star Coach of the Year in 2013. ACU completed the regular season ranked first in the Southland in seven categories most notably scoring (75.6 ppg), rebounding (40.9 rpg), assists (13.8 apg) and blocks (4.4). ACU has the top scoring margin of +14.3, and boasts the best 3-point defense (.279), while making the most 3-pointers per game (7.9).Within the national rankings, ACU was consistently ranked among the top-25 schools in scoring, margin of victory, 3-pointers made per game and steals (10.5 spg).
ACU's overall win total is the fourth largest in program history, trailing only a pair of 31-win seasons in 1980-81 and 1995-96, and a 27-win team from 1987-88. The Wildcats' 17 conference victories, however, are a program best and the most by any Southland Conference team against its league since 2003 when Texas-San Antonio won 17 games.
Lamar's rookie guard Barrs is the first freshman in Southland history to be named defensive player of the year. Barrs is second in the nation in steals with 4.03 per game, just .03 steals per game behind the national leader. Barrs leads the Conference in minutes played (999) and 19th in the league in rebounds per game (5.6).
Desamours is the third Lamar player to be named Southland freshman of the year and the first since Tamara Abalde earned the honors in 2008. Desamours leads all league freshmen in scoring (10.9) and rebounding (7.0). She boosted those numbers in conference play, averaging 13.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She ranks seventh in league games and defensive rebounding (4.8).
SFA's Schippers garnered Southland newcomer of the year honors after averaged 10.9 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in 29 games this season. The transfer from Butler boasts the fourth best assist/turnover ratio (1.7) in the league while ranking in the top ten in steals and assists. The SFA captain has dished out an assist in all 29 games played and has scored in double figures 18 times.
Ten conference teams placed at least one member on the all-conference teams. Abilene Christian led all teams with three selections while Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State and McNeese State each had two selections. Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, Houston Baptist, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls each had one all-conference selection.
Five schools each had one player named to the all-defensive team. Lamar, Houston Baptist, Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin and Central Arkansas each had a student-athlete represented.
Eight all-conference players were also recognized last season with three named first-team selections this year with UCA's Proffitt, Northwestern State's Perez and Sam Houston State's Robertson. Additionally, seven student-athletes were named honorable mention all-conference after receiving votes from at least 25 percent of the coaches and sports information directors.
All three all-conference teams, including seven additional honorable mention selections, and the all-defensive team are listed below.
The 2016 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament will be played this week at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The opening round of the tournament is Thursday, followed by the second round on Friday. For the first time, all rounds of the Women's tournament will be televised. The first and second rounds along with the semifinals will be available solely on ESPN3, while the championship game will be covered exclusively CBS Sports Network. Tickets for the tournament are available through Ticketmaster or at the Merrell Center box office.
Player of the Year: Alexis Mason, Abilene Christian
Defensive Player of the Year: Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Kiara Desamours, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Schippers, Stephen F. Austin
Coach of the Year: Julie Goodenough, Abilene Christian
More...
Among the league's other postseason award winners are Lamar's freshman guard Chastadie' Barrs, who was named the defensive player of the year along with the Cardinal's rookie forward Kiara Desamours earning freshman of the year honors. Stephen F. Austin's senior guard Taylor Schippers was named newcomer of the year and ACU mentor, Julie Goodenough was selected as the coach of the year.
Mason is ACU's first conference player of the year since 2001 when it was a DII member in the Lone Star Conference. During the course of her historic season, the McKinney, Texas, native started all 29 games and averaged 17.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game to go along with career season highs of 54 steals and six blocks. She produced the highest shooting percentages of her career, making 43.2 percent of all her shots (36 percent from 3-point range) and 77.4 percent of her free throws. Mason reached double figures in scoring during all 18 Southland Conference games and scored a career-high 30 points at Lamar following back-to-back double-doubles against Houston Baptist and the Cardinals.
Mason was honored with the league's player of the week honors four times, including three straight weeks from Jan. 11-25. In ACU's regular-season finale win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi she joined the Wildcat's 500-single season point club. Her 513 points ranks her tied for 20th for the most points scored in a single season and is the first Wildcat to score 500 points in a season since 2009-10.
This is Goodenough's second coaching award while at ACU, having previously been named Lone Star Coach of the Year in 2013. ACU completed the regular season ranked first in the Southland in seven categories most notably scoring (75.6 ppg), rebounding (40.9 rpg), assists (13.8 apg) and blocks (4.4). ACU has the top scoring margin of +14.3, and boasts the best 3-point defense (.279), while making the most 3-pointers per game (7.9).Within the national rankings, ACU was consistently ranked among the top-25 schools in scoring, margin of victory, 3-pointers made per game and steals (10.5 spg).
ACU's overall win total is the fourth largest in program history, trailing only a pair of 31-win seasons in 1980-81 and 1995-96, and a 27-win team from 1987-88. The Wildcats' 17 conference victories, however, are a program best and the most by any Southland Conference team against its league since 2003 when Texas-San Antonio won 17 games.
Lamar's rookie guard Barrs is the first freshman in Southland history to be named defensive player of the year. Barrs is second in the nation in steals with 4.03 per game, just .03 steals per game behind the national leader. Barrs leads the Conference in minutes played (999) and 19th in the league in rebounds per game (5.6).
Desamours is the third Lamar player to be named Southland freshman of the year and the first since Tamara Abalde earned the honors in 2008. Desamours leads all league freshmen in scoring (10.9) and rebounding (7.0). She boosted those numbers in conference play, averaging 13.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She ranks seventh in league games and defensive rebounding (4.8).
SFA's Schippers garnered Southland newcomer of the year honors after averaged 10.9 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in 29 games this season. The transfer from Butler boasts the fourth best assist/turnover ratio (1.7) in the league while ranking in the top ten in steals and assists. The SFA captain has dished out an assist in all 29 games played and has scored in double figures 18 times.
Ten conference teams placed at least one member on the all-conference teams. Abilene Christian led all teams with three selections while Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State and McNeese State each had two selections. Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, Houston Baptist, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls each had one all-conference selection.
Five schools each had one player named to the all-defensive team. Lamar, Houston Baptist, Abilene Christian, Stephen F. Austin and Central Arkansas each had a student-athlete represented.
Eight all-conference players were also recognized last season with three named first-team selections this year with UCA's Proffitt, Northwestern State's Perez and Sam Houston State's Robertson. Additionally, seven student-athletes were named honorable mention all-conference after receiving votes from at least 25 percent of the coaches and sports information directors.
All three all-conference teams, including seven additional honorable mention selections, and the all-defensive team are listed below.
The 2016 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament will be played this week at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The opening round of the tournament is Thursday, followed by the second round on Friday. For the first time, all rounds of the Women's tournament will be televised. The first and second rounds along with the semifinals will be available solely on ESPN3, while the championship game will be covered exclusively CBS Sports Network. Tickets for the tournament are available through Ticketmaster or at the Merrell Center box office.
Player of the Year: Alexis Mason, Abilene Christian
Defensive Player of the Year: Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Kiara Desamours, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Schippers, Stephen F. Austin
Coach of the Year: Julie Goodenough, Abilene Christian
More...