South Atlantic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basktball Awards Announced

ROCK HILL, SC - Lenoir-Rhyne College senior forward Roman Davis, Wingate University sophomore guard Tanetra Barrett and Carson-Newman College freshman forward Brooke Johnson were the top award recipients for the South Atlantic Conference men's and women's All-Conference Basketball Teams, the league announced today. Davis was named the South Atlantic Conference men's basketball Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Davis, a senior from Greensboro, N.C. (South Stokes HS), led the SAC in scoring with an average of 18.3 points per game and was second in blocked shots. Barrett and Johnson were named Co-Players of the Year for women's basketball. Johnson, a freshman from Seymour, TN (Seymour HS), was also named the league's Freshman of the Year. Barrett, a sophomore from Marshville, N.C. (Forest Hills HS), helped lead Wingate to the conference championship. She averaged 14.5 points, 3.15 assists and 2.24 steals per game. Johnson ranked third in the league in scoring at 16.0 points per game, fourth in rebounding (8.4) and first in blocked shots (3.93). Joining Davis on the men's All-Conference First Team were Catawba College's Helgi Magnusson, Jonathan Martin and Bruan Dabbs from Carson-Newman and Walt Baxley and Jeremiah Tinch from Mars Hill College. The men's All-Conference Second Team consists of Brian Graves from Catawba, Newberry College's Michael Dease, Presbyterian College's Sean Dixon, Brad Hawks and Greg McIntosh from Tusculum and Wingate University's freshman forward Sean Barnette, who was also named the league's men's Freshman of the Year. Barnette, from Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS), averaged 14.4 points per game, which ranked eighth in the league. Catawba's Jim Baker, who guided the Indians to the regular-season championship, was named men's Coach of the Year. He wins this award for the fourth time in his career. Joining Barrett and Johnson on the women's All-Conference First Team are: Crystal Clary and Lanica Williams of Lenoir-Rhyne; Rebecca Wessinger of Presbyterian and Wingate's Veronica Taylor. Named to the women's All-Conference Second Team are: Brittaney Gooch and Tiffany Parker of Carson-Newman; Ashely Cox of Catawba; Kristi Ferris of Mars Hill; Carnicha Bellinger of Newberry and Julie Maples of Tusculum. Wingate University's Johnny Jacumin and Carson-Newman's Dean Walsh were named Co-Coach of the Year. Jacumin wins the award for the second year in a row, while Walsh wins it for the first time. The SAC Scholar Athlete Awards go to Julie Maples of Tusculum College and Jonathan Martin of Carson-Newman College. Maples receives this honor for the third year in a row. Maples, a senior guard from Knoxville, TN (South Doyle HS), has a 3.99 GPA as an English Education major. She has been named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, the Tusculum Athletic Directors Honor Roll, the Tusculum Dean's List and President's List. She is a three-time selection to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Four team. On the court, Maples is a three-time all-conference selection and is the school's all-time leader in free-throw percentage (.809) and 3-point field goals (125). She is active in the community and on campus, volunteering for park and road clean-up events and Adopt-A-Family projects. Julie has worked at a Bible and sports camp and has put on health and fitness demonstrations in local elementary schools. She is also vice president of the Tusculum Student Athlete Advisory Committee and serves as an English tutor and a tutor at the Adult Education Center. Martin is a senior center for the Eagles from Corryton, TN. He has a 3.77 GPA as an accounting major. Martin is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage and was named First Team All-Conference. He also led the SAC in field goal percentage. Martin's community service record includes working with area youngsters in a church-sponsored basketball program, reads to elementary school children and is a member of Chilhowee Hills Baptist Church. The SAC Scholar Athlete Award is presented to one athlete from each of the SAC's 14 sports programs and represents a combination of athletic skill, academic achievement, and participation in community service and leadership roles. The 2005 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference men's and women's basketball tournament begins Wednesday with quarterfinal games at campus sites. The semifinals and finals will be held at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, N.C. on Saturday and Sunday. Tournament winners receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament. ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND AWARD RECIPIENTS MEN'S TEAMS WOMEN'S TEAMS ALL-SAC FIRST TEAM Jonathan Martin, Carson-Newman Braun Dabbs, Carson-Newman Helgi Magnusson, Catawba Roman Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne Walt Baxley, Mars Hill Jeremiah Tinch, Mars Hill ALL-SAC SECOND TEAM Brian Graves, Catawba Michael Dease, Newberry Sean Dixon, Presbyterian Brad Hawks, Tusculum Greg McIntosh, Tusculum Sean Barnette, Wingate ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Jamel Hamilton, Catawba Josh Rudder, Lenoir-Rhyne Reggie Bratton, Lenoir-Rhyne Jordan Lear, Tusculum Sean Barnette, Wingate COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Baker, Catawba PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Roman Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Sean Barnette, Wingate SAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Jonathan Martin, Carson-Newman ALL-SAC FIRST TEAM Brooke Johnson, Carson-Newman Crystal Clary, Lenoir-Rhyne Lanica Williams, Lenoir-Rhyne Rebecca Wessinger, Presbyterian Tanetra Barrett, Wingate Veronica Taylor, Wingate ALL-SAC SECOND TEAM Brittaney Gooch, Carson-Newman Tiffany Parker, Carson-Newman Ashley Cox, Catawba Kristi Ferris, Mars Hill Carnicha Bellinger, Newberry Julie Maples, Tusculum ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Brooke Johnson, Carson-Newman Jessica Blanford, Mars Hill Carnicha Bellinger, Newberry Tonique Fraiser, Newberry Amy Jones, Presbyterian CO-COACH OF THE YEAR: Dean Walsh, Carson-Newman; Johnny Jacumin, Wingate CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brooke Johnson, Carson-Newman; Tanetra Barrett, Wingate FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Brooke Johnson, Carson-Newman SAC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Julie Maples, Tusculum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAC STATISTICAL CHAMPION AWARD The SAC Statistical Champion Award recognizes those individuals and teams that have finished the regular season as SAC leaders in various overall statistical categories. Individual leaders must have participated in 75 percent of the team's games. MEN'S BASKETBALL Individual Scoring - Roman Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne, 18.3 Individual Rebounds Per Game - Jeremiah Tinch, Mars Hill, 8.8 Individual Field Goal Percentage - Jonathan Martin, Carson-Newman, 68.2 Individual Assists Per Game - Donald Sexton, Tusculum, 6.56 Individual Steals Per Game - Stephano Jackson, Mars Hill, 2.79 Individual 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Bobby Ewing, Tusculum, 44.1 Individual 3-Pointers Per Game - Bobby Ewing, Tusculum, 3.12 Individual Blocked Shots Per Game - Jolly Manning, Catawba, 1.70 Individual Free Throw Percentage - Douglas Tshomba, Tusculum, 86.2 Individual Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - Donald Sexton, Tusculum, 1.91 Team Scoring Offense - Tusculum, 83.9 Team Field Goal Percentage - Tusculum, 48.5 Team Field Goal Percentage Defense - Presbyterian, 40.3 Team 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Tusculum, 39.0 Team Assists - Tusculum, 18.64 Team Steals - Mars Hill, 10.48 Team Scoring Defense - Presbyterian, 66.4 Team Rebounding - Catawba, 39.3 Team Free Throw Percentage - Tusculum, 73.1 Team Blocked Shots - Catawba, 5.48 Team Scoring Margin - Catawba, +10.1 Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - Tusculum, 1.20 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Individual Scoring - Rebecca Wessinger, Presbyterian, 18.5 Individual Rebounds Per Game - Crystal Clary, Lenoir-Rhyne, 11.0 Individual Field Goal Percentage - Veronica Taylor, Wingate, 57.1 Individual Assists Per Game - Abby DeBusk, Mars Hill, 5.07 Individual Steals Per Game - Abby DeBusk, Mars Hill, 2.67 Individual Free Throw Percentage - Kristi Ferris, Mars Hill, 85.8 Individual 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Abby DeBusk, Mars Hill, 43.4 Individual 3-Pointers Per Game - Lanica Williams, Lenoir-Rhyne, 2.81 Individual Blocked Shots Per Game - Brooke Johnson, Carson-Newman, 3.93 Individual Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - Gabrielle Smith, Carson-Newman, 1.59 Team Scoring Offense - Newberry, 70.5 Team Field Goal Percentage - Mars Hill, 44.1 Team Field Goal Percentage Defense - Carson-Newman, 37.1 Team 3-Point Field Goal Percentage - Mars Hill, 36.7 Team Assists - Carson-Newman, 16.89 Team Steals - Carson-Newman, 12.11 Team Scoring Defense - Carson-Newman, 58.6 Team Rebounding - Newberry, 43.9 Team Free Throw Percentage - Mars Hill, 76.6 Team Blocked Shots - Carson-Newman, 6.37 Team Scoring Margin - Carson-Newman, +11.3 Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio - Carson-Newman, 0.89 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004-05 SAC MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SENIOR AWARD RECIPIENTS Carson-Newman Braun Dabbs Anthony Jones Marquise Foster Jonathan Martin Stan Davis Chanda Parker Tiffany Parker Catawba Marcus Reddick James McLean Zach Snyder Christina Carmon Ashley Cox Isiaette Darden Julie Kaufman Kendall Prescott Stephanie Valentine Jenny Volpicelli Lenoir-Rhyne Tony Connelly Roman Davis Kyle Morris Katrina Andrews Shea Blacknell Heather Burleson Crystal Clary Casie Thomas Lanica Williams Mars Hill Kirby Lee Reggie Johnson Jeremiah Tinch Richie Covington Crystal Davis Newberry James "Jack" Easterby Ben Hooker Parkes Coggins Laura Banda Karisa Dinges Natasha Hollingsworth Presbyterian Rich Adams Brian Welch (student assistant) Lauren Dobson Tusculum Bobby Ewing Brad Hawks Greg McIntosh Kelly Jo Arnold Julie Maples Kathryn Whartenby Wingate Ahmad Richardson Ali Greiner Christen Spake