Anderson’s Diaz Headlines SAC Women’s Basketball Honorees

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Anderson guard Alissa Diaz was named the SAC women's basketball Player of the Year on Wednesday, headlining the announcement of the conference's postseason award winners.

Diaz ranked second in the SAC in scoring at 16.8 points per game, leading AU to the program's first SAC title since joining the conference. She was the league's second-best free throw shooter at 85.3-percent and had the seventh-highest field goal percentage at 47.1-percent.

Diaz scored in double figures in all but two of Anderson's games, including seven 20-point performances. She also averaged 2.8 assists per game, good for 12th in the conference.

[RELATED: SAC Basketball Championship Central]

After finishing third in the SAC's regular-season standings, Catawba had two players named to the All-SAC First Team in guard Chloe Bully and center Antionette McPhail. Bully tied for the league lead in assists at 4.3 per game and finished sixth in scoring average at 14.5, while McPhail was the conference's third-leading rebounder at 8.4 per game and its 12th-leading scorer at 11.5 per contest.

Newberry also had two All-Conference First Team selections - forward Haylee Lepaio and wing Samantha Creed. Lepaio led the league in scoring at 18.5 points per game and ranked second in rebounding average at 8.8. Creed, meanwhile, finished third in scoring average at 15.3 and first in free throw shooting at 86.5-percent.

Lenoir-Rhyne guard Jazmine Charles completed the All-SAC First Team after averaging 11.5 points per game, good for 14th in the conference. She was also fifth in foul shooting at 77.8-percent.

Wingate was the only team with multiple selections to the All-Conference Second Team, as forward Chantal Dunbar and guard Janitsha Williams earned spots. They are joined on the team by Mars Hill forward Armeka Booker, Anderson forward Breonda Shannon, Tusculum guard Breaira Barksdale and Brevard guard Tuccoa Brackett.

Brackett was also named the SAC Freshman of the Year after finishing fourth in the conference in scoring at 15.2 points per game and fourth in blocked shots at 1.2 per game. Carson-Newman guard Tatum Burstrom, Wingate forward Morgan McGee, Mars Hill forward Kelsey Espinsoa and Lenoir-Rhyne guard Jordan Hiatt also earned All-Freshman Team honors.

After his team went from an eighth-place predicted finish in the SAC preseason poll to a regular-season conference championship, Anderson's Jim Brunelli was named the conference's Coach of the Year. He becomes the first AU coach to win the award since the school joined the league.

2012-13 SAC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards

All-SAC First Team

Alissa Diaz, Anderson (Sr.)*

Haylee Lepaio, Newberry (So.)*

Samantha Creed, Newberry (So.)

Jazmine Charles, Lenoir-Rhyne (So.)

Chloe Bully, Catawba (So.)

Antionette McPhail, Catawba (Jr.)

All-SAC Second Team

Chantal Dunbar, Wingate (Jr.)

Armeka Booker, Mars Hill (So.)

Breonda Shannon, Anderson (Sr.)

Breaira Barksdale, Tusculum (Sr.)

Janitsha Williams, Wingate (Jr.)

Tuccoa Brackett, Brevard (Fr.)

SAC All-Freshman Team

Tuccoa Brackett, Brevard

Tatum Burstrom, Carson-Newman

Morgan McGee, Wingate

Kelsey Espinosa, Mars Hill

Jordan Hiatt, Lenoir-Rhyne

SAC Player of the Year: Alissa Diaz, Anderson

SAC Freshman of the Year: Tuccoa Brackett, Brevard

SAC Coach of the Year: Jim Brunelli, Anderson

[SAC women's basketball statistical champions]