By: Andrew Roberts-SWAC
courtesy of www.swac.org
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference revealed its 2019-20 all-conference honors on Thursday afternoon. The all-conference awards are voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.
Grambling junior guard Justice Coleman landed a spot on the All-SWAC Second Team. Coleman led her team with 15 points per game, good for fourth overall in the SWAC. She also led her team in rebounds per game with 4.8, good for 13th overall in the conference.
Coleman finished fifth overall in the SWAC in field goal percentage at .440 and second overall in the conference in minutes per game at 33.7.
"This honor is well deserved," said Grambling State University head women's basketball coach Freddie Murray. "She's been really consistent since she stepped foot on campus. The sky's the limit moving forward for Justice."
Texas Southern's Ciani Cryor was named Player of the Year, while Jackson State's Ameysha Williams took home the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award. Alabama A&M's Dariauna Lewis was tabbed Newcomer of the Year, Alabama State's Aniyah Smith was selected as Freshman of the Year, and Jackson State's Tomekia Reed was voted Coach of the Year.
Cryor led the league in scoring with 18.2 points per contest. The Philadelphia, Pa. native finished first in the conference and fourth in the nation in assists with 6.5 per game (183). Cryor was first in the conference and fourth in the nation in steals with 107 and had an average of 3.8 which is also fourth in the nation. She was tied for fourth in the SWAC in assist-to-turnover ratio with an 1.4 ratio and a 4.8 average, tied for fifth in three-point field goals with an 1.8 average, seventh in free throw percentage (728), and 12th in the SWAC in rebounds per game (4.8).
Williams completed the season 11th in the nation and first in the league in blocked shots per game (2.8). She was 19th in the nation in blocked shots with 76. The Gulfport, Miss. native was fourth in field goal percentage (.470) and second in the league in rebounds averaging 9.8 per contests. Williams closed out the season ninth in the conference in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game.
Smith ended the season averaging 9.2 points per game for the Lady Hornets this season. The Birmingham, Ala. native averaged 22.8 minutes per game while holding a .731 free throw percentage. Smith was sixth in the conference in rebounding (5.9).
Lewis came to the league and had a star-studded sophomore campaign finishing first in the conference and third in the nation in field goal percentage (.652). The Omaha, Neb. native was second in the conference in scoring with an average of 16.7 points per game, and second in blocked shots with an average of 1.7 per contest.
Coach Reed closed out her second season leading the Jackson State Lady Tigers to their first regular-season title in over a decade. The Jackson, Miss. native guided the Lady Tigers to an overall record of 18-10 and a conference record of 16-2. Under her tutelage, JSU held a 13-game win streak that included a 12-0 start in conference play, which was the best start in program history.
The entire list of honorees and all-conference selections are listed below.
All-SWAC Women's Basketball First Team
G – Ciani Cryor, Texas Southern
F – Dariauna Lewis, Alabama A&M
F – Niya Mitchell, Texas Southern
C – Ameysha Williams, Jackson State
F – Marneisha Hamer, Jackson State
All-SWAC Women's Basketball Second Team
G – Justice Coleman, Grambling State
G – Brittany Rose, Southern
G – Dayzsha Rogan, Jackson State
G – Ataiya Bridges, Texas Southern
G – Deshawna Harper, Alabama A&M
Player of the Year
Ciani Cryor, Texas Southern
Defensive Player of the Year
Ameysha Williams, Jackson State
Freshman of the Year
Aniyah Smith, Alabama State
Newcomer of the Year
Dariauna Lewis, Alabama A&M
Coach of the Year
Tomekia Reed, Jackson State
About the SWAC:
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women's competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
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