HPU’s Robertson Named Big South WBB Player of the Year

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson was chosen as the Big South Player on the Year while senior Latrice Phelps earned conference all-academic honors, the league announced Monday.

Robertson joined Katie O’Dell as the only two Panthers to be named Big South Player of the Year. O’Dell won the award in 2006.

“Stacia is super deserving of the award and I don’t think she could have done anything more to help our team win games this year,” head coach DeUnna Hendrix. “I could go on and on about her contributions on and off the court, but she is definitely the player of the year.”

The redshirt-senior was also named to the All-Big South first team for the second straight season. She is HPU’s third player to earn first team recognition in consecutive seasons and the first to repeat since O’Dell did so in three straight seasons from 2004-06.

Robertson, who was named Big South Player of the Week for the fourth time this season on Sunday, consistently stuffed the stat sheet this season. She led the league in field goal percentage (.568); finished second in rebounding (10.2 rpg) and blocks (3.3 bpg) while placing third in scoring (15.8 ppg) and steals (2.6 spg).

The Grand Island, Neb. native posted 13 double-doubles and became the second Panther to score 1,200 points and grab 700 rebounds since the program switched to Division I. She was one of only two players in the conference to average a double-double and led the conference in offensive rebounds.

Phelps finished her senior season third on the team in points (10.1 ppg) and rebounds (5.1 rpg). The forward rounded out the season on a tear as she scored in double figures in six of the last eight games. The Virginia Beach, Va. native currently holds a 3.60 GPA in Human Relations.

“If we don’t have Latrice we don’t win because she affects the game in so many ways,” Hendrix said. “With her and Stacia together it’s a dynamic duo.”

The Panthers will open their postseason as the No. 3 seed in the Big South Championship. The team will play in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 8 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 Presbyterian and No. 11 Charleston Southern.

2014-15 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE

First-Team All-Conference
Stacia Robertson, F, R-Sr., High Point
AJ Jordan, G, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty
Erica Williams, F/G, Soph., Winthrop
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Second-Team All-Conference
Kiera Gaines, F, Sr., Campbell
Ayana Avery, G, Sr., Radford
Karly Buer, G, R-Sr., Liberty
Keyonna Allen, F, R-Jr., Presbyterian
Aisha Foy, G, Jr., Radford

Honorable Mention All-Conference
Olivia Parker, F, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Aliyah Kilpatrick, G, R-Soph., Winthrop
RaeChaun Edwards, G, R-Jr., Campbell
Shonese Jones, G, Sr., UNC Asheville
Raven Williams, G, Jr., Longwood

All-Freshman Team
Cortney Storey, G, Presbyterian
Jas Adams, G, Coastal Carolina
Summer Price, G, Campbell
Janayla White, C, Radford
Jayda Worthy, F, Radford

All-Academic Team
Juli Osborne, F, Sr., Campbell
Alyssa Mann, G, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
AJ Jordan, G, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Alicia Quinn, F/C, R-Soph., Gardner-Webb
Latrice Phelps, F, Sr., High Point
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty
Emily Nylen, F, Soph., Longwood
Kiera McIvor, G, Sr., Radford
Jeannie Buckner, F, Sr., UNC Asheville
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Player of the Year
Stacia Robertson, F, R-Sr., High Point

Freshman of the Year
Cortney Storey, G, Presbyterian

Defensive Player of the Year
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Coach of the Year
Mike McGuire, Radford

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty