Greensboro College Pride Place Three on USA South Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams

(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) – The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its 2013-14 All-Conference awards for women’s basketball. A total of 28 student-athletes have been named to the USA South All-Conference team.

Greensboro College placed three players on the USA South teams, led by Chevena Pickard who was named to the first team all-conference. Pickard as senior guard from Greensboro, North Carolina played in all 25 of the Pride’s games this season and averaged 17.7 points per game to lead the green and white. Shanita Hampton was named to the second team averaging 14.8 points per game, while Stacy Hicks was named to the all-sportsmanship team.

Maryville College’s Mackenzie Puckett was named the Player of the Year, N.C. Wesleyan College’s Kenyata Harris earned Rookie of the Year honors and Ferrum College’s Bryan Harvey collected Coach of the Year accolades. Finally, the USA South recognized an All-Sportsmanship Team, consisting of one member from each competing school. All awards are voted on by the women’s basketball coach at each institution.

Puckett, a Franklin, Tennessee sophomore guard, becomes the first player in program history to earn USA South Player of the Year honors after being the first to collect Rookie of the Year accolades a year ago. Puckett led the League by scoring 26.8 points per 40 minutes played during the regular season. She is currently ranked in the top-ten of the Conference in points per game (17.0-6th), rebounds per game (7.3-10th), blocks per game (1.4-2nd) and free throw percentage (85.5%-2nd). She earns her second career all-conference honor, garnering first team accolades this season after collecting honorable mention accolades last year. Finally, Puckett accumulated five USA South Player of the Week honors this winter.

Harris, a Raleigh, North Carolina freshman guard, becomes the first Bishop to earn USA South Rookie of the Year honors since the 1998-99 season. She has averaged a USA South co-rookie-best 12.8 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 1.1 assists and 0.9 blocks per contest this regular season. Harris’ rebound, steal and block averages all rank in the top-ten of all League performers. In Conference-play alone, she nearly averaged a double-double with 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Finally, Harris earned Third Team All-Conference accolades to go along with four USA South Rookie of the Week honors this winter.

Harvey, in his ninth season as the head of the Panthers, becomes the first coach to earn three consecutive USA South Coach of the Year honors since UNC-Greensboro’s Lynne Agee collected her third straight accolade in 1988. This award is the fourth of Harvey’s career. Harvey took his team to the program’s third consecutive USA South Regular Season title, this time of the divisional variety. The Panthers captured the USA South’s Northern Division championship with a 17-2 Conference mark. Overall, it is the program’s fifth USA South Regular Season crown. This season, Ferrum climbed to as high as 12th in the national rankings and currently have a 23-2 overall record. Harvey now takes his team into the USA South Women’s Basketball Tournament as the top seed and host.

First Team
Tiffany Bell, N.C. Wesleyan
Katy Kipps, Ferrum
Chevena Pickard, Greensboro
Mackenzie Puckett, Maryville
Shea Smith, Ferrum

Second Team
McKenzi Edwards, Meredith
Jackie Lyles, Methodist
Jacole Hairston, Ferrum
Shanita Hampton, Greensboro
Pat Pickens, Huntingdon

Third Team
Jessie Blankenship, Covenant
Caroline Brashier, LaGrange
Kylene Culler, Ferrum
Lailah Farmer, Maryville
Kenyata Harris, N.C. Wesleyan

All Sportsmanship
DaQuila Washington – Averett
Morgan Woodward – Covenant
Kayla Goins – Ferrum
Stacy Hicks – Greensboro
Jodie Thomas – Huntingdon
Hunter McConnell – LaGrange
Shantelle Jennings – Mary Baldwin
Lauren Trent – Maryville
Laquetta Hairston – Meredith
Allison Dones – Methodist
Jordan Cager – N.C. Wesleyan
Taylor Swoszowski – Piedmont
Ka’la Jordan – William Peace