ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College sophomore forward Kasey Johnson has been named honorable mention All-South Atlantic Conference in women's basketball, the conference office announced Thursday.
Johnson led the Pioneers in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage as Tusculum finished tied for eighth in the SAC standings for the second consecutive season.
Johnson averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocked shots and 1.5 steals per game for the Pioneers, while shooting 49.8 percent (119-for-239) from the field and 50.0 percent (17-for-34) from three-point range. She scored in double figures in 17 of her 18 starts, including four games of 20 points or more, and had a team-best four double-doubles.
The 6-foot native of Greensboro, North Carolina ranks fifth in the SAC in scoring average, 14th in rebounding, fifth in blocked shots and 12th in steals per game for the Pioneers. Johnson led the conference by averaging 36.5 minutes per game, and played 390 of a possible 400 minutes over the Pioneers' final eight games. Johnson also ranked 10th in the SAC in field-goal percentage, and would have led the conference in three-point field goal percentage had she met the minimum requirement of one made three-pointer per game.
Johnson scored a career-high 28 points against Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18, and scored 25 points against Anderson on Dec. 19 and Brevard on Jan. 25. Johnson also had a career-high four three-pointers and scored 22 points against Mars Hill on Feb. 22.
The Northern Guilford High School graduate had back-to-back double-doubles against Coker on Dec. 17 (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Anderson on Dec. 19 (25 points, 10 rebounds), while also finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds against Mars Hill on Jan. 11 and 25 points and 13 boards against Brevard on Jan. 25.
In two seasons at Tusculum, Johnson is averaging 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game while ranking seventh in program history in field-goal percentage at 50.6 percent (240-for-474). A member of the 2015-16 SAC All-Freshman team, Johnson is also a career 45 percent shooter from three-point range (27-for-60) and is averaging 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest for the Pioneers.
Tusculum claimed one conference statistical champion, as senior guard Benedicta Makakala led the league with an average of 3.26 steals per game. Makakala, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, had two or more steals in 21 of the 23 games in which she played, including three games with six steals and two with seven. Makakala currently ranks ninth in Division II in steals per game.
Megan Pittman of Lincoln Memorial University was named SAC Player of the Year, while Alexy Mollenhauer of Anderson was honored as Freshman of the Year. Coach of the Year honors went to Krystal Evans of Lincoln Memorial after leading the Railsplitters to the conference championship and a top 10 ranking in the WBCA Division II poll.
2016-17 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Team
First Team
Megan Pittman, Lincoln Memorial
Terri Rogers, Catawba
Mika Wester, Carson-Newman
Bri Johnson, Catawba
Marta Miscenko, Wingate
Madison Lenox, Brevard
Second Team
Danasia Witherspoon, Wingate
Shea Coker, Lincoln Memorial
Meg Essex, Newberry
Heather Jankowy, Anderson
Kailyn Brooks, Carson-Newman
Nicola Handreck, Newberry
Honorable Mention
Josey Harding, Lincoln Memorial
Jasmine Franklin, Anderson
Kasey Johnson, Tusculum
Paige Chavis, Mars Hill
Serena Brown, Catawba
Chelsey Romero, Lenoir-Rhyne
All-Freshman
Alexy Mollenhauer, Anderson
Madison Baggett, Anderson
Sydney Duggins, Lincoln Memorial
Madison Hallman, Catawba
Aliyah Farmer, Mars Hill
Player of the Year: Megan Pittman, Lincoln Memorial Freshman of the Year: Alexy Mollenhauer, Anderson Coach of the Year: Krystal Evans, Lincoln Memorial
