ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum University placed two players on the All-South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball team for the 2021-22 season, the conference office announced Thursday.
Graduate guard Jalia Arnwine and senior forward Brianna Dixon were each third-team selections for the Pioneers, who finished 12-17 overall and tied for eighth in the SAC standings with a 10-14 league record. The Pioneers nearly upset top-seeded Wingate in the conference quarterfinals but were eliminated with a 57-53 loss on Wednesday evening.
Arnwine and Dixon are each repeat members of the All-Conference team, having earned honorable mention status last season. During their three seasons as teammates, the Pioneers went 55-28 and won two SAC Tournament championships and also claimed their first NCAA Division II Tournament victory in 11 years during the 2021 season.
Arnwine averaged a team-high 13.8 points per game during the 2021-22 season, scoring in double figures 21 times in 27 games. Arnwine had four 20-point games during the season, including a season-best 25 at Anderson on Feb. 26. The Knoxville, Tennessee native made at least one three-pointer in 26 of her 27 games, and finished the year by making a three in 15 consecutive contests. Arnwine made 64 three-pointers during the season, a career best for her and fourth-most in the conference. Arnwine, a preseason second-team All-SAC selection, also ranked second in the SAC with an average of 34.7 minutes per game, while playing all 40 minutes a total of eight times.
Arnwine finished her five-year Tusculum career ranked 15th in program history with 1,183 points in 130 career games. She set the program career record for games played, and ranked third all-time in three-pointers made (217) and attempted (656). Arnwine was a career 70.0 percent foul shooter (168-for-240) and set a career high in field-goal percentage this season at 38.0 percent. Arnwine also set a career high for rebounds per game (3.9) and assists per game (2.0) during the 2021-22 season.
Dixon missed the Pioneers' first 10 games but came back to average 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Pioneers. Dixon reached double figures in scoring 14 times in 19 games, and scored more than 20 points four times. Dixon posted a pair of double-doubles, and set career highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 56-49 win at Limestone on Feb. 12. Dixon was 16th in the conference in foul shooting at 76.3 percent and was eighth in the league in minutes per game at 32.6.
The Decatur, Georgia native was a three-year member of the program after playing two seasons at Walters State, and finished her Tusculum career with 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 73 career games, including 51 starts. Dixon also averaged 1.3 steals per game in her career and grabbed exactly 300 rebounds in a Tusculum uniform. Counting her two seasons at Walters State, Dixon finished her college career with 970 points and exactly 100 three-pointers in 142 games.
Tusculum claimed the SAC statistical championship in team scoring defense, allowing 59.3 points per game. The Pioneers held 17 of their 29 opponents under 60 points, and held nine opponents under 50 points. Tusculum did not allow more than 67 points in any of its final nine games, including a five-game winning streak in mid-February when the Pioneers gave up just 48.4 points per contest.
Bryanna Troutman of Wingate was named SAC Player of the Year after averaging nearly 19 points per game and shooting 53 percent from the field for the Bulldogs. She was joined on the first team by Quin Byrd of Limestone, Shameka McNeill of Anderson, Shemya Stanback of Catawba and Lindsey Taylor and Braelyn Wykle from Carson-Newman.
Earning second-team honors were Haleigh Brandon and Hannah Clark of Wingate, Emily Harman of Lenoir-Rhyne, Kalee Johnson of UVA Wise, Reagan McCray of Limestone, and Lyrik Thorne of Catawba. Joining Arnwine and Dixon on the third team were Addison Byrd of Carson-Newman, Kalaya Hall of Queens, Brandi Hudson of Lenoir-Rhyne and Nia Vanzant of UVA Wise.
Diamond McDowell of Anderson was selected SAC Freshman of the Year, and Stanback was honored as the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Coach of the Year honors went to Ann Hancock of Wingate after she led the Bulldogs to their first outright SAC Championship since 2012 after being picked seventh in the preseason poll.
2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball
All-Conference Team
First Team
Quin Byrd, Limestone
Shameka McNeill, Anderson
Shemya Stanback, Catawba
Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman
Bryanna Troutman, Wingate
Braelyn Wykle, Carson-Newman
Second Team
Haleigh Brandon, Wingate
Hannah Clark, Wingate
Emily Harman, Lenoir-Rhyne
Kalee Johnson, UVA Wise
Reagan McCray, Limestone
Lyrik Thorne, Catawba
Third Team
Jalia Arnwine, Tusculum
Addison Byrd, Carson-Newman
Brianna Dixon, Tusculum
Kalaya Hall, Queens
Brandi Hudson, Lenoir-Rhyne
Nia Vanzant, UVA Wise
All-Freshman
Maddie Dillinger, Lenoir-Rhyne
Maddie Gillie, Mars Hill
Kalisha Hill, Limestone
Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Campbell Penland, Carson-Newman
Player of the Year: Bryanna Troutman, Wingate
Freshman of the Year: Diamond McDowell, Anderson
Defensive Player of the Year: Shemya Stanback, Catawba
Coach of the Year: Ann Hancock, Wingate
Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Shameka McNeill, Anderson; 22.5
Three-Pointers Per Game – Reagan McCray, Limestone; 3.22
Rebounds Per Game – Haleigh Brandon, Wingate; 13.3
Blocked Shots Per Game – Samantha Michel, Anderson; 2.24
Field Goal Percentage – Lindsey Taylor, Carson-Newman; 64.2
Assists Per Game – Quin Byrd, Limestone; 4.3
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Abby Wilson, Carson-Newman; 2.30
Steals Per Game – Shemya Stanback, Catawba; 2.59
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – Reagan McCray, Limestone; 45.5
Free Throw Percentage – Reagan Kargo, Limestone; 92.6
Team Scoring Offense – Carson-Newman; 81.4
Team Steals – Catawba; 328
Team Field Goal Percentage – Carson-Newman; 46.6
Team FG Percentage Defense – Anderson; 35.8
Team Assists – Carson-Newman; 527
Team Rebounds – Anderson; 1,270
Team Blocked Shots – Carson-Newman; 140
Team Three-Point FG Percentage – Wingate; 39.1
Team Scoring Defense – Tusculum; 59.3
Team Free Throw Percentage – UVA Wise; 77.0
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Carson-Newman; 1.21