The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Basketball Annual Awards (Video)

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Lincoln Memorial forward Megan Pittman was voted the 2016-17 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Anderson's Alexy Mollenhauer was voted the Conference's Freshman of the Year. In addition, Lincoln Memorial mentor Krystal Evans was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.

Pittman, a senior from Liberty, Ken., earned AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week honors a league-leading three times this season for her efforts on the court. She recorded 13 double-doubles this season which ranked No. 18 in the country and recorded four offensive rebounds a game this year which ranked No. 20 in the nation. Pittman is currently tied for fifth in the League with 15.8 points per contest and sixth in three-point percentage connecting on 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. She is also averaging 9.8 rebounds per game which places her No. 2 in the South Atlantic Conference.  Pittman received nine first place votes for a total of 177 points cementing her Player of the Year campaign.

Mollenhauer, a guard from Lindale, Texas, currently ranks No. 6 in the South Atlantic Conference in blocks per game with 1.2 as she totaled 29 on the season.  Mollenhauer also ranks third on her team with 11.2 points per game. Throughout the season, Mollenhauer put together fifteen games where she scored in  double digits, while eclipsing the 20-point mark four times. She scored 28 points in a win against then No. 9 Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 22^nd as Mollenhauer hit a three-pointer with 1:20 remaining to give Anderson a 72-69 lead on the way to picking up the win over the Railsplitters.  Her efforts against LMU led to her first Player of the Week selection this year to end the regular season. Currently, she is shooting 40.8 percent from the floor on 2016-17 campaign. Mollenhauer received four top-votes from the coaches and finished with 42 points from the group.

Evans led her Railsplitters to Lincoln Memorial's first-ever SAC Women's Basketball Regular Season Championship to earn the No. 1 seed in this year's South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship. The Railsplitters finished the regular season with a 19-3 Conference record and a 24-3 overall record. Evans' squad, currently ranked No. 11 in the country, opened the season winning twenty straight games. Her team ranks No. 1 in the League with a 39.5 percent stroke from beyond the arc, 45.0 rebounds per game and a 73.6 average at the line.  Evans received eight first-place votes and 41 points from the panel.

Terri Rogers of Catawba joined Pittman on the first-team, Mika Wester from Carson-Newman, Bri Johnson of Catawba, Marta Miscenko from Wingate, and Madison Lenox of Brevard rounded out the list of first-team honorees.

First Team
Megan Pittman, Lincoln Memorial
Terri Rogers, Catawba
Mika Wester, Carson-Newman
Bri Johnson, Catawba
Marta Miscenko, Wingate
Madison Lenox, Brevard

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

Statistical Champions
Points Per Game – Madison Lenox, Brevard, 20.0
Three Pointers Per Game – Kailyn Brooks, Carson-Newman, 2.78
Rebounds Per Game – Josey Harding, Lincoln Memorial, 10.5
Blocked Shots Per Game – Meg Essex, Newberry, 2.83
Field Goal Percentage – Iresha Cooper, Coker, 55.0
Assists Per Game – Serena Brown, Catawba, 5.5
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Kailyn Brooks, Carson-Newman, 2.12
Steals Per Game – Benedicta Makakala, Tusculum, 3.26
Three Point Field Goal Percentage – Bri Johnson, Catawba, 45.6
Free Throw Percentage – Bri Johnson, Catawba, 86.0
Team Scoring Offense – Carson-Newman, 80.5
Team Steals – Carson-Newman, 262

Team Field Goal Percentage – Wingate, 44.9 
Team FG Percentage Defense – Anderson, 35.8
Team Assists – Carson-Newman, 490
Team Rebounding – Lincoln Memorial, 1,216
Team Blocked Shots – Lenoir-Rhyne, 122
Team Three Point FG Percentage – Lincoln Memorial, 39.5
Team Scoring Defense – Lenoir-Rhyne, 55.4
Team Free Throw Percentage – Lincoln Memorial, 73.6
Team Assist-to-Turnover Ratio – Carson-Newman, 1.29