2017-18 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball All-Conference and Major Awards Announced
HIGH POINT, N.C. – University of Mount Olive guard Felecity Havens was voted the 2017-18 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Barton College center Shanika Peterkin was named the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year honors were swept by the Belmont Abbey College duo of Maria Kuhlman and Jason Williams, respectively, the Conference announced today.
Havens, a junior from Lorain, Ohio, led Conference Carolinas in scoring at 24.3 points per game and finished in the top three with 9.8 rebounds per game during the season. Her numbers have garnered her national recognition, as she ranks in the top-five nationally in scoring and won the USBWA National Player of the Week on Feb. 8, for her performance during the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4. Havens went over 1,000 points during the 2017-18 season scoring 680 points, which included scoring 40+ points once, at least 30 points six times and at least 20 points 24 times for UMO.
Peterkin, a freshman from Virginia Beach, Va., started in 28 of the 29 games she appeared in for the Bulldogs during 2017-18. She led the team defensively with 257 rebounds and 124 blocks, while chipping in 5.7 points per game. Her 124 blocks and 4.3 blocks per game ranked first in NCAA Division II, while her 8.9 boards per game landed her seventh in the Conference Carolinas standings. Peterkin's highlight during her rookie campaign was notching a triple-double (14p, 11r, 11b) on Jan. 10 against rival Mount Olive.
Hailing from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Kuhlman earns Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.6 points, four rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Crusaders.
Williams captures coach of the year recognition for the second time in his career, with the first coming back during the 2013-14 season. Williams led the Crusaders to a 19-9 overall record and 16-4 conference mark in 2017-18, just a season after going 11-17 overall and 9-13 in conference play. The improvement in 2017-18 earned Belmont Abbey a runner-up finish in the regular season standings.
Limestone College led the way with two first team all-conference selections, with Keidra Smith and Jasmine Richardson receiving the honors. In addition to Havens, Barton College's Alex Kimble and North Greenville University's Karen Donehew compiled the rest of the first team.
Women's All-Conference Carolinas First Team
Felecity Havens, Mount Olive
Keidra Smith, Limestone
Jasmine Richardson, Limestone
Alex Kimble, Barton
Karen Donehew, North Greenville
Women's All-Conference Carolinas Second Team
Kianna Wynn, Barton
Ni'Ya Styles, Mount Olive
Kori West, King
Emry Tsitouris, Belmont Abbey
Brianna James, Converse
Women's All-Conference Carolinas Third Team
Maria Kuhlman, Belmont Abbey
Markia Stacey, Lees-McRae
Allie Downing, Belmont Abbey
Cameron Carter, North Greenville
Alexis Scott, Erskine
Player of the Year
Felecity Havens, Mount Olive
Defensive Player of the Year
Shanika Peterkin, Barton
Freshman of the Year
Maria Kuhlman, Belmont Abbey
Coach of the Year
Jason Williams, Belmont Abbey
Women's Basketball Regular Season Champion
Limestone College
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 11 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, and Southern Wesleyan University. Emmanuel College is currently completing the NCAA DII membership process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.