The Mid-South Conference announced its award winners for the 2017-18 women’s basketball season at its annual banquet on Wednesday night in Pikeville, Ky.
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) swept the Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the year awards, voted on by the conference coaches. Kayla Styles collected her second-straight MSC Player of the Year honor and Gerda Paulauskaite was named the MSC Randy Vernon Defensive Player of the Year. Regan Turner earned the third and final award for the Blue Raiders as she was named MSC Freshman of the year.
Shawnee State’s (Ohio) Jeff Nickel was voted by his peers as the MSC Coach of the Year for the third-straight season. Savannah Gregory rounded out the individual honors after being voted as the MSC Champions of Character recipient.
Styles averaged a double-double this season, scoring 23.04 points per game and grabbing 10.86 rebounds a game. Her 23.04 points per game is currently best in the nation and her eight defensive rebounds a contest ranks fourth in the NAIA. Styles scored an MSC game-high 45 points against Georgetown (Ky.) last week, helping her earn her seventh MSC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honor this year.
In her freshman campaign, Turner averaged 15.23 points per game and dished out 2.87 assists per contest. She shot 44.6 percent from the field in 30 games and knocked down 83.5 percent of her free-throws, which was second best in the Mid-South.
Paulauskaite was a valuable rim protector for the Blue Raiders this season. She averaged 2.80 blocks per game and swatted away 84 total shots, both of which were tops in the NAIA. Her totals helped the Blue Raiders lead the nation in blocks (158) and limit the opponents to 33.6 percent from the field.
Nickel led Shawnee State to a 27-3 overall record and a perfect 14-0 mark in the MSC. The Bears won the conference regular season title and collected its first National No. 1 ranking in NAIA Divsion I.
Gregory was selected as the MSC Champions of Character recipient based on her academic and athletic achievement, campus and community leadership, future ambition and demonstration of the five core character values of the NAIA.
Styles highlighted the 10-player all-conference first team selected by the conference coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players. An additional 10 players were named to the All-Mid-South Conference Second Team.
