HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Lamar senior guard Chastadie Barrs is the 2018-19 Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday along with the all-conference rosters. Southland yearly awards are presented by Ready Nutrition.
Leading the way on the postseason roster is Lamar and Abilene Christian who each earned three selections. Up next is Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with two picks apiece. Nicholls, Central Arkansas and New Orleans each landed one honoree on the postseason squads. Of the five first-team award winners, Nicholls’ Cassidy Barrios, Lamar’s Barrs and Moe Kinard are each making their third career appearance. Central Arkansas’ Kamry Orr and Abilene Christian’s Breanna Wight were named to the second team, becoming two-time honorees.
Barrs continuously turns heads, capturing seven Southland Player of the Week awards throughout the regular season. The Lamar senior is averaging 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and leads the conference with 7.2 assists per game. She has stacked 11 double-doubles throughout the season and stands second in the country with five triple-doubles to her name. Barrs is one of 10 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is meant to highlight the best point guard in the nation. Additionally, she is also a finalist for the James Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award, making the list as the only contender from a mid-major program.
In addition to her Player of the Year accolade, Barrs earns her fourth consecutive Southland Defensive Player of the Year award. She currently leads the nation with 6.9 steals per game for the Lamar program. With two regular-season games remaining, Barrs became the NCAA Division I all-time leader for career steals after ripping her 625th steal against Houston Baptist. She has since added 14 more, bringing her career total to 639 heading into postseason play. The DeSoto, Texas product has been a pillar for the Cardinals’ defense that has limited opponents to 61.4 points per game while Division I programs with an 11.14 turnover margin.
Lamar snags a third and final individual superlative winner in Miya Crump who is the Freshman of the Year. Crump finished her regular-season campaign averaging 15.7 points per game. She shot 38-percent from beyond the arc and pulled 2.3 steals per game.
Sam Houston State’s Jaylonn Walker is the league’s Newcomer of the Year after boosting the Bearkats to a No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. Since transferring from McLennan CC, Walker has made 25 starting appearances while averaging 15.3 points per contest. The junior leads the Sam Houston State squad in scoring, rebounding (8.3) and steals (2.4).
Rounding out the individual award winner is Sam Houston State’s first-year head coach Ravon Justice who was named the Southland Coach of the Year. Justice took over a Bearkat program that went 1-17 in conference play during the 2017-18 season. In her short time at the helm for SHSU, Justice has steered the Bearkats to an 11-7 Southland record and a 16-12 overall mark.
All-conference teams and individual awards are nominated and voted upon by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Voting for oneself or one's own players/coaches is not permitted. To receive honorable mention, a player must appear on at least 25 percent of ballots.
The opening round of play at the 2019 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament tips off Thursday, March 14 at 11 a.m. CT inside Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
Player of the Year: Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Defensive Player of the Year: Chastadie Barrs, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Miya Crump, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Jaylonn Walker, Sam Houston State
Coach of the Year: Ravon Justice, Sam Houston State
2019 Women’s Basketball All-Conference First TeamNameSchoolPos.Cl.HometownChastadie Barrs3LamarGSr.DeSoto, TexasCassidy Barrios3NichollsGSr.Raceland, La.Moe Kinard3LamarGSr.New Iberia, La.Chanell HayesStephen F. AustinGSr.Texarkana, TexasImani JohnsonStephen F. AustinFRSr.Lee’s Summit, Mo.
2019 Women’s Basketball All-Conference Second TeamNameSchoolPos.Cl.HometownDominique GolightlyAbilene ChristianG/FJr.Chickasha, Okla.Kamry Orr2Central ArkansasGSr.Little Rock, Ark.Jaylonn WalkerSam Houston StateGJr.Calvert, TexasBreanna Wright2Abilene ChristianGJr.Jarrell, TexasMiya CrumpLamarFFr.Houston, Texas
2019 Women’s Basketball All-Conference Third TeamNameSchoolPos.Cl.HometownShania WoodsNew OrleansCSr.Houston, TexasSara WilliamsonAbilene ChristianGSr.Rowlett, TexasLydia BaxterSam Houston StateFSr.Austin, TexasAlexes BryantTexas A&M-Corpus ChristiFJr.Cibolo, TexasDalesia BoothTexas A&M-Corpus ChristiGJr.San Antonio, Texas
2 Two-time All-Conference selection
3 Three-time All-Conference selection
Honorable Mention: Emma Young, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; Jenniffer Oramas, Sam Houston State; Amanda Johnson, Houston Baptist; RaVon Nero, Northwestern State; Celica Sterling, Southeastern Louisiana; Callie Maddox, McNeese
2019 Women’s Basketball All-Defensive TeamNameSchoolPos.Cl.HometownChastadie Barrs4LamarGSr.DeSoto, TexasAlexes BryantTexas A&M-Corpus ChristiFJr.Cibolo, TexasKamry OrrCentral ArkansasGSr.Little Rock, Ark.Cassidy Barrios2NichollsGSr.Raceland, La.Stephanie VisscherStephen F. AustinGFr.Lulea, Sweden
4 Four-time All-Defensive selection
2 Two-time All-Defensive selection
Sam Houston State women receive several SLC postseason honors; Kats ready to make some noise at the SLC tournament
Sam Houston State’s Jaylonn Walker is the league’s Newcomer of the Year after boosting the Bearkats to a No. 5 seed in the conference tournament. Since transferring from McLennan CC, Walker has made 25 starting appearances while averaging 15.3 points per contest. The junior leads the Sam Houston State squad in scoring, rebounding (8.3) and steals (2.4).