Staff report

Wingate junior forward Bryanna Troutman, a former Salisbury High standout, was voted the 2021-22 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Troutman scored 1,614 points for the Hornets (2015-19) and led a program turnaround. She averaged 16.8 points as a senior and was the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year.

Troutman becomes the ninth player in Wingate women’s basketball history to be named Player of the Year. She led the Bulldogs (24-4) to the regular season championship.

The junior is third in the SAC in scoring with 18.9 points per game and is sixth in rebounding (7.9)

She earned SAC player of the week honors three times this season.

As a sophomore, Troutman earned first team All-SAC honors, led the Bulldogs with 13.8 points per game and recorded six double-doubles.

Catawba senior guard Shemya Stanback, who starred at A.L. Brown, was voted the SAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Stanback was first in the SAC in steals (2.7 per game) and 11th in rebounds (6.9).

Catawba junior guard Lyrik Thorne carried the Indians offensively the last month of the season and made the second team.

Thorne averaged 14.8 points per game (10th in the SAC). She averaged 3.1 assists (tied for ninth) and was second in steals (2.6).

Anderson’s Diamond McDowell, one of the league’s top rebounders, was voted the SAC Freshman of the Year.

Wingate’s Ann Hancock is the Coach of the Year.

Wingate plays fourth-seeded Anderson in Saturday’s SAC tourney semifinals in Greenville, S.C., while third-seeded Catawba takes on second-seeded Carson-Newman.

SAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference 

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