ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College senior forward Staci Hicks and junior guard Kendal Baxter were named to the South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Team, the conference office announced Thursday.

Both Hicks and Baxter were second-team selections after leading the Pioneers to a 17-9 regular-season record and a share of third place in the final league standings with an 11-7 mark.

Hicks started all 26 games at forward and averaged 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures 17 times. She led the SAC in field-goal percentage at 61.6 percent (122-for-198), which would lead Division II if she qualified (minimum five made field goals per game), and is on pace to break the school single-season record of 59.8 percent set by Lydia Taylor in 1994-95.

Hicks, who has three of her five career double-doubles this season, finished the regular season ranked sixth in program history with 630 career rebounds. The Loveland, Ohio native has a career field-goal percentage of .535 (325-for 608) that ranks fourth-best in school history.

Baxter started all 26 games at shooting guard, and led the team and ranked 10th in the SAC in scoring at 14.0 points per game. She led the conference with an average of 2.81 three-pointers per game, and led the SAC in both three-pointers made (73) and attempted (221). Baxter finished the regular season ranked second in Division II in free-throw percentage at 92.5 percent (74-80), including 28 straight made foul shots to end the regular-season, and is the TC career leader in free-throw percentage at 89.1 percent (147-165).

Baxter, who made at least one three-pointer in all 26 regular-season games and ranks fourth in SAC history with 234 career three-pointers, scored a career-high 35 points at Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 4 and set school and SAC records with 11 three-pointers and 20 three-point attempts against the Railsplitters. Against Newberry in a Food Lion SAC Tournament quarterfinal game on Wednesday night, the native of Sevierville, Tenn. became the 15th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.

Dana Hicks of Catawba was honored by the coaches as SAC Player of the Year, with Newberry's Haylee Lepaio earning Freshman of the Year honors. Catawba head coach Angie Morton was recognized by her peers as Coach of the Year.

The first team consists of Dana Hicks and Nisha Long of Catawba, Dayshalee Salaman from Lincoln Memorial, Cameron Sealey from Lenoir-Rhyne, Zoriah Williams from Carson-Newman and Nikki Burton from Wingate. Joining Baxter and Staci Hicks on the second team are Lauren Cochran of LMU, Whitley Culler from Lenoir-Rhyne, Alissa Diaz of Anderson and Lepaio.

Earning All-Freshman status were Armeka Booker of Mars Hill, Chloe Bully from Catawba, Jazmine Charles of Lenoir-Rhyne, Lepaio and Sierra Simpson of Anderson.

- SAC -

All-South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Team
First Team
Nikki Burton, Wingate
Dana Hicks, Catawba
Nisha Long, Catawba
Dayshalee Salaman, LMU
Cameron Sealey, Lenoir-Rhyne
Zoriah Williams, Carson-Newman

Second Team
Kendal Baxter, Tusculum
Lauren Cochran, LMU
Whitley Culler, Lenoir-Rhyne
Alissa Diaz, Anderson
Staci Hicks, Tusculum
Haylee Lepaio, Newberry

SAC All-Freshman Team
Armeka Booker, Mars Hill
Chloe Bully, Catawba
Jazmine Charles, Lenoir-Rhyne
Haylee Lepaio, Newberry
Sierra Simpson, Anderson

SAC Player of the Year: Dana Hicks, Catawba
SAC Freshman of the Year: Haylee Lepaio, Newberry
SAC Coach of the Year: Angie Morton, Catawba