YOUNGSTOWN — After ending the regular season by winning nine of its last 10 games and as the conference’s No. 2 seed, the Youngstown State women’s basketball team cleaned up in the Horizon League’s annual awards that were announced on Monday.
Sophomore forward Sophia Gregory was named Defensive Player of the Year, while junior forward Paulina Hernandez took home Sixth Player of the Year.
Gregory and sixth-year guard Casey Santoro earned All-Horizon League Second Team honors, while redshirt freshman Sarah Baker was selected for the All-Freshman Team. Gregory was also named to the league’s All-Defensive Team.
“Really proud of the recognition by the league. We always talk about how those individual awards, you don’t get those without team success,” women’s coach Melissa Jackson said. “We’ve had a great regular season and positioned ourselves with the No. 2 seed. A lot of players are being recognized, and I love it because it’s so balanced. Our team has been balanced all year.”
Last year, Gregory, a West Branch product, was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year after leading all conference freshmen in most major statistical categories. She accomplished that playing in the No. 5 spot for the Penguins after YSU battled injuries to its post rotation.
However, this year, while playing in her more natural No. 4 spot, Gregory has arguably been even better. She’s averaging almost a double-double at 10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and ended the regular season with two of the best performances of her career.
Her 9.0 rebounds per game are the most in the Horizon League, and she’s been one of the focal points for a Penguins defense that leads the conference in scoring defense, opponent field-goal percentage, opponent three-point percentage and blocks.
“I think there’s been so much growth for her on both sides of the ball,” Jackson said. “But for her to get Defensive Player of the Year, I think speaks a lot to her athleticism, her instincts and all that, but the concepts and how she’s been able to pick up things this year — that growth has been tremendous. I credit a lot of that to our coaching staff. Her position coach, Shayna Gore has done an unbelievable job with her, bringing her in and watching film. She really has gotten better and grown in a lot of areas.”
Hernandez has given YSU a spark off the bench all season long after transferring from Cleveland State prior to the start of the year.
In almost 16 minutes per game, she’s averaging 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds, while leading the Horizon League in blocks with 1.8 per game. She’s scored in double figures 10 times this season and statistically, has been one of the best shot blockers in the country.
Since joining the Penguins for her final season of eligibility from Florida Gulf Coast, Santoro has provided experience and leadership, as well as a steady veteran presence on the floor for a young YSU team. She leads the league in minutes (35.6) and the team in scoring (12.3) and assists (3.3), while also pulling down 5.4 rebounds per game.
After missing most of last year with a season-ending injury, Baker picked up right where she left off this season. She’s been one of the Penguins’ most consistent scorers with her dynamic post presence and is averaging 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
“You see Casey on the Second Team, and I love the defensive awards,” Jackson said. “I think Sophia is absolutely deserving of Defensive Player of the Year. Paulina has been, like I’ve mentioned, the best true sixth man in this league. So, very happy to see her recognized there. Obviously we have some very talented freshmen, and for Sarah to get that honor — there’s a lot of great freshmen in this league, so that speaks to her.”
Green Bay’s Jenna Guyer was named Player of the Year, while Phoenix coach Kayla Karius took home Coach of the Year honors. Rounding out the individual awards was Cleveland State’s Izabella Zingaro, who won Newcomer of the Year, and Oakland’s Makenzie Luehring, who was named Freshman of the Year.
CARROLL, ZORGVOL PICK UP HONORS FOR YSU MEN
A pair of seniors received Horizon League postseason honors for the YSU men’s team.
Forward Cris Carroll was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team, while center Imanuel Zorgvol was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team.
“I think it was about as I expected. We’ve had a very balanced, competitive year in the league, so I think a lot of players are very deserving of being all-league honorees,” men’s coach Ethan Faulkner said. “Certainly felt like Cris and Iman being recognized was very deserving.”
In his second season with the Penguins, Carroll led YSU in scoring and was fourth in the Horizon League with 17.4 points per game. He scored in double figures in all but two games this year and shot 48.1% from the floor and 39.9% from three.
After missing all of last season with an injury, Zorgvol proved to be one of the top shot blockers in the country this year. He led the league with 59 total blocks and averaged 1.9 per game. His 59 blocks rank eighth in the program’s single-season list, and he needs just one more block to become just the fourth player in school history with at least 60 blocks in a season. He also averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
“Cris has been one of the best scorers in the league all year, and one of the most consistent scorers in the league. Done it at a very efficient rate in terms of his percentages from the field, from three and from the free-throw line,” Faulkner said. “I think Iman’s the best shot blocker in the league. The stats say that, and I think we’re a different defensive team when he’s out there.”
Regular season champion Wright State took home most of the individual awards, including Coach of the Year (Clint Sargent), Newcomer of the Year (TJ Burch), Freshman of the Year (Kellen Pickett) and Defensive Player of the Year (Burch). Robert Morris; DeSean Goode was named Player of the Year, while Cleveland State’s Chevalier Emery earned Sixth Man of the Year.
Hence then, the article about four earn all horizon league honors for ysu women was published today ( ) and is available on TribToday ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Four earn All-Horizon League honors for YSU women )
Also on site :
- ‘World of Warcraft’ Just Upgraded Its Best City for the First Time in 20 Years, and Now It’s Perfect
- Todd Meadows Cause of Death: What We Know About the 'Deadliest Catch' Star's Death so Far
- ChatGPT uninstalls surged by 295% after DoD deal