Women’s Basketball Claims Two 2018-19 All-GAC Honors
ADA, OKLA. – The East Central University women's basketball team saw two players named to the 2018-19 All-Great American Conference teams and two more earn academic honors after claiming the No. 2 spot in the 2018-19 GAC Championship Tournament.
The Tigers (21-7, 16-6 GAC) will face No. 7 Arkansas Tech, Thursday, March 7 at 12 p.m. in Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Okla. The No. 2 finish is tied for the best in the GAC (2013-14) and the third-best team finish in school history with their current 21 wins.
ECU saw seniors
Lakin Preisner and
Tia Williams named to the All-GAC Second Team, making it the first honor for Williams and the second for Preisner (2017-18 Honorable Mention).
The Tigers also claimed two GAC Distinguished Scholar Athletes: sophomore
Kendall Schulte and junior
Charlea Leonard. This award is presented to student-athletes who have completed at least 70 hours and have a 3.7 GPA or higher. Schulte and Leonard are two of 13 student-athletes named to the list.
Preisner and Williams have led the team all season, with both averaging over 10 points per game. Preisner provides 13.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while adding a 42.3% (116-of-274) field goal percentage, 38.8% (47-of-121) three-point field goal percentage, 92.7% (89-of-96) free-throw percentage, 68 assists, 40 steals and 16 blocks.
The Americus, Kan., native is currently ranked No. 3 in the NCAA for her 92.7 free-throw percentage and she is ranked in three other NCAA statistical categories. She has also earned a spot on the ECU Career Double-Doubles list.
Williams averaged 12.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, while adding a 41.4% (126-of-304) field goal percentage, 40.5% (64-of-158) three-point field goal percentage, 43 assists, 32 steals and 10 blocks. She is currently ranked in three NCAA statistical categories.
The Norman, Okla., native has placed her name all over the ECU Record books, with two individual season, and three career records, including the No. 2 spot for games played. In four seasons she has seen action in 111 games, with the No. 1 spot being held by Ashley Prince (1996-00) at 114.
Tiger Quick Shots
• The Tigers claimed the No. 2 spot in the 2018-19 GAC Championship Tournament
• Eighth-straight trip to the GAC Tournament
• Tied for the best finish in the GAC Tournament (2013-14 - No. 2)
• This is the sixth-straight year that both the ECU men's and women's team have gone to
the GAC Championship Tournament
• Longest current streak
• Southeastern is next with two-straight years
• The Tigers are tied with Southeastern and Arkansas Tech for the most double trips (6)
• ECU has sent both team the most times (4) since the field was expanded in 2015-16
• Next on the list is SE, ATU and Ouachita (2)
• The quarterfinal game vs. ATU is a flip/flop of last years game (ATU - No. 2 / ECU - No. 7)
• The Tigers are ranked No. 41 in the NCAA in free-throw percentage (74.8%)
• Two players are ranked in the top-100 in the NCAA Free Throw Percentage category
• Preisner: No. 3 - 92.7%
• So.
Madison Rehl: No. 83 - 81.1%
• Individually, ECU has four players ranked in the top-100 in NCAA statistical categories
• Preisner is ranked in the top-100 in four categories
• No. 3 Free Throw Pct. - 92.7%
• No. 48 Defensive Rebounds/Gm - 7.0
• No. 87 Rebounds/Gm - 8.5
• No. 88 Rebounds - 230
•
Tia Williams is ranked in three categories
• No. 31 3PT FG Pct. - 40.5%
• No. 65 3PT FG/Gm - 2.46
• No. 65 3PT FGM - 64
•
Stefany Lourenco is ranked in two categories
• No. 63 Steals - 62
• No. 86 Steals/Gm - 2.21
• Rehl: No. 83 Free-Throw Percentage - 81.1%
• The Tigers are ranked in the top-100 in 14 NCAA categories, nine in the top-50
• ECU has two players that have already earned a spot on the Career Records list
• Williams is ranked in three categories
• No. 6 3PT FGA: 378
• No. 3 3PT FGM - 139
• No. 2 Games Played - 111
• Preisner: No. 6 Double-Doubles - 11
• The team is also making their mark on the individual season record books
• No. 2 3PT Field Goals Made - 237
• No. 5 3PT Field Goals Made - 660
• No. 8 Steals - 231
• Williams and Lourenco have also earned a spot on the Individual Season Lists
• Williams: No. 3 3PT FGM - 64
• No. 7 3PT FGA 158
• Lourenco: No. 3 Steals - 62
• The Tigers defeated No. 22 Central Oklahoma (75-56), Dec. 31
• First win over a ranked opponent since Feb. 20, 2018 vs. No. 5 Southwestern (W, 76-66)
• Sr.
Tia Williams was named GAC Player of the Week for Jan. 2
• Preisner was named GAC Player of the Week for Nov. 26, 2018
• Against Arkansas-Fort Smith: 31 pts., 10 reb., 1 assist, 4 steals, 100 (14-of-14) FT%
• Most points by an ECU player since Jan. 12, 2013
• Ties for 11th highest single-game point total for a Tiger
