SIX HIGHLANDERS EARN POSTSEASON BIG SOUTH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HONORS

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference's annual postseason women's basketball honors were released Monday morning. As anticipated, Radford was well represented in the voting, which was completed by the league's 11 head coaches.

In all, six Highlanders were honored, headlined by head coach Mike McGuire earning Big South Coach of the Year. Guards Ayana Avery and Aisha Foy were named second-team all-conference, while forwards Janayla White and Jayda Worthy were selected to the all-freshman team. Kiera McIvor represented RU on the all-academic team.

Sparked by a 14-4 record since Christmas, Radford was able to overcome a 0-2 start to Big South play to end the regular season tied for second in the conference standings with High Point. It marked the Highlanders' highest finish since tying for second in 2010-11. Radford's 17 wins are the most since 2007-08, and its 14 Big South triumphs are the most in program history.

All the above achievements were accomplished in just McGuire's second season at the helm of the Highlanders. After RU was predicted to finish ninth in the Big South preseason poll, McGuire guided the Highlanders to their first winning season in league play since 2010-11 en route to the No. 2 seed in this week's Big South Women's Basketball Championship. Radford's seven-spot improvement from the preseason poll to the final regular-season standings is a Big South record.

McGuire becomes the program's sixth Big South women's basketball coach of the year and first since 2011. In addition, McGuire makes Radford's fourth BSC Coach of the Year in 2014-15, joining Marc Reeves (men's soccer), Marci Jenkins (volleyball) and Brent Chumbley (women's indoor track and field).

For the second straight season, Avery was recognized as an all-conference performer, collecting honorable mention accolades last year.

Avery, who is one of the conference's top sharpshooters from long range, led the Big South in 3-pointers made (72), 3-pointers per game (2.5) and 3-point field goal percentage (.385). Already the RU record holder, Avery currently ranks fourth all-time in Big South history for 3-pointers made in a career (259).

On the strength of her 3-point touch, Avery has ascended to 10^th place on the all-time career scoring list at Radford with 1,180 points. She reached double-figure scoring 15 times this season, eclipsing the 20-point mark on four of those occasions.

In addition, the Cleveland, N.C., native has become accustomed to delivering in late-game situations, knocking down three game-winning 3-pointers this season.

Foy took over the reigns of the Highlanders' offense as a junior, playing in all 29 games and starting 27 of those at the point guard position. The Virginia Beach, Va., native reached double figures offensively a team-high 17 times, while eclipsing the 20-point mark twice. She dropped in a career-high 25 points at Gardner-Webb on Dec. 30, which was the beginning of Radford's midseason turnaround.

The 5-foot-6 guard was the Big South's top free-throw shooter at 81.1 percent. She was even better in crunch time, converting 82.9 percent of her trips to the charity stripe in the final four minutes of regulation. Foy was second on the team in 3-point field goal percentage (.383) and made at least three 3-pointers in six games this season.

A main reason for the Highlanders' 2015 success was the maturation of their freshmen; in particular, the stellar play of White and Worthy.

White, who won the Big South's freshman of the week a league-high three times, led all conference freshmen in rebounds per game (7.3) and blocks per game (1.8). She reached double-figure scoring eight times and double-figure rebounding seven times, while recording at least three blocks in eight games this season.

The 6-foot-2 forward was RU's leader in rebounding 11 times and blocked shots 19 times. White's 53 blocks tie for the most ever recorded by a Radford freshman. The Virginia Beach, Va., native produced a team-best four double-doubles.

Worthy finished second behind her teammate in rebounding among Big South freshmen, pulling down six rebounds per contest. She averaged 7.4 points per game—the third-best scoring average for the Highlanders.

The Toledo, Ohio, native reached double-figure scoring five times, while finishing as Radford's top scorer in two games. Worthy was the Highlanders' leading rebounder in eight games and dished out at least three assists four times. She notched two double-doubles on the season, including one against Virginia Tech.

McIvor was named to the all-academic team for the second year in a row. The psychology and finance double major has a 3.5 GPA entering her final semester at RU.

Radford opens postseason play Thursday, March 5 in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Big South Women's Basketball Championship. The second-seeded Highlanders are set to collide with the winner between No. 7 seed Gardner-Webb and No. 10 seed Longwood at 6 p.m. inside The HTC Center in Conway, S.C.

2014-15 Big South Conference Women's Basketball Award Winners

First-Team All-Conference
Stacia Robertson, F, R-Sr., High Point
AJ Jordan, G, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty
Erica Williams, F/G, So., Winthrop
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Second-Team All-Conference
Kiera Gaines, F, Sr., Campbell
Ayana Avery, G, Sr., Radford
Karly Buer, G, R-Sr., Liberty
Keyonna Allen, F, R-Jr., Presbyterian
Aisha Foy, G, Jr., Radford

Honorable Mention All-Conference
Olivia Parker, F, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Aliyah Kilpatrick, G, R-So., Winthrop
RaeChaun Edwards, G, R-Jr., Campbell
Shonese Jones, G, Sr., UNC Asheville
Raven Williams, G, Jr., Longwood

All-Freshman Team
Cortney Storey, G, Presbyterian
Jas Adams, G, Coastal Carolina
Summer Price, G, Campbell
Janayla White, F, Radford
Jayda Worthy, F, Radford

All-Academic Team
Juli Osborne, F, Sr., Campbell
Alyssa Mann, G, R-So., Charleston Southern
AJ Jordan, G, Sr., Coastal Carolina
Alicia Quinn, F/C, R-So., Gardner-Webb
Latrice Phelps, F, Sr., High Point
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty
Emily Nylen, F, So., Longwood
Kiera McIvor, G, Sr., Radford
Jeannie Buckner, F, Sr., UNC Asheville
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Player of the Year
Stacia Robertson, F, R-Sr., High Point

Freshman of the Year
Cortney Storey, G, Presbyterian

Defensive Player of the Year
Schaquilla Nunn, C, Jr., Winthrop

Coach of the Year
Mike McGuire, Radford

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Ashley Rininger, F/C, R-Jr., Liberty

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Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#3 Aisha Foy: G; 5' 6"; Junior

#33 Kiera McIvor: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#21 Janayla White: F; 6' 2"; Freshman

#22 Jayda Worthy: F; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Ayana Avery
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#3 Aisha Foy
: 5' 6"; Junior
: G

#33 Kiera McIvor
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#21 Janayla White
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: F

#22 Jayda Worthy
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: F

Radford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned