UT Martin's Ashia Jones was named the 2014-15 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while Austin Peay's Tiasha Gray was selected as the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. Murray State's Ke'Shunan James was tabbed as the Freshman of the Year while Coach of the Year honors went to UT Martin's Kevin McMillan.
Jones, a native of Covington, Tenn., earns Player of the Year honors after being selected as the 2013-14 Freshman of the Year. She becomes the seventh player in league history to win both awards in a career. The first team All-OVC selection ranks sixth in the nation with a league-leading 22.9 points per game this year. She has scored in double figures in 43 of the last 45 games while reaching the 20-point mark 15 of her last 18 games. The sophomore forward became the school's 14th player to reach 1,000 points in her career and was the third fastest to reach the mark. She tied the single-game points record when she scored 44 points at Murray State. Jones also set a new single-game steals mark as she notched 11 at Miami. She is the fourth different Skyhawk to earn Player of the Year honors joining Heather Butler (2013-14), Jasmine Newsome (2011-12, 2012-13) and Zabrina Harris (1998-99).
A native of Clarksville, Tenn., Gray earns her first Defensive Player of the Year award. The junior guard leads the nation with 3.8 steals each time out this year. Earlier this season, she tied an Austin Peay single-game record with eight steals versus Oral Roberts. A first team All-OVC selection, Gray also ranks second in the OVC with 21.3 points per game. Gray became just the second player in school history to record 1,100 points, 300 assists and 200 steals during a career. She has reached the 30-point mark eight times this season with a career-high 37 points coming versus Wright State. Gray also ranks second in the league in assists as she has dished out 5.6 per contest. Gray notched her second career triple-double against Saint Louis as she recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. She becomes the first Lady Gov to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.
James, a freshman forward/guard from Jackson, Tenn., leads all OVC freshmen with 15.4 points per game to rank eighth in the league this year. The All-Newcomer pick scored in double-figures in 25 of her 28 games this season, including scoring a season high 31 versus Austin Peay. James also ranks among the league leaders in rebounds (6.5), free throw percentage (.763), steals (1.6 spg). She becomes the third Racer to earn Freshman of the Year honors joining Erika Sisk (2012-13) and Rebecca Remington (2001-02).
McMillan earned his second OVC Coach of the Year honor after winning the award in 2009-10. He led his team to a perfect 16-0 league mark in the regular-season. Its just the sixth time in OVC history that a team has finished the regular-season undefeated in league action. The Skyhawks are also one of seven teams in the nation to have an unblemished conference record this year. UT Martin has now won 41 of its last 42 games against OVC opponents, including tournament play. The Skyhawks have also not lost back-to-back OVC contest since Feb. 13, 2010. McMillan became UT Martin's all-time winngest coach earlier this year and he has compiled a 79-21 record in league play. It marks just third time a Skyhawk coach has won the award.
ALL-OVC
Joining Jones and Gray as first-team selections are Eastern Illinois senior forward Sabina Oroszova, Morehead State senior guard Alemsha Jones and SIUE junior guard Shronda Butts.
A native of Bratislava, Slovakia, Oroszova ranks second in the league with 10.1 rebounds per game while also putting up 16.2 points each time out. She is the only player in the league that is averaging a double-double. Oroszova is also the OVC leader in blocked shots averaging nearly two blocks per game this season.
Jones, a product of Cincinnati, Ohio, is second in the nation with a league-leading 8.2 assists per game. She dished out a career-high 16 assists versus Brescia earlier this season. She has tallied eight double-digit assist outings this year. Jones ranks second in the conference with 17.8 points per game this year.
Butts, a Des Moines, Iowa, native, is fifth in the OVC with 16.2 points per game while ranking fourth with a 47.9 field goal percentage. She finished the regular-season among league leaders in assists (3.3 apg) and free throw percentage (81.5%.)
Making up the 2014-15 All-OVC Second team are Jacksonville State junior guard Destany McLin (Athens, Ala.) and senior guard Candace Morton (Lexington, Ky.); Tennessee State senior forward Chelsea Hudson (Midland, Texas); Tennessee Tech Samaria Howard (Jacksonville, Fla.); SIUE senior guard Tierny Austin (Rockford, Ill.) and junior guard/foward Shameekia Murray (Claxton, Ga.)
McLin ranks among league leaders with 12.3 points per game while Morton is 13th in OVC with 12.8 points each time out. Hudson put up 14.3 points per game to rank 10th in the conference as Howard scored 15.6 points per game to rank seventh in the OVC. Austin is sixth in the league with 1.7 steals per game while Murray recorded 14.0 points per game to finish the season ranked 12 in the OVC.
Making up the All-Newcomer team with James are SIUE junior guard Shronda Butts, Eastern Kentucky junior guard/forward Shameekia Murray, Tennessee Tech guard Samaria Howard and UT Martin sophomore guard Jessy Ward (Clarksville, Tenn.). Ward has recorded 11.4 points per game this season to rank in the league's top 20.
2014-15 All-Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Teams
FIRST TEAM
Ashia Jones, UT Martin%
Sabina Oroszovz, Eastern Illinois%
Tiasha Gray, Austin Peay
Almesha Jones, Morehead State
Shronda Butts, SIUE
SECOND TEAM
Chelsea Hudson, Tennessee State%
Destany McLin, Jacksonville State
Candace Morton, Jacksonville State
Samaria Howard, Tennessee Tech
Tierny Austin, SIUE
Shameekia Murray, Eastern Kentucky
ALL-NEWCOMER
Shronda Butts, SIUE
Shameekia Murray, Eastern Kentucky
Samaria Howard, Tennessee Tech
Ke'Shunan James, Murray State
Jessy Ward, UT Martin
OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ashia Jones, UT Martin
OVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Ke'Shunan James, Murray State
OVC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tiasha Gray, Austin Peay
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Kevin McMillan, UT Martin
* - 2013-14 First Team All-OVC
% - 2013-14 Second Team All-OVC