SHREVEPORT, La. – In exclusive voting by the head coaches of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), junior guard Monica Holguin of Trinity University was selected as SCAC Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year while and Schreiner University head coach Temaine Wright was named the league’s Coach-of-the-Year. Complete Release

In that same balloting, Austin College first-year forward Bryce Frank was voted the league’s Newcomer-of-the-Year award while her teammate, senior guard Katie Gowdy, was named the SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

One of the more versatile players in the league, Trinity’s Holguin was one of just three players who finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 in the SCAC in points, assists and steals per game. She averaged a team-high 13.3 points per game (fifth in the SCAC) while also adding 2.0 steals (third in the SCAC) and 2.6 assists (ninth in the SCAC) a contest. Among her many highlights this season, Holguin posted a career-best 24 points, shooting 6-of-14 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range, and sinking 8-of-9 free throws, as Trinity defeated Division I University of the Incarnate Word, 61-55, on Dec. 5. It is just the third win by a Division III women’s basketball program over a Division I school since 2003. Holguin is the fifth Trinity student-athlete to earn SCAC Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year honors and the third in the last four years. Her teammate, Anecia Richardson, won the award as a sophomore in 2013-14.

Holguin received four votes from the coaches in the Player-of-the-Year, while senior guard Kelsie Jackson of Schreiner earned two first-place votes. Senior forward Danielle Davis of Colorado College and junior guard/forward Savannah Hight of Texas Lutheran University both received one vote each.

Frank made an immediate and noticeable impact for Austin College, leading the team in both scoring (11.2 points per game / 11th in the SCAC) and rebounding (6.2 per game / fifth in the SCAC). The first-year forward is also sixth in assists (2.7 per game), seventh in blocks (0.9 per game) and eighth in the field goal percentage (41.8 percent), and is currently first (rebounds, assists, blocked shots) or second (points and field goal percentage) among all SCAC first-year players in those same categories. She poured in a career-best 28 points in a Jan. 9 comeback win over Texas Lutheran in overtime (70-67), which snapped a 16-game home SCAC win streak for the Bulldogs. Frank is just the second Austin College player, and first since Katy Williams in 2006-07, to earn SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors.

Frank received four votes from the league’s head coaches in earning Newcomer-of-the-Year honors. First-year guards Tori Carraway of Southwestern University and Jasmine Morris of Centenary College each received two votes.

Austin College’s Gowdy, according to ‘Roos head coach Michelle Filander, “plays the toughest position in the team’s defensive system.” Those efforts played a huge role in Austin College leading the league in field goal percentage defense (34.1 percent) – which is on pace to be the fourth-lowest percentage allowed from the field in a SCAC single season. Gowdy, who averages 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, also chipped in on the offensive side of the floor with 8.2 points per contest. She is the first Austin College student-athlete to earn SCAC Women’s Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors since the ‘Roos joined the league prior to the 2006-07 season.

Gowdy received four votes in the balloting for the league’s Defensive POTY award. Senior guard Caitlin Barrett of Trinity and senior forward Briana Edwards of Centenary received two votes each.

Schreiner head coach Temaine Wright led his squad to a 12-12 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark during the regular season. With last Saturday’s 75-66 victory over then #24 Trinity, the Mountaineers clinched the No. 3 seed at this weekend’s SCAC tournament and established a new school record in the NCAA era for conference wins in a single-season. In his third season as head coach of the Schreiner program, Wright has posted a 39-38 overall record and an even more impressive 28-14 conference mark. Prior to his arrival, the Mountaineers had never won more than six conference games in any season during the NCAA era.

Wright received four votes from his peers in earning SCAC Coach-of-the-Year honors. Cameron Hill of Trinity received two votes while Michelle Filander of Austin College and Justin LeBlanc of Centenary College received one vote each.

2015-16 SCAC PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR
Monica Holguin, Trinity University, 5-9, Jr., Guard, El Paso, Texas

2015-16 SCAC NEWCOMER-OF-THE-YEAR
Bryce Frank, Austin College, 6-2, Fy., Forward, Granbury, Texas

2015-16 SCAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR
Katie Gowdy, Austin College, 5-6, Sr., Guard, Kingwood, Texas

2015-16 SCAC COACH-OF-THE-YEAR
Temaine Wright, Schreiner University / 12-12 Overall / 10-4 SCAC / Third seed in SCAC Tourney

2015-16 ALL-SCAC FIRST TEAM
Monica Holguin, Trinity, 5-9, Jr., Guard, El Paso, Texas
Savannah Hight, Texas Lutheran, 5-10, Jr., Guard/Forward, San Antonio, Texas
Kelsie Jackson, Schreiner, 5-6, Sr., Guard, Corpus Christi, Texas
Kristen Lye, Texas Lutheran, 5-9, Jr., Guard/Forward, San Antonio, Texas
Audrey Garcia, Southwestern, 5-7, Sr., Guard, Cypress, Texas

2015-16 ALL-SCAC SECOND TEAM
Danielle Davis, Colorado College, 5-11, Sr., Forward, Boxford, Mass.
Mollie Hughes, Trinity, 5-11, So., Forward, Abilene, Texas
Kali Vittallo, Austin College, 5-7, So., Guard, Canyon Country, Calif.
Caitlin Barrett, Trinity, 5-5, Sr., Guard, Southlake, Texas
Sabriyyah Fennell, Schreiner, 5-7, Jr., Guard, Cypress, Texas

2015-16 ALL-SCAC THIRD TEAM
Kendall Heitmeier, Austin College, 6-0, Jr., Forward, Parker, Colo.
Bryce Frank, Austin College, 6-2, Fy., Forward, Granbury, Texas
Michelle DeCoud, Dallas, 5-11, So., Forward, Monument, Colo.
Taylor Dydalewicz, Texas Lutheran, 5-9, Sr., Guard, Dripping Springs, Texas
Briana Edwards, Centenary, 5-9, Sr., Forward, Shreveport, La.

HONORABLE MENTION (players receiving votes)
Austin College – Katie Gowdy (Sr., G), Olivia Bailey (Jr., G); Centenary – Jasmine Morris (Fy., G), Samantha Lyons (So., G); Colorado College – Korbyn Ukasick (Jr., F); Dallas – Holly Tonry (Jr., G), Seana Stoia (Jr., F); Schreiner – Cassandra Aleman (Sr., G); Southwestern – Tori Carraway (Fy., G), Olivia Podaras (Jr., G); Trinity – Allison Staley (Jr., G/F)

Coaches voted for 15 places for All-SCAC with 15 points awarded for first-place votes, 14 points for second-place votes, 13 points for third-place votes, etc., down to one point for a 15th-place vote. All players not elected to the First, Second or Third Team, but who received at least one vote, were named Honorable Mention. Coaches could not vote for their own players.

For the complete release, click here.