HAMMOND, La. – After helping Southeastern Louisiana to its first postseason appearance since the 2011-12 season, Lady Lion guards Celica Sterling and Alexius Horne were recognized as part of the 2019-20 All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams, which were released by the league office on Tuesday.
 
The two Baton Rouge natives were both awarded among the league's best, as Sterling was named to the All-Southland Conference team as a third-team selection. Horne was named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and is the first Lady Lion to receive that award in program history.
 
Sterling earned all-conference recognition for the second straight season. She finished the regular season with 13.8 points per game and is seventh in the Southland in scoring. Sterling has scored in double figures in 20 games and is fifth in the league with 62 three-point field goals.
 
Since transferring from Baton Rouge Community College prior to last season, Sterling has been the go-to scorer for the Lady Lions. She ranks among the school's career leaders in three-point field goals made (128, 5th), three-point field goals attempted (345, 6^th) and three-point field goal percentage (37.1, 4^th).
 
Horne made an immediate impact in her debut season out of Denham Springs High School before suffering a season-ending injury on Feb. 26. Second on the team with 9.5 points per game, she was selected as the league's best freshman thanks to ranking on the Southland leaderboard in assists (3.8 apg, 3^rd), free throw percentage (75.6, 9^th), steals (1.9, 10^th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.08, 3^rd).
 
Abilene Christian guard Breanna Wright was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year, while Sam Houston State guard Faith Cook was named the league's Newcomer of the Year. After helping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to the regular season conference championship, head coach Royce Chadwick was named Coach of the Year and senior forward Alexes Bryant was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year.
 
The All-Southland Conference teams were selected by the Southland head coaches and sports information directors. Schools were not allowed to vote for their institution's student-athletes or coaches.
 
2019-20 All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams
Player of the Year: Breanna Wright, Abilene Christian
Defensive Player of the Year: Alexes Bryant, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Freshman of the Year: Alexius Horne, Southeastern Louisiana
Newcomer of the Year: Faith Cook, Sam Houston State
Coach of the Year: Royce Chadwick, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
 
First Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. – Hometown
Dominique Golightly – Abilene Christian – G – Sr. – Chickasha, Okla.
Breanna Wright – Abilene Christian – G – Sr. – Jarrell, Texas
Imani Robinson – UIW – G – Sr. – Round Rock, Texas
Amber Leggett – Sam Houston State – F – So. – Navarre, Fla.
Stephanie Visscher – Stephen F. Austin – G – So. – Lulea, Sweden
 
Second Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. – Hometown
Damilola Balogun – McNeese – F – Sr. – Lagos, Nigeria
Jaylonn Walker – Sam Houston State – G – Sr. – Calvert, Texas
Aiyana Johnson – Stephen F. Austin – F/C – So. – Lee's Summit, Mo.
Dalesia Booth – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – G – Sr. – San Antonio, Texas
Alexes Bryant – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – F – Sr. – Cibolo, Texas
 
Third Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. – Hometown
Celica Sterling – Southeastern Louisiana – G – Sr. – Baton Rouge, La.
Taylor Sells – Central Arkansas – G – Sr. – Tulsa, Okla.
Rehema Franklin – New Orleans – G – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
Asia Woods – New Orleans – F – Sr. – Houston, Texas
Dae Dae Evans – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – G – Sr. – Bellaire, Texas
 
All-Defensive Team
Name – School – Pos. – Cl. – Hometown
Taylor Sells – Central Arkansas – G – Sr. – Tulsa, Okla.
Jadyn Pimentel – Lamar – G – Jr. – St. Louis, Mo.
Amber Leggett – Sam Houston State – F – So. – Navarre, Fla.
Dalesia Booth – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – G – Sr. – San Antonio, Texas
Alexes Bryant – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – F – Sr. – Cibolo, Texas
 
Up Next
The Lady Lions will be returning to the 2020 Hercules Tires Southland Conference Tournament at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas for the first time since the 2011-12 season. No. 8 seed SLU opens up tournament play on Thursday, facing No. 5 UNO at 11 a.m. in first-round action.
 
The SLU-UNO winner will advance to face No. 4 Sam Houston State in Friday's 11 a.m. quarterfinals. The winner of that game moves on take on No. 1 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. Sunday's championship game will also tip-off at 1 p.m. with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The first three rounds of the tournament will be televised on ESPN+. Sunday's championship game will air on CBS Sports Network. All of SLU's tournament contests will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio and Lions Gameday Experience apps.
 
The SLU Athletics Ticket Office has tickets available for the Southland Conference Tournament. Southeastern is selling all-tournament books that includes tickets for all men's and women's tournament sessions for $60. Single-session tickets are on sale for $20.
 
Tickets can be picked up at the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office through Wednesday. Fans who would like to pick up their tickets at the Merrell Center will-call must purchase by Tuesday. The SLU Athletics Ticket Office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and can be reached at (985) 549-5466.
 
SLU fans who purchase tickets on game day at the Merrell Center are encouraged to visit the Southeastern Athletics window at the tournament site.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.