2017-18 All-Conference Women's Basketball Team (PDF)


CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The 2017-18 Great Midwest All-Conference Women’s Basketball Team was released on Wednesday night as eight teams get ready for the postseason in Cedarville’s Callan Athletic Center.
 
As regular-season champion, the Yellow Jackets are hosting this year’s conference tournament as the No. 1 seed with four quarterfinal matchups on deck for Thursday.
 
The all-conference team consisted of 20 selections from the league’s 13 institutions, including five on the first team, five on the second team and 10 more additional honorable mention honorees.
 
All voting was conducted among the league’s head coaches.
 
The Great Midwest Player of the Year for the third straight season was presented to Ursuline’s senior forward Laney Lewis. Her game is matched by few around the country and is a special talent the league privileged to have had over the past couple years.
 
Lewis is currently second in the league all time in scoring while ranking first in career rebounds and blocked shots. She was the league leader in assists and rebounds for the current season.
 
She is a viable NCAA All-American candidate and checks in as the national leader in rebounding across Division II.
 
Earning the votes for Great Midwest Freshman of the Year was Walsh rookie forward Mayci Sales. From Massillon, Ohio, Sales has seamlessly transitioned into the college game while helping the Cavaliers achieve the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament.
 
Sales averaged double-digit scoring and over five rebounds per contest while scoring a career-high 20 in three different games. At 6-1, Sales presents mismatch problems for many programs and is a big part of the Walsh success this year.
 
Great Midwest Coach of the Year honors was awarded to Cedarville’s Kari Hoffman for her work with the top-seeded Yellow Jackets.
 
Cedarville was the top shooting and defending team (on virtue of opponent field goal percentage) in the league while carrying a No. 6 Midwest Region ranking into the conference tournament.
 
Hoffman has overcome an injury to star guard Regina Hochstetler to help the Yellow Jackets maintain their high level of play going into the playoffs.
 
Hochstetler, a senior by academic standings, but junior with playing eligibility, was named to the first team along with teammate Baylee Bennett. Bennett had the initially set the single-game record for threes in a game with 11 and was 11thin the league in scoring at 14.1 points per game.
 
Davis & Elkins’ Aliyah Dukes also earned a first-team nod after leading the league in scoring as a senior, more than a 14-point jump in her scoring averages from a year ago. Her 43-point total in a game is tied for the second most in Great Midwest history.
 
Junior forward Anna Hintz of Findlay was the final first-team selection. The Oilers were first in the conference standings for part of the season and almost averaged 19 and 9 for the season. She was also a conference athlete of the week during the year.