Benedict Dominates SIAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference Awards
By: Benedict SID
ATLANTA (Benedict SID) — The Benedict College women’s basketball team captured three of the top awards as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its All-Conference Awards.
Head coach James Rice was named SIAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Lady Tigers to a 24-2 overall record and the East Division championship for the second year in a row. Regime McComes was named the SIAC Newcomer of the Year, while Destiny Betts was named the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year.
The All-Conference awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Albany State junior forward Artisha Holston was named the 2016 S SIAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year and Daknequa White of Fort Valley State was tabbed Freshman of the Year.
Rice guided Benedict to the 2015-16 SIAC Women’s Basketball East Division title with a 14-2 mark in league play. Benedict is 14th in the USA Today Coaches Division II rankings and second in the latest NCAA Division II regional rankings. The Lady Tigers have advanced to the SIAC Championship three years in a row, winning the championship in 2014. Benedict tops the SIAC in scoring offense (74.7), scoring margin (+19.5), rebounding offense (47.9), rebounding margin (+15.0), offensive rebounds (18.6) and 3-point field goals made (7.0).
McCombs, 5-5 senior guard from Greenville, S.C., ranks fourth in the SIAC in scoring (16.2). She is also second in NCAA Division II women’s basketball in three-point field goals made (102), three-point field goals per game (3.92) and third in three-point field goals attempted (251.0) which all lead the SIAC. McCombs also tops the conference in free throw percentage (87.8).
Betts, a 6-2 junior forward, averaged 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds a game this season. A Halifax, Va. native, Betts recorded 20 steals and seven blocks during the regular season.
Benedict also had two other players named All-Conference. Terri Jacobs joins McCombs on the First Team. KaDeeja Vaughn was named to the Second Team.
Player of the Year
Artisha Holston (Albany State)
Defensive Player of the Year
Destiny Betts (Benedict)
Newcomer of the Year
Regime McCombs (Benedict)
Freshman of the Year
Daknequa White (Fort Valley State)
Coach of the Year
James Rice (Benedict)
2016 All SIAC Women’s Basketball First Team
| Name | Team | POS | HT | CL | Hometown |
| Artisha Holston | Albany State | F | 6-1 | R-Jr. | Butler, Ga. |
| Terri Jacobs | Benedict | F | 5-11 | Sr. | McDonough, Ga. |
| Logan Powell | Kentucky State | F | 6-0 | Jr. | Lebanon, Ky. |
| Regime McCombs | Benedict | G | 5-5 | Sr. | Greenville, S.C. |
| Mykala Jones | Clark Atlanta | G | 5-6 | Sr. | Augusta, Ga. |
2016 All SIAC Women’s Basketball Second Team
| Name | Team | POS | HT | CL | Hometown |
| Shaniece Brown | Claflin | G | 5-4 | Sr. | Rochester, N.Y. |
| Ashley Watts | Paine | G | 5-6 | Sr. | Augusta, Ga. |
| KaDeeja Vaughn | Benedict | F | 5-11 | Sr. | Decatur, Ga. |
| Janisha Wilkerson | Paine | C | 5-9 | Jr. | Brunswick, Ga. |
| Larian Scott | Miles | C | 5-9 | Jr. | Birmingham, Ala. |
