PAC honors women's basketball all-conference teams, award winners

PAC honors women's basketball all-conference teams, award winners

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LATROBE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) announced its 2019-20 All-PAC Women’s Basketball teams and yearly award winners between championship tournament semifinal games Friday evening at top-seeded Saint Vincent College's Robert S. Carey Student Center. 

The all-conference teams, as well as the PAC's yearly award winners, are determined, by vote, of the league’s nine head coaches.

Saint Vincent junior guard Jenna Lafko (Gibsonia, Pa. | Hampton) was voted the PAC Player of the Year while Grove City College senior forward Kate Balcom (Londonderry, N.H. | Londonderry) was recognized as the PAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season. 

Chatham University first-year guard Riley D'Angelo (Bellwood, Pa. | Bellwood-Antis) collected the PAC Newcomer of the Year award and Westminster College 18th-year head coach Rosanne Scott was honored as the PAC Coach of the Year. 

Lafko is Saint Vincent's second player to receive the league's top award. Brittany Sedlock won it in back-to-back years (2011, 2012).

Lafko ranks second in the PAC in assists (93), third in both steals (76) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), fifth in field goal percentage (51.6%) and ninth in scoring average (13.8). Lafko's 76 steals also rank 35th in NCAA Division III. She scored 20-plus points in three games this year. Lafko finished with 26 points and 21 points, respectively, in regular season wins over league rival Washington & Jefferson College. She also posted 26 points in a road win at Penn State Altoona on Nov. 15.  

Lafko was an Honorable Mention All-PAC selection in 2018-19.

Balcom is Grove City's sixth-straight defensive player of the year honoree, following Lexie Arkrwright (2017-18) and Kathryn Erbelding (2015-16). Her 79 steals lead the PAC and rank 27th in Division III. Balcom also has 16 blocked shots in her 25 starts this season. Her 79 steals are sixth among Grove City's single-season leaders, while her 297 career steals rank second in program history. Balcom ranks seventh in the PAC in field goal percentage (47.2%) and eighth in both scoring average (15.6) free throw percentage (70.5%). She is also averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. 

Balcom has continued to headline Grove City's outstanding defensive effort throughout the season, helping Division III's 24th-ranked scoring defense limit opponents to just 52.8 points per game. She was an All-PAC First Team selection last season after being named an All-PAC Honorable Mention in 2017-18.

Balcom earned Academic All-District First Team recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Feb. 20.

D'Angelo is Chatham's first-ever newcomer of the year award winner. She made 26 starts this season for the Cougars and averaged 36.0 minutes per game. D'Angelo leads the PAC and ranks fifth in Division III in made three-pointers (84) this season. Her 37.3 percent (84-225) three-point field goal percentage leads the league. D'Angelo also ranks 14th in the league in scoring average (11.5) while averaging 3.4 rebounds per game. 

The coach of the year citation is Scott's third (2004, 2007). Westminster is appearing in the league's championship tournament for the fourth-straight year. Wednesday's 76-60 win over No. 6 Waynesburg University earned the Titans a spot in the tournament semifinals for the first time since 2009-10. The quarterfinal victory was the Titans' 20th of the season, marking the program's first 20-win season since 2006-07 and just the third 20-win season in program history.

PAC Women's Basketball annual award winners
Player of the Year: Saint Vincent junior guard Jenna Lafko
Defensive Player of the Year: Grove City senior forward Kate Balcom
Newcomer of the Year: Chatham first-year guard Riley D'Angelo
Coach of the Year: Westminster 18th-year head coach Rosanne Scott

2019-20 All-PAC Women's Basketball Teams
First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Kate Balcom Grove City F Sr. Londonderry, N.H. | Londonderry
Jess Bowen Grove City G Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | North Hills
Madison Kollar Saint Vincent F Sr. Latrobe, Pa. | Greater Latrobe
Jenna Lafko Saint Vincent G Jr. Gibsonia, Pa. | Hampton
Emily Ondo Chatham G Gr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Shaler
 
Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Kayla Bennett Westminster F Sr. Kent, Ohio | Theodore Roosevelt
Brooke Fuller Waynesburg C So. Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton
Alazia Greaves Westminster G Jr. West Sunbury, Pa. | Moniteau
Alie Seto W&J F Jr. Allison, Pa. | Brownsville
Lauren Tipton Geneva F Jr. Glenside, Pa. | Phil-Mont Christian Academy
 
Honorable Mentions
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Kaitlyn Fertig Chatham G So. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
Emily Fromknecht Westminster F Sr. Erie, Pa. | McDowell
Lauren Gilbert W&J G Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin
Kayla Slovenec Saint Vincent F Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Fox Chapel
Courtney Walker Bethany G So. Moundsville, W.Va. | Cameron
 
PAC Sportsmanship Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Samaria Murry Bethany F Fr. Akron, Ohio | St. Vincent-St. Mary
Sierra Short Chatham F So. Monongahela, Pa. | Charleroi
Lauren Tipton Geneva F Jr. Glenside, Pa. | Phil-Mont Christian Academy
Jess Book Grove City F Sr. Bellefonte, Pa. | Bellefonte
Paige Montrose Saint Vincent F Sr. Seven Fields, Pa. | Seneca Valley
Courtney Harriman Thiel G Sr. Geneva, Ohio | Geneva
Megan Williams W&J G Sr. Bay Village, Ohio | Lake Ridge Academy
Leighton Croft Waynesburg F Fr. Morgantown, W.Va. | Trinity Christian
Aliya Gage Westminster G Sr. New Castle, Pa. | Mohawk