MARSHALL, Texas – Given three major American Southwest Conference awards, East Texas Baptist University has six players named to the All-ASC teams.
Payton Hicks,
Kadia Ward, and head coach
Blake Arbogast earned top ASC awards.
Arbogast was named the ASC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, leading ETBU to the program's second ASC Tournament Championship. He earned his 100
th career win this season and had ETBU in their second NCAA Tournament in four years. It is also his fourth 20+ win season as the head coach in five years.
Hicks is the ASC Player of the Year after being named the Most Outstanding Player at the ASC Tournament. She led the ASC in free throws made (136), total assists (113), assists/turnover ratio (1.2), and assists per game (3.9) and was third in scoring at 13.4 points per game. In 22 games, she scored 10+ points, with four scoring 20+ points and one double-double. This is her second ASC award as she was on the All-ASC third team last year.
Ward gained her second major award from the ASC as the Defensive Player of the Year, on the ASC All-Defensive team, and made the All-ASC second team. Last year, she was the ASC Freshman of the Year, on the All-ASC Freshman team, and All-ASC honorable mention. The all-around player was third in the ASC in blocked shots (24), steals (58), and assists (76). She averaged 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, scoring 10+ points in six games with one double-double.
Madison Hurta is one of the top freshmen in the ASC on the All-Freshman team and the All-ASC second team. In the ASC, she was second in three-point field goals made (2.3) and fifth in scoring (12.5). She made 65 three-pointers to lead the ASC and had 10+ points in 23 games with a career-high 24 points vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor on Feb. 15.
Tiffany Bickford was on the All-ASC second team for her first career award. She had 10+ points in six games with two double-doubles, averaging 6.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. On January 23 against Mary Hardin-Baylor, she had a double-double with a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. She scored double figures in four of the last seven games with one double-double.
Hannah Matthews and Jayla both made the All-ASC third team. Matthews earned her second All-ASC award as she was honorable mention last year. She averaged 5.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game with 10+ points in four games, shooting 60 percent from the floor.
Hall is now a two-time All-ASC third-team selection. She has had five games with 10+ points and battled through an injury this season. She posted a double-double against Willamette on November 15 with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
ETBU finished the year at 23-5, won the ASC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and hosted the NCAA Tournament.
ASC Awards
ASC Player of the Year:
Payton Hicks
ASC Defensive Player of the Year:
Kadia Ward
ASC Coach of the Year:
Blake Arbogast
ASC All-Freshman Team:
Madison Hurta
ASC All-Defensive Team:
Kadia Ward
All-ASC First Team
Payton Hicks
All-ASC Second Team
Kadia Ward
Tiffany Bickford
Madison Hurta
All-ASC Third Team
Hannah Matthews
Jayla Hall