SAN ANTONIO, Texas – In exclusive voting by the head coaches of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), junior forward Ashlyn Milton of Trinity University earned SCAC Women’s Basketball Player-of-the-Year honors, while head coach Katherine Menendez of Colorado College was named the league’s Coach-of-the-Year. Complete Release

In that same balloting, Colorado College first-year guard Andie Will was selected the conference First-Year Player-of-the-Year and Schreiner University sophomore guard Elisa Peralta was named SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

Trinity’s Milton enters the SCAC Tournament among the league leaders in several statistical categories despite finishing outside the top 25 in minutes played (30th – 22.9 mpg). She is currently third in the SCAC in both points (340) and points per game (13.6) and is also in the top six in steals (64 - fourth), steals per game (2.6 – fourth), field goals (130), field goal percentage (45.8 – sixth), three-point field goals made (61 – second) and three-point field goal percentage (41.2 – fourth). Milton had arguably her best weekend of the season, earning SCAC Player-of-the-Week honors, when she led Trinity to back-to-back wins over then No. 12 Mary Hardin-Baylor and then No. 14 Puget Sound, averaging 23.0 points per game on 64.3 percent from the field (53.8 percent from three-point range) along with 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. Additionally, she became the 19th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points during the win over Puget Sound. A three-time all-SCAC performer, including two first-team nods, Milton’s selection as POTY represents the eighth time in the last 10 years and 10th time overall a Trinity student-athlete has won or shared the honor. 

Milton received four votes from the coaches in the hotly contested Player-of-the-Year balloting, while Schreiner University sophomore guard Demauria Miles picked up three votes. Texas Lutheran University first-year guard Lauren Sansano and Colorado College sophomore forward/center Zoe Tomlinson each received one first-place nod.

Will of Colorado College leads all first-years and ranks third in the league in both steals (69) and steals per game (2.8) and is second among first-year players and ninth overall in assists (60). She is also 10th in the league with 92 field goals, 11th in field goal percentage at 40.5 percent and 12th in scoring average at 10.2 points per contest despite averaging just 24.2 minutes per contest. Will poured in 30 points in her first collegiate contest against Concordia (Chicago) and had a team-high nine steals in the Feb. 3 win against Schreiner, the second-most by a CC player in a single game in program history. Her 69 steals this season are already tied for the fifth-most by a Colorado College player in a single season. Will becomes the third CC Tiger in program history to earn SCAC Women’s Basketball First-Year Player-of-the-Year, joining McKenzie Gertz (2017-18) and teammate Audrey Bayston, who shared the accolade with Centenary’s Addy Tremie in 2020-21.

Will received six votes from the league’s head coaches in earning First-Year Player-of-the-Year honors. First-year guard Lauren Sansano of Texas Lutheran received two votes, while first-year forward Tessa Hastings of University of Dallas picked up the remaining first-place vote.

In her second season at Schreiner, Peralta has developed into the team’s heartbeat when it comes to defensive intensity and ranks second in the SCAC in both steals (71) and steals per game (2.8). Although she plays small guard and stands 5’5”, the sophomore’s aggressive play and high motor has helped her amass 119 rebounds this season, a mark good for second on her team and 12th in the SCAC. She averages 4.8 rebounds per game (17th in the SCAC) and has chipped in with four blocks. Peralta also contributes on the offensive side of the ball for the Mountaineers, averaging 12.6 points and 4.7 assists per game – marks good for fourth and third, respectively, in the conference. Peralta is the first Schreiner player to earn SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-year honors.

Peralta received three votes in the balloting for the league’s Defensive POTY award, edging out Trinity junior guard Maggie Robbins and Colorado College first-year guard Andie Will, who garnered two votes each. Senior guard/forward Reece Sandercock of Southwestern University and sophomore guard Kailee Mulkey of Texas Lutheran each received one vote. 

In her seventh season at Colorado College, Katherine Menendez led the Bulldogs to an 18-7 overall mark during the regular season, a 14-2 conference record, and the No. 2 seed in this weekend’s conference tournament. Since taking over prior to the 2016-17 season, Menendez has led CC on an upward trajectory each season, progressively raising the win total bar each season (excluding the 2020-21 COVID campaign). Over the last four seasons, and heading into this weekend’s conference tournament, Colorado College has a 41-17 mark in league play (.707) and an overall record of 55-34 (.618). Currently slotted fourth in the most recent NCAA Region X rankings, this year’s Tiger squad secured their most wins in SCAC play (14) in program history and their 18 total wins are the most for the program since the 1980-81 team posted a 20-8 mark. The Coach-of-the-Year honor is the first for Menendez and the first for any CC head basketball coach (men’s or women’s) since the Tigers joined the conference prior to the 2007-08 season.

2022-23 SCAC PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR
Ashlyn Milton, Trinity University, 5-10, Jr., Forward, Amarillo, Texas

2022-23 SCAC FIRST-YEAR PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR
Andie Will, Colorado College, 5-9, Fy., Guard, Arlington Heights, Ill.

2022-23 SCAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR
Elisa Peralta, Schreiner University, 5-5, So., Guard, Laredo, Texas

2022-23 SCAC COACH-OF-THE-YEAR
Katherine Menendez, Colorado College, 18-7 Overall | 14-2 SCAC | No. 2 seed in SCAC Tourney

2022-23 ALL-SCAC FIRST TEAM
Ashlyn Milton, Trinity, 5-10, Jr., Forward, Amarillo, Texas
Demauria Miles, Schreiner, 5-7, So., Guard, Little Elm, Texas
Zoe Tomlinson, Colorado College, 6-2, So., Forward/Center, New York, N.Y.
Maggie Shipley, Trinity, 6-0, Sr., Guard, Arlington, Va.
Kailee Mulkey, Texas Lutheran, 5-6, So., Guard, New Braunfels, Texas

2022-23 ALL-SCAC SECOND TEAM
Audrey Bayston, Colorado College, 5-11, Jr., Guard, Alamo, Calif.
Elisa Peralta, Schreiner, 5-5, So., Guard, Laredo, Texas
Andie Will, Colorado College, 5-9, Fy., Guard, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Josline Hernandez, Schreiner, 5-8, Sr., Guard, San Antonio, Texas
Anna Fanelli, Colorado College, 5-5, Sr., Guard, Portland, Ore.

2022-23 ALL-SCAC THIRD TEAM
Josie Napolil, Trinity, 5-6, So., Guard, Beaverton, Ore.
Lauren Sansano, Texas Lutheran, 5-4, Fy., Guard, San Antonio, Texas
Adryan Alvarez, Dallas, 5-5, So., Guard, El Paso, Texas
Maggie Robbins, Trinity, 5-3, Jr., Guard, Plano, Texas
Aniyah Burke, Southwestern, 5-6, Fy., Guard, Cedar Park, Texas

HONORABLE MENTION (players receiving votes)
Austin College – Sarah Gwin (Sr., G), Sarah Putnicki (So., F); Centenary – Amiyah Barrow (Fy., G), Dymon Drumgo (So., G), Alana Jones (So., G); Colorado College – Lauren Strenk (So., G); Dallas – Jordan Gillespie (Fy., F), Tessa Hastings (Fy., F), Alyssa Sullivan (Jr., F); Southwestern – Reece Sandercock (Sr., G/F); St. Thomas – Ce’Briaya Bell (Jr., G), Ravyn Ellis (So., G), Nia McGee (So., G), Hayden Morin (Jr., G); Texas Lutheran – Davi’Yanna Jones (Fy., G/F), Kailey Lacy (Sr., G); Trinity – Addie Putnam (Sr., G)

Coaches voted for 15 places for All-SCAC with 15 points awarded for first-place votes, 14 points for second-place votes, 13 points for third-place votes, etc., down to one point for a 15th-place vote. All players not elected to the First, Second or Third Team, but who received at least one vote, were named Honorable Mention. Coaches could not vote for their own players.

2022-23 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Andie Will, Colorado College, 5-9, Fy., Guard, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Lauren Sansano, Texas Lutheran, 5-4, Fy., Guard, San Antonio, Texas      
Aniyah Burke, Southwestern, 5-6, Fy., Guard, Cedar Park, Texas
Tessa Hastings, Dallas, 5-11, Fy., Forward, Tuscon, Ariz.
Davi’Yanna Jones, Texas Lutheran, 5-8, Fy., Guard/Forward, San Antonio, Texas
Madison Parham, Schreiner, 6-0, Fy., Forward, New Braunfels, Texas

Coaches voted for five places for All-Freshman with five points awarded for first-place votes, four points for second-place votes, three points for third-place votes, etc., down to one point for a fifth-place vote. There was no Honorable Mention, and coaches could not vote for their own players.

For the complete release, click here.