The University of Mississippi Athletics
Melson, McFarland Earn All-SEC Honors
3/1/2011 | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Senior guard Kayla Melson and freshman point guard Valencia McFarland were named to the Second Team All-SEC and All-Freshman Team, respectively, the SEC announced Tuesday morning.
First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman team, All-Defensive team, along with Player, Coach and Freshman, Defensive Player, 6th Woman and Scholar-Athlete of the Year were chosen by the league's 12 coaches.
Melson is Ole Miss' first Second Team All-SEC honoree selected by the league's coaches since Shawn Goff in 2007-08. Bianca Thomas was an AP All-SEC Second Team honoree in 2008-09. McFarland is the first All-Freshman Team selection since Alliesha Easley in 2006-07. This is the first career All-SEC honor for both Melson and McFarland.
This season, Melson has started and played in 22 games missing six with an injury. Melson leads the team in scoring this year (15.6 ppg) and she scored a career-high 30 points in a win over Vanderbilt. This season, Melson scored her 1,000th career point against South Carolina and has recorded 18 double-digit scoring games including five 20-point games and one 30-point game. She is second on the team in assists (93) and is a team captain this season.
McFarland is second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and has started 26 of 27 games. She is in the top three in stats in SEC games including: first in minutes played (38.5 mpg); second in free throw percentage (79.6%, 43-of-54); assist to turnover ratio (1.7) and third in scoring (14.4 points per game and assists (4.8 assists per game). McFarland has scored in double figures in 18 games including five 20-point games. She leads the team in assists (121) and steals (42). McFarland has recorded 11 games with 5+ assists and she is averaging the most points by an Ole Miss freshman (13.2 ppg) since Arminite Price in 2003 (14.9 ppg).
Twelfth-seeded Ole Miss Rebels will face the fifth-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks in the First Round of the SEC Tournament Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Nashville. The game will be televised by FSS.
The complete 2011 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow.
First Team All-SEC
Tierney Jenkins, Alabama
Alli Smalley, Auburn
Porsha Phillips, Georgia
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
Jence Rhoads, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Ceira Ricketts, Arkansas
Sarah Watkins, Arkansas
Jasmine James, Georgia
Adia Mathies, Kentucky
Kayla Melson, Ole Miss
Mary Kathryn Govero, Mississippi State
Iesia Walker, South Carolina
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
All-Freshman Team
Kaneisha Horn, Alabama
Jaterra Bonds, Florida
Khaalidah Miller, Georgia
Bernisha Pinkett, Kentucky
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Jasmine Lister, Vanderbilt
Stephanie Holzer, Vanderbilt
All-Defensive Team
Tierney Jenkins, Alabama
Meredith Mitchell, Georgia
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
Adia Mathies, Kentucky
Katherine Graham, LSU
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
Coach of the Year
Pat Summitt, Tennessee
Player of the Year
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
Freshman of the Year
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
6th Woman of the Year
Stephanie Holzer, Vanderbilt
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Mary Kathryn Govero, Mississippi State
