Women's Basketball | 3/7/2024 11:00:00 AM

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Audrey Jennings was one of 17 players recognized on the 2023-24 All-Sunshine State Conference women's basketball team on Thursday.

Jennings was second in the conference in scoring at 18.4 points and lead the league in free throws made and attempted (149-of-176). Jennings scored in double figures 26 of 28 games, including nine games of 20+ and two games more more than 30. He hit for a career-high 33 points in the season finale at Rollins.

Conference coaches select Lauryn Vieira of Eckerd as SSC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. The 5-3 senior point guard played in all 27 of Eckerd's games this season, where she averaged 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 37.1 minutes per game. Vieira is the fourth Triton to be honored as Player of the Year1. The Haute-Savoie, France native, collects her third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year after registering 3.9 steals and 4.2 defensive rebounds per game.

Vieira led the conference in steals (106), steals per game, assists (174), and assists per game. She was Top-10 in minutes per game (37.1), points per game, rebounds per game, and free throw percentage (.797). Vieira remains the second in Eckerd program history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors in women's basketball². She is the third athlete in league history to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in women's basketball during their career, the first since 2014-15³. The Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year award is presented by College Ave Student Loans.

All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams

Kailyn Terrell from Nova Southeastern earns Freshman of the Year accolades. The 5-6 guard from Brownsburg, Indiana, started all 27 regular season games for the Sharks this season. She averaged 29.4 minutes per game, in which she gave her team 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. She led the league with a .893 free throw percentage and shot .400 from the floor and .371 behind the arc. Terrell Holliday is the third women's basketball athlete from NSU to be Freshman of the Year, the first since 2016-17⁴.

NSU's LeAnn Freeland-Curry is named Coach of the Year by her peers for the third time⁵. Freeland-Curry led the Sharks to the program's fifth conference title following an 18-2 conference record. The 2023-24 Sharks reached as high as No. 11 in the WBCA national this season and, at one point, owned a 20-game win streak. In league play this season, the Sharks were tops in scoring offense (71.8), scoring margin (+13.3), rebound margin (+5.3), and assists per game (14.75) during league play. 

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Player of the Year: Lauryn Vieira, Eckerd
Defensive Player of the Year: Lauryn Vieira, Eckerd
Freshman of the Year: Kailyn Terrell, Nova Southeastern
Coach of the Year: LeAnn Freeland-Curry, Nova Southeastern

^{* = 2022-23 All-SSC Second Team                       
^ = 2022-23 All-SSC Honorable Mention & Newcomer Team
~ = 2021-22 & 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year\
† = 2019-20 All-SSC Honorable Mention & Freshman of the Year
 
 1 EC Players of the Year: Maya Price (2021-22), Victoria Vine (2016-17), & Felecia Felton (2001-02)
2 EC Defensive Players of the Year: Lauryn Vieira (2021-22, 2022-23, & 2023-24) & Kacie Juday (2017-18)
3 Players to win POY & DPOY: Jasmin Wilkins, NSU (Player: 2014-15; Def. Player 2014-15); Kira Harvey, Lynn (Player: 2012-13; Def. Player 2012-13)
4 NSU Freshmen of the Year: Maria Bardeeva (2016-17) & Danielle Robinson (2011-12)
6 NSU Coaches of the Year: LeAnn Freeland-Curry (2014-15 & 2015-16), Marilyn Rule (2004-05 & 2007-08)}