Allison Baggett Named Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year

Allison Baggett Named Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year

FRISCO, Texas -- For the fourth consecutive year, a member of the Baggett family has been named the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year as McNeese sophomore Allison Baggett has garnered the award this season, the league office announced Wednesday.

McNeese becomes the first school in conference history to be recognized with four straight women’s basketball student-athletes of the year.

A nursing major, Baggett holds a 3.70 grade-point average, is member of the Southland Commissioner’s Honor Roll and is a two-time President’s Honor List member at McNeese. Baggett joins her sister Ashlyn Baggett, who won the award three times from 2011-13, and Kellie Burbridge (2003) as the other Cowgirls to be named women’s basketball student-athlete of the year.

“What a special honor for Allison’s hard work on and off the court. Al is a diligent worker and is unbelievably driven. We are so honored she is representing McNeese and the Lake Charles community,” said head coach Brooks Donald Williams.

Baggett led the Cowgirls to their fourth consecutive postseason tournament appearance after posting a 19-13 overall record with a 10-8 mark in conference play. A native of Iota, La. (Iota H.S.), Baggett helped McNeese to its sixth tournament appearance in last seven years and fourth straight semifinal appearance. The second-team all-conference selection paced the Cowgirls in scoring, accounting for 17.9 points per game, which ranked third in the league. Baggett started in all 32 games for McNeese, averaging 31.9 minutes per game, and led the Cowgirls with a 34.2 three-point field goal percentage. The sophomore guard scored in double figures 28 times, including 20 of the last 22 games, and tallied 20 or more point eight times.

“It’s incredible to have gotten such a big honor four consecutive years,” said Williams. “Hat’s off to Ashlyn and Allison for representing their family, our McNeese family and their teammates and coaches with their academic and athletic dedication to excellence.”

The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 14 member schools, voted for the student-athlete of the year.

The student-athlete of the year award is presented to the student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and demonstrated achievement in athletics for at least two years at the nominating institution.

The all-academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic advisors from each Southland Conference university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.