Four Saint Martin’s University players earned all-conference honors as the GNAC announced its women’s basketball all-conference teams Tuesday.
Junior forward Avery Oaster headlined the awards, earning First Team All-GNAC and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Sophomore guard Jada Travis earned Second Team All-GNAC, and sophomore guard Laiken Hill and senior guard Kiana Rios each picked up All-GNAC Honorable Mention recognition.
“These four are a fun combination of youth and veterans, which is what makes this team so special,” head coach Natalie Marlowe said in a release. “In the preseason, we spent a lot of time learning each other as individuals, not as teammates. These four have taken a lot of pride in their intentionality to grow as a team, which has led to their individual successes. When you can find cohesiveness amongst upper and lower classmen, you see the production for the group flourish, and it’s a testament to our team-first philosophy.”
Oaster led the Saints in rebounding during the regular season, grabbing 8.2 boards per game to rank sixth in the GNAC. She ranks sixth in the conference with 1.2 blocks per game and 13th with 12.6 points per game. She tallied seven double-doubles this season and helped the Saints rank 18th in Division II with 55.0 points allowed per game.
“Over the winter break, our team did some reflecting after coming off some losses. Our players decided they wanted to hang their hats on being the best defensive team in the conference,” Marlowe said. “Avery was at the forefront of that statement. She has owned up to that challenge and exceeded expectations. We take a lot of pride in our defense. I’ve always said, ‘Defense is desire,’ and this team embodies that. Avery is incredibly competitive and plays with distinct passion. A DPOY award is all about effort, desire and the love for the game. I’m so proud of how Avery has approached this season and earned every ounce of recognition she deserves.”
Travis earned her second All-GNAC nod of her career, leading the Saints with 13.3 points per game and ranking 10th among all GNAC players in scoring. She averaged 3.3 assists per game to rank seventh in the conference. Defensively, her 1.9 steals per game rank sixth among all conference players.
Rios also earned her second All-GNAC selection of her career, averaging 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while leading the GNAC with an 89.1% free-throw percentage.
“Kiana has been a Swiss Army knife for us, and her time in the GNAC has provided her experience to succeed in big moments. She has played every position on the court for us at some point, which is hard for teams to match up with,” Marlowe said. “Jada continues to prove she’s been one of the most consistent problems in the GNAC over the last two seasons. As she continues to grow into a three-level scorer, she will continue to develop into one of the best players in the conference. I have all the confidence in her with the ball in her hands.”
Hill earned her first All-GNAC nod, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. She led all GNAC players with a 41.7% 3-point shooting rate.
“Laiken lives in the gym. Sometimes I check her locker to see if there’s a pillow and blanket in there. Her work ethic is why she has improved,” Marlowe said. “Coming off an injury-ridden freshman year, no one really saw how talented she was until she was healthy this year. She can flat out shoot and puts the time in. In the postseason last year, we worked on speeding up her shot and improving her footwork. She would send videos throughout the summer of her in the gym repping her footwork and shot so I could critique. Laiken has put in so many hours by herself, with teammates and with our coaching staff. No one is surprised to see her success show up statistically.”
The Saints finished the regular season with an 18-9 overall record and 14-4 mark in GNAC play — the second-most GNAC wins in a season in program history. Saint Martin’s enters the GNAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, facing No. 6 Montana State Billings in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
