February 21, 2013

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Great South Athletic Conference announced their women’s basketball postseason award winners on Thursday morning and junior guard Satavia Taylor of Salem College claimed conference Player of the Year honors to highlight the list of recipients. Taylor, a do-it-all playmaker with an array of skills, edged out Agnes Scott’s Genefine Sapateh for the league’s top prize. Alexis Lee of Pine Manor College claimed the prestigious Freshman of the Year distinction while Salem College head coach, Anita Howard, earned the Coach of the Year nod after guiding the Spirits through an outstanding season.

Satavia Taylor, a 5’9” junior guard from Chicago, spearheaded a Salem Spirits squad that finished 7-3 in league play tied for second place overall. She averaged a league high 17.5 points per game while also leading the league in steals with 84 on the season. In addition to her scoring prowess, Taylor averaged 6 rebounds per contest, tied for the 14^th most in league play.

Jasmine Shabazz a junior from Buffalo, NY was honored on the GSAC All-Conference team for her play this season. Shabazz averaged 10.8 points and led the team with 8.1 rebounds. Kristal Lollis (Oberlin, LA) represents the Spirits on the GSAC All-Academic Team.

Anita Howard in her first year, nearly guided the Salem Spirits to a league title, finishing 7-3 overall, just a game behind regular season champ Huntingdon. Howard came to Salem via St. Augustine’s College and was also an assistant coach at Shaw University where she helped lead them to the 2011 NCAA Division II Final Four. That team was also the 2011 CIAA Conference Champions. Howard played collegiately at Fort Valley State University where she was a three-time defender of the year and a team captain.

2013 GSAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team
Name                                    School                   Hometown                         Class      Position
Satavia Taylor                    Salem                    Chicago, Ill.                         Jr.       Guard                                                   
Genefine Sapateh           Agnes Scott        Riverdale, Ga.                    Sr.           Guard
Jessie Blankenship          Covenant            Lexington, S.C.                  Jr.           Forward
Morgan Crawford            Huntingdon        Cleveland, Ohio                Sr.           Guard
Patricia Pickens                 Huntingdon        Anniston, Ala.                    So.          Forward
Arielle Register                 Agnes Scott        Fayetteville, Ga.               Sr.           Guard
Jasmine Shabazz              Salem                    Buffalo, N.Y.                       Jr.           Center
Natasia Franklin                Pine Manor        Windsor, Conn.                 So           Forward
Kellie Bacon                        Wesleyan            Baxley, Ga.                         Jr.           Guard
Andrea Kinzer                   Spelman              Nashville, Tenn.                So.          Forward

2013 GSAC  Women’s Basketball All-Freshman Team
Name                                    School                   Hometown                         Class      Position
Alexis Lee                            Pine Manor        Akron, Ohio                        Fr.           Guard
Haley Soles                         Covenant            Bishop, Ga.                         Fr.           Guard
Sybil Lynch                          Pine Manor        Hoboken, N.J.                   Fr.           Guard
Alexis Storteboom          Covenant            Lamont, Mich.                   Fr.           Forward
Courtney Kelson              Spelman              Newton, Ga.                      Fr.           Guard