Spartans’ Hallock is Big Ten’s top reserve player
MSU’s Ayrault, U-M’s Phelia named to first-team roster
The Big Ten announced its women’s basketball awards on Tuesday, led by none other than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
Clark, in her final season with the Hawkeyes, broke the Division I NCAA all-time scoring record for both men’s and women’s after her 35-point showing in Iowa’s win over the Big Ten Tournament’s top seed, Ohio State.
The top of the conference is among the best in college basketball this season, with Iowa (No. 3), Ohio State (4) and Indiana (12) all inside the top 12 of the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Clark, who’s set to win her second consecutive national player of the year award, averaged 32.3 points and 8.7 assists per game during the regular season, both of which led the country. Her Big Ten Player of the Year nod marks the third straight year she has taken the conference’s most outstanding player honors.
MSU’s Hallock makes the cut
Michigan State women’s basketball’s Theryn Hallock was named the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year on Tuesday. The 5-foot-10 sophomore from Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central is fourth on the team with a 11.2 point-per-game average. She is the second Spartan to win this award, following Kalisha Keane in 2010.
Three other Spartans were named to the All-Big Ten team. Julia Ayrault, the 6-2 senior out of Grosse Pointe North, was named to the first team after averaging a team-leading15.1points per game and collecting 7.3 rebounds per game, ninth in the conference. She is second in blocks (2.1) and fourth in field goal percentage (.517) in the Big Ten.
MSU’s DeeDee Hagemann and Moira Joiner were named to the second team. Hagemann, a 5-7 junior from Detroit Edison, was named among the honorable mention for the league in each of her first two seasons. She is seventh in the Big Ten with a 5.1 assist-per-game average to go with 12.6 points per game.
Joiner, the 5-10 senior out of Saginaw Heritage, is second on the team and 12th in the conference at 15 points per game. She’s also second in the conference in 3-point shooting (.428).
The top Wolverines
Michigan’s Laila Phelia was named to the first team. The 6-0 junior from Cincinnati was a second-team selection last season. She is averaging 16 points per game this season and has scored in double figures in all but four games.
Lauren Hansen was an honorable mention pick. The 5-9 transfer from Missouri has started every game this season as U-M’s point guard, averaging 11.7 points and 2.1 assists per game.
Michigan’s Big Ten tournament begins Thursday night in Minneapolis against the winner of Minnesota and Rutgers. MSU earned a double bye in the tournament and begins play Friday.