HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University sophomore guard Kaylah Keys has been named the preseason Big South Player of the Year, the league office announced Monday.
Keys is the second HPU student-athlete to be named Big South Preseason Player of the Year in HPU women’s basketball history. She joins former guard Jurica Hargrave, who received the honor in 2009.
Keys was named the Big South Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-Big South member after a tremendous freshman season in which she finished second in the conference in scoring and set HPU DIv. I single-season records in scoring (583), made three-pointers (73) and made free throws (148).
Last season, Keys started 26 games and averaged 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Panthers. She raised her level in conference play, averaging a league-leading 20.6 points per game against Big South opponents. Keys acored over 20 points in 13 games during the 2013-14 season and scored a career-high 32 points in a win at Gardner-Webb.
Redshirt-senior Stacia Robertson joins Keys on the Big South preseason All-Conference first-team for 2014-15. Robertson averaged 12.7 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds last season and was named first-team All-Big South. She posted 10 double-doubles and currently ranks in the top 10 in career blocks, rebounds and field goal percentage at High Point.
Keys and Robertson are joined on the Big South preseason All-Conference first team by Coastal Carolina’s AJ Jordan, Liberty’s Ashley Rininger and Winthrop’s Erica Williams.
2014-15 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
First-Team
Kaylah Keys, High Point (Preseason Player of the Year)
Stacia Robertson, High Point
AJ Jordan, Coastal Carolina
Ashley Rininger, Liberty
Erica Williams, Winthrop
Second Team
Kiera Gaines, Campbell
Daeisha Brown, Longwood
Schaquilla Nunn, Winthrop
Paige Love, UNC Asheville
Ayana Avery, Radford