GREENVILLE, S.C. –  Sophomore forward Abigail Crain, senior guard Taylor Stelley and head coach Kim Lusk all earned recognition from the Conference Carolinas league office as part of its All-Conference honors released Thursday. Crain and Stelley earned first and second-team honors, respectively, while Lusk was named Coach of the Year. 

Crain earned a spot on the first team and had a breakout season for the Crusaders this year. She finished second in the conference in scoring averaging 16.8 points per game. She also averaged 6.1 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game. The sophomore forward from Windermere, Florida also led the conference in free throw shooting at 89.3 percent this season. She recorded three double-doubles and her first career 30-point game against Chowan on Jan. 16.

Stelley earned a spot on the second team for The Abbey and was a leader for the team this season. She finished the regular season averaging 13.5 points per game and a conference-leading 45.3 percent from 3-point range. The senior guard from Kissimmee, Florida made the most of her final home game as a Crusaders was the best scoring wise, finishing with a career-high 31 points against Erskine on February 15. She made 10 3-pointers in the contest, which is tied for the most in a single game across all of Division II.

After being selected to finish seventh in the preseason poll, Lusk led Belmont Abbey to an outright Conference Carolinas regular season title in her first season in charge of the program. The Crusaders finished the regular season with a 22-4 overall record and a 19-1 mark in league play. The team leaned on its defense this season and being strong from the free throw line, allowing just 51.3 points per game and shooting 81.6 percent from the foul line. Those numbers are good for third and second in all of Division II in those respective categories.

Additionally, the Crusaders were ranked as high as No. 2 in the D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll and No. 20 in the National Poll earlier this season. Lusk also earned her 300th career win as a head coach earlier this year. It is the fourth time in the last six seasons that a Belmont Abbey head coach has earned Coach of the Year accolades from the league office.

Belmont Abbey will be the No. 1 Seed in the Atlantic Casualty Insurance Conference Carolinas Tournament and will face the winner of the No. 5 seed Chowan-No. 4 seed Emmanuel matchup at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C.

2022-23 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball All-Conference

Player of the Year

Lauryn Taylor, Francis Marion

Defensive Player of the Year

Destiny Robinson, Chowan

Freshman of the Year

Laila Anderson, Mount Olive

Coach of the Year

Kim Lusk, Belmont Abbey

 

First Team

Lauryn Taylor, Francis Marion

Abigail Crain, Belmont Abbey

Destiny Robinson, Chowan

Lauren Walker, Barton

Jeanetta Elder, Emmanuel

Second Team

Taylor Stelley, Belmont Abbey

Courtney Smith, UNC Pembroke

Jazmin Allen, Emmanuel

Kiana Lee, Francis Marion

Zaria Clark, UNC Pembroke

Third Team

Laila Anderson, Mount Olive

Jasmine Stanley, Francis Marion

Brittany Mack, Southern Wesleyan

Sydney Wyatt, Emmanuel

Reagan Hune, Mount Olive