VIDEO: Braelyn Wykle Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – Kayla Marosites earned her third career All-South Atlantic Conference laurel and Braelyn Wykle was named the conference's Freshman of the Year Thursday leading four awards for the Lady Eagles when the league announced its postseason honors. Addison Byrd was given honorable mention All-SAC honors for a second straight year.
Marosites was named a first-team all-conference pick for the second straight year taking home her third career All-SAC nod. The Elizabethton, Tenn. native is the sixth player to earn a slot on the first team multiple times in her career. She is the fourth player in school history to be on the top two teams three times in her career joining Leah Jackson (four-time first-team pick), Heather Ford (three) and Shari Buford (three).
"It's sad because I am only going to be able to play a few more games," Marosites said. "I know it's my last season so I just want to give it everything that I have. I just want to play like I am capable of so that we can win and get a championship"
Wykle is the sixth player in school history to be the league's Freshman of the Year and first since Kaitlyn Cupples in 2013-14. The Greeneville, Tenn. native was also a first-team All-SAC selection and the top member of the All-Freshman team. She joins Brooke Johnson (2004-05) and Jackson (1989-90) as C-N players to get a first-team spot and the rookie of the year.
With two players on the top squad, Carson-Newman achieves the feat for a third-straight season. Prior to this run, the program had only accomplished the feat once before. In 1997-98, Sarah Dagley and Kori Linebarger were pinned to the first team.
Wykle is first SAC Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference pick in the same season since Tusculum's Jasmine Gunn earn recognition in 2007-08. Gunn became a two-time SAC Player of the Year as a junior and a senior.
"Working hard and putting extra time in the gym," Wykle said. "I didn't expect me to come in here and take the role that I have taken. It's been fun and I have worked really hard this year. I definitely had to get used to playing in the SAC and playing against the competition. Working hard gave me more confidence."
.@KaylaMarosites is a
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) February 27, 2020
double
double
machine
with @CNwbasketball's new single-season record at 2️⃣2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/B7RIvjevHD
Marosites adds to her legacy with the 21st honor of her career as one of the most decorated active Division II players. From a career perspective, her 58 double-doubles are good for third in Division II and fourth among all three divisions. With an 11.3 rebounding average she is second in SAC history for a career ranking third nationally and is fourth in the country with 1,065 rebounds.
Putting the finishing touches on her senior season, she ranks top 10 in the country in double-doubles (24, third), rebounds per game (12.5, sixth) and total boards (363, sixth). Converting at an 89 percent clip at the free-throw line she is 12th in the country making 127 foul shots, 32nd in America.
On the program's record watch list, she is one of five players in school history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds as she is eighth in scoring with 1,364 points, second in rebounding with 1,065 and fifth in made three-pointers with 155 over her three seasons at Mossy Creek.
Among her highlights from her senior season, she has won a single-season school record four SAC Player of the Week honors tying the high mark with six in her career. She has the top two single-season double-double marks with 23 on the year. Perhaps the best game of her career came on Nov. 13, 2019 against King when she scored 27 points and tied her own program record with 22 rebounds adding nine assists. She became the first Lady Eagle with a 20/20 game in the history in game No. 1,226. She earned USBWA National Player of the Week honors.
The second-leading scorer in the conference, Marosites posted 28 double-digit scoring efforts, 10 with 20 producing 25 double-digit rebounding nights and two with 20 or more. She is third in the league in field-goal percentage, fourth in steals with 62 and seventh in blocks with 30.
�� SAC Player of the Week ��@B_Wykle has been given the league's weekly laurel aided by a program record-tying 7⃣ three-pointers against Wise last week. pic.twitter.com/0fWOmQBN1d
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 27, 2020
Wykle has produced one of the best freshman seasons in the history of the program. During the conference's regular-season, she was second in the league in scoring at 18.6 points per game, first in three-point percentage and second in field-goal percentage. The rookie scored in double figures 24 times and posted 13 contests with at least 20.
One of the best three-point shooters in the nation, Wykle ranks ninth in the nation in percentage at 46 from long range making 76 to lead the conference and rank 38th nationally. She is fifth in the league with 83 total assists ranking second in field goals made leading the league in field-goal percentage at 50.
The SAC's Player of the Week on Jan. 25, Wykle tallied five straight 20-point scoring efforts in the middle of league action capped by a season-high 30 points going 11-for-21 from the field and 5-for-8 from the floor against No. 20 Anderson on Feb. 1. She has scored in double figures in 16 consecutive outings.
That @AddisonByrd3 mid-range game ��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 11, 2020
She has a game-high 15 points in the first half
�� @CNwbasketball 40
�� @QueensWBB 29
2nd Q | 2:30
�� 106.3 FM
�� https://t.co/jgiV03hSEx
�� https://t.co/hXALrZiL4v pic.twitter.com/pPcWYN0G4d
After missing two games with an ankle injury at the beginning of the season, Byrd has surged down the stretch scoring in double figures 13 times on the year. The Nashville, Tenn. native has averaged 10 points per game over her last 19 games shooting 51 percent from the field. The junior has scored in double figures 14 times adding 17 steals, 14 blocks and 46 assists.
The Lady Eagles turn their attention to the SAC semifinals and a meeting with third-seeded Tusculum on Saturday at Furman's Timmons Arena in Greenville, Tenn. The Eagle Sports Network as the broadcast on 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and cneagles.com/live starting at 2:15.
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