FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern's Alexius Horne has been named the 2024-25 Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, as the all-conference teams and superlative award winners were announced by the conference office on Saturday.
Horne is the first women's basketball athlete from Southeastern to win Southland Player of the Year honors. She was also named first-team all-conference.
She led the Lions all season while averaging 14.7 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists this season, and leads the conference in field goal percentage (46.0), ranks fourth in scoring, and fifth in free throw percentage (77.6).The graduate student helped SLU tie for the most conference wins in conference history, claim the longest winning streak in program history and the best regular season record under Coach Guzzardo. The veteran finished 23 games in double figures this season while also earning six consecutive games in double digits midway through conference. She reached 1,000 career points in Southeastern’s first regular season victory over Lamar with 11 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Southeastern head coach Ayla Guzzardo won Coach of the Year honors after leading the Lions to their second SLC regular season title since 2023. Guzzardo led Southeastern to a 25-4 overall record, going 19-1 in Southland Conference play, and winning the Regular Season Conference title. She is the only Southeastern women's coach in program history to win the honor.
Southeastern’s Jalencia Pierre was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and also earned all-defensive and second team all-conference. Northwestern State's Mya Blake earned Newcomer of the Year recognition, while teammate Vernell Atamah won the Freshman of the Year title.
In addition to Horne on the All-SLC first team is Blake, who led the conference in scoring (17.8). SFA's Faith Blackstone was also named to the first-team, who sits just behind Blake in scoring (15.4). The remaining first-teamers are repeat all-conference selections in Lamar's Akasha Davis (third All-Conference selection) and Sabria Dean (fifth All-Conference selection).
The All-Conference second team is made up of New Orleans' Nora Francois, Southeastern's Pierre, SFA's Ashlyn Traylor-Walker and UTRGV's Kade Hackerott and Charlotte O'Keefe.
The All-Defensive Team is made up of Pierre, O'Keefe, Northwestern State's Jasmin Dixon, SFA's Trinity Moore, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Paige Allen and UIW's Dorian Norris.
The Southland Conference women’s basketball all-conference teams and superlative awards are nominated for and voted upon by the league’s head coaches and SIDs.
The Jersey Mike's Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by Explore Louisiana begins on Monday, March 10th in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The first round, second round and semi-final games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The Championship will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 13th.
2024-25 Southland Women’s Basketball Superlative Awards
Player of the Year - Alexius Horne, Southeastern
Coach of the Year - Ayla Guzzardo, Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year - Jalencia Pierre, Southeastern
Newcomer of the Year - Mya Blake, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year - Vernell Atamah, Northwestern State
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
| Akasha Davis3 |
Lamar |
Sr. |
C/F |
Wylie, Texas |
| Sabria Dean |
Lamar |
Gr. |
F |
Mineola, Texas |
| Alexius Horne |
Southeastern |
Gr. |
G |
Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Mya Blake |
Northwestern St. |
Sr. |
G |
Stockton, California |
| Faith Blackstone |
SFA |
Gr. |
G |
Harrisburg, Pennsylvainia |
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
| Nora Francois |
New Orleans |
Sr. |
C |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Jalencia Pierre |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
G |
Springfield, Louisiana |
| Ashlyn Traylor-Walker |
SFA |
Jr. |
G |
Franklin, Indiana |
| Kade Hackerott |
UTRGV |
Gr. |
G/F |
Witchita, Kansas |
| Charlotte O'Keefe |
UTRGV |
Jr. |
F |
Overland Park, Kansas |
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
| Jalencia Pierre |
Southeastern |
Jr. |
G |
Springfield, Louisiana |
| Jasmin Dixon |
Northwestern St. |
Gr. |
F |
Kansas City, Missouri |
| Trinity Moore |
SFA |
Sr. |
C |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Paige Allen |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Gr. |
G |
Kansas City, Missouri |
| Charlotte O'Keefe |
UTRGV |
Jr. |
F |
Overland Park, Kansas |
| Dorian Norris |
UIW |
G |
Gr. |
Lake Dallas, Texas |