Lakeland’s Hineaupounamu Nuku was chosen CCAA player of the year. A 1st-year point guard and business administration major from Tauranga, Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand, and the tikanga Māori education provider Te Wharekura o Mauao) was the ACAC North division player of the year and ACAC rookie of the year. The rookie playmaker guided her team to a national title. She started all 20 regular season ACAC games, playing an average 27.2 mpg. She hit 106-278 (.381) from the floor, 31-113 (.274) from the arc and 40-49 (.816) from the line, while garnering 91 boards, including 25 on the offensive glass and a 4.5 rpg, 41 fouls, 109 assists, 70 turnovers, 10 blocks and 283 points, for a 14.2 ppg. She led the league in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. “Hineaupounamu has been a dynamic play maker for our team all season and is a huge reason for the success we have had to this point,” said Rustlers coach Chris King. “She brings energy and excitement to the gym everyday with her magnetic personality. The progress she has made in her freshman season has been outstanding.” Nuku was captain of New Zealand’s U15 Oceanic team and awarded an All-Star 5 at the FIBA Oceania Championships Tournament in 2018.
Lakeland’s Chris King was chosen CCAA coach of the year. In his 16th-year at the helm, he steered the Rustlers to a 20-0 regular season record, a postseason conference tournament title, and a national championship. The Kitscoty, Alta., native is a 6-time ACAC coach of the year. He was also an assistant coach for Saskatchewan’s U15 men’s team in 2018, an assistant coach for Alberta’s fourth place U17 Canada Games team in 2013 and coach of the U16 Alberta team which placed 3rd at the Western Canadian championships in 2012. He toiled two years for the Rustlers and subsequently for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. “Chris is a very dedicated coach,” said Lakeland athletic director Alan Rogan. “His commitment to the sport of basketball is incredible. He invests a significant amount of time into each student-athlete he coaches and sets high expectations for his team which he works with every one of the student-athletes to achieve.” The other CCAA coach of the year nominees were: PACWEST coach of the year Tony Bryce (Vancouver Island); OCAA coach of the year Andy Kiss (St-Clair); RSEQ coach of the year Trevor Williams (Dawson); and ACAA coach of the year Thomas Skabar (Mount Allison).
Joining Nuku as CCAA All-Canadians were (all were first-team all-conference selections): …………………………………………………… Elissa Vreugdenhil (Columbia Bible) a 2nd-year, 6-1 forward and bible studies? major from Sumas, Wash., (Whatcom Community College and Fraser Valley University) was PACWEST player of the year. She started all 24 regular season conference games, playing an average 31.6 mpg. She hit 131-287 (.316) from the floor and 111-162 (.685) from the line, while garnering 343 boards, including 143 on the offensive glass and a 14.3 rpg, 56 fouls (fouling out once), 77 assists, 79 turnovers, 30 blocks, 34 steals and 373 points, for a 15.5 ppg. …………………………………………………… Makayla Kimble (Vancouver Island) Kimble, a 4th-year, 5-7 guard from Fayetteville, N.C. (Village Christian HS). She started all 24 PACWEST regular season games, playing an average 27.5 mpg. She hit 103-286 (.360) from the floor, 42-129 (.326) from the arc and 51-71 (.718) from the line, while garnering 73 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass and a 3.0 rpg, 36 fouls, 54 assists, 65 turnovers, 8 blocks, 48 steals and 299 points, for a 12.5 ppg. …………………………………………………… Sandra Garcia Bernal (Red Deer Polytechnic) a 5th-year, 5-6 guard and educational assistant major from Valencia, Spain (Salesianos San Juan Bosco HS) was the ACAC South division player of the year. She started all 21 regular season conference games, playing an average 33.9 mpg. She hit 81-183 (.443) from the floor, 10-36 (.278) from the arc and 68-84 (.810) from the line, while garnering 138 boards, including 47 on the offensive glass and a 6.6 rpg, 39 fouls, 95 assists, 77 turnovers, 1 block, 130 steals and 240 points, for an 11.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Hannah Helton (Lethbridge) a 5th-year, 5-6 guard and exercise science major from Okotoks, Alta. (Foothills Composite and subsequently, S.A.I.T). She started all 21 ACAC regular season games, playing an average 28.4 mpg. She hit 132-365 (.362) from the floor, 54-185 (.292) from the arc and 68-89 (.764) from the line, while garnering 79 boards, including 38 on the offensive glass and a 3.8 rpg, 28 fouls, 39 assists, 62 turnovers, 1 block, 53 steals and 386 points, for an 18.4 ppg. …………………………………………………… Breanna Pretty (Lambton) a 4th-year, 5-9 wing and business major from Sarnia, Ont. (St. Patrick’s Catholic) was the OCAA player of the year. She started all 16 OCAA regular season games, playing an average 26.3 mpg. She hit 86-191 (.450) from the floor, 8-30 (.267) from the ar and 44-58 (.759) from the line, while garnering 108 boards, including 25 on the offensive glass and a 6.8 rpg, 41 fouls (fouling out once), 62 assists, 55 turnovers, 5 blocks, 45 steals and 224 points, for a 14.0 ppg. …………………………………………………… Dasia McDonald (Algonquin) a 3rd-year, 5-6 point guard and business administration major from Nepean, Ont. (St. Mother Theresa HS), was both the OCAA east division player and defensive player of the year. She started all 14 regular season conference games, playing an average 26.8 mpg. She hit 80-169 (.476) from the floor, 24-88 (.273) from the arc and 24-34 (.706) from the line, while garnering 88 boards, including 25 on the offensive glass and a 6.3 rpg, 18 fouls, 52 assists, 17 turnovers, 2 blocks, 76 steals and 2-8 points, for a 14.9 ppg. …………………………………………………… Kaitlyn Overeem (St. Clair) a 5th-year, 5-7 guard and medical lab technician studies from Brantford, Ont. (St. John’s College). She started all 16 regular season OCAA games, playing an average 36.6 mpg. She hit 116-347 (.334) from the floor, 46-157 (.293) from the arc and 56-74 (.757) from the line, while garnering 125 boards, including 41 on the offensive glass and a 7.8 rpg, 36 fouls, 84 assists, 65 turnovers, 11 blocks, 30 steals and 334 points, for a 20.9 ppg. She the OCAA West division scoring champ. …………………………………………………… Nyodie Guérard (Sainte-Foy) a 3rd-year, 5-8 point guard and management sciences major from Quebec City, Que. (Seminaire Saint-François) was the RSEQ player of the year. She started 15 of the 17 RSEQ regular season games she played, for an average 30.2 mpg. She hit 69-218 (.317) from the floor, 35-99 (.354) from the arc and 68-95 (.716) from the line, while garnering 66 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass and a 3.9 rpg, 53 fouls (fouling out once), 55 assists, 83 turnovers, 4 blocks, 42 steals and 241 points, for a 14.2 ppg. …………………………………………………… Catherine Oliver (Champlain-Lennoxville), a 3rd-year, 5-7? guard from Sherbrooke, Que. She started 16 of the 17 RSEQ regular season games she played, for an average 27.4 mpg. She hit 88-239 (.368) from the floor, 30-107 (.280) from the arc and 72-110 (.655) from the line, while garnering 66 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass and a 3.9 rpg, 56 fouls (fouling out 4 times), 22 assists, 81 turnovers, 6 blocks, 35 steals and 278 points, for a 16.4 ppg. She the league in scoring. …………………………………………………… Alexa Rancourt (Holland) a 4th-year, 5-10 wing and sports & recreation management major from Charlottetown, P.E.I. (Grace Christian HS and Crandall University) was the ACAA player of the year. She started all 18 regular season conference games, playing an average 32.7 mpg. She hit 118-210 (.562) from the floor, 1-9 (.111) from the arc and 56-98 (.571) from the line, while garnering 190 boards, including 52 on the offensive glass and a 10.6 rpg, 30 fouls, 67 assists, 73 turnovers, 2 blocks, 27 steals and 293 points, for a 16.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… and Amanda Pearcey (Mount St. Vincent) a 3rd-year, 5-9 point guard from Torbay, Nfld. (Holy Trinity HS). She started all 17 ACAA regular season games she played, for an average 29.9 mpg. She hit 119-241 (.494) from the floor, 29-81 (.358) from the arc and 19-20 (.950) from the line, while garnering 60 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass and a 3.5 rpg, 15 fouls, 64 assists, 36 turnovers, 1 block, 24 steals and 286 points, for a 16.8 ppg.