Collins, Foley, Pratt Earn Sun Belt Season Awards

LITTLE ROCK – Sharde' Collins was named Sun Belt Player of the Year, Joe Foley was named the league's Coach of the Year and Collins and Kaitlyn Pratt were named to the All-Sun Belt First Team when the conference announced its end-of-year awards on Monday morning.
 
Collins becomes the first Trojan to be named Player of the Year since Chastity Reed won the honor in 2011. Collins is just the second ever Trojan to win the award.
 
Foley's Coach of the Year award is his fourth such honor. He previously won the award in 2011, 2012 and 2015, all NCAA Tournament years for the Trojans. Foley is the second-winningest coach all-time in Sun Belt history.
 
Collins and Pratt both make their first appearances on the Sun Belt's postseason All-Conference teams in their senior seasons. This is Little Rock's first year ever with two players named All-Sun Belt First Team, and the Trojans have now had one player on the First Team for four consecutive years.
 
Collins has been the Trojans' offensive leader all season, putting up 15.1 points per game. She finished the regular season fourth in the Sun Belt in scoring, 11th in 3-point percentage and fourth in minutes played. In conference-only games, Collins is second in scoring with 17.4 points per game, fifth in 3-pointers made and second in minutes played.
 
Collins has scored over 20 points in nine games this season including a career-high 29 against South Alabama in January. Collins has eight 20-point games in conference play, won Player of the Week twice and helped the Trojans win their second ever outright Sun Belt Championship.
 
Little Rock's anchor inside, Pratt had her best season ever in her final year with the team. She finished seventh in the Sun Belt in scoring with 14.2 points per game, 13th in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage (.516), 11th in free throw percentage and 10th in offensive rebounding. In conference-only games, Pratt is sixth in scoring with 15.2 points per game, 14th in rebounding and third in field goal percentage.
 
Pratt had six 20-point games this season including four during Sun Belt play and scored at least 15 points in 18 games this year. She was named Sun Belt Player of the Week three times as she helped the Trojans win their second ever outright Sun Belt Championship. She is one of just six players in Trojan history to break 1,000 career points and 600 career rebounds.
 
Foley is no stranger to winning, and this season he coached Little Rock to another 20-win season, the Trojans' 10th in the last 11 years. Foley now has 177 Sun Belt Conference victories, seven shy of the all-time Sun Belt record. In 2016-17, Foley's Trojans won the conference by three games, dropping just one league game all year. Little Rock currently sits in the top 50 in the national RPI rankings.
 
Foley has now coached two Sun Belt Player of the Year winners, two Defensive Player of the Year winners, three Freshman of the Year winners and 25 members of Sun Belt All-Conference teams.
 
The Trojans earned the No. 1 overall seed in the Sun Belt Tournament and will face either No. 8 Coastal Carolina or No. 9 Appalachian State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN3. Little Rock will be seeking its fourth Sun Belt Tournament championship.
 
First Team All-Conference
Sharde' Collins (Little Rock, G, Senior, Sociology)
Kaitlyn Pratt (Little Rock, F, Senior, Social Work)
Jaylyn Gordon (Louisiana, G, Senior, General Studies)
Rebekah VanDijk (UTA, C, Junior, Pre-Law)
Caitlyn Ramirez (Troy, F, Senior, Psychology)
 
Second Team All-Conference
Ced Gibson (Coastal Carolina, G, Senior, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Patrice Butler (Georgia Southern, F/C, Senior, Sports Management)
Angel McGowan (Georgia Southern, G, Senior, Mathematics)
Simone Fields (Louisiana, F/C, Junior, Informatics)
Cierra Johnson (UTA, G, Junior, Child Psychology)
 
Third Team All-Conference
Joi Jones (Appalachian State, G, Senior, Biology)
Madi Story (Appalachian State, F, Junior, Exercise Science)
Jada Lewis (Georgia State, G, Freshman)
Chyna Ellis (South Alabama, C, Junior, Allied Health)
Taeler Deer (Texas State, G, Junior, Exercise/Sport Science)
 
Player of the Year
Sharde' Collins (Little Rock, G, Senior, Sociology)
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Cierra Johnson (UTA, G, Junior, Child Psychology)
 
Freshman of the Year
Jada Lewis (Georgia State, G, Freshman)
 
Newcomer of the Year
Tiffany Holston (Georgia State, F, Graduate)
 
Coach of the Year
Joe Foley, Little Rock