WHITEFISH — Montana Western junior guard Brianna King was named the Frontier Conference women’s basketball player of the year on Wednesday. League commissioner Kent Paulson released the Frontier Conference season honors and all-conference accolades Wednesday morning.
King guided Montana Western to a 24-8 record, scoring a game-high 32 points in the team’s loss to Rocky Mountain College in the Frontier Conference tournament semifinals on Saturday. She and her teammates learn their postseason fate on Wednesday afternoon when the NAIA holds its selection show for the national tournament.
King started all 32 of Western’s games, averaging 18.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She ranks 12th in the country in points scored per contest, and was seventh in the nation in total points scored (604). The Spokane native made 82 percent of her free throws, good for No. 10 nationally, and ranks in the Top 25 in total steals (74) and steals per game (2.3).
The Frontier Conference also named King its newcomer of the year after she joined Western from Spokane Falls Community College this season.
Carroll College head coach Rachelle Sayers was named the league’s coach of the year after leading the Fighting Saints to the program’s first Frontier Conference tournament championship since 2007. No. 11 Carroll defeated No. 18 Rocky Mountain College 46-42 on Tuesday evening.
Sayers was dealt a challenging hand earlier in the season after losing all-American senior Cassidy Hashley and key guard Sarah Chalich. The Saints overcame those losses, posting a 24-7 overall record and 14-4 mark in the Frontier Conference. Carroll won Tuesday’s championship game without senior point guard Bailey Pasta, who suffered an injury in the conference semifinals against Lewis-Clark State College.
University of Providence senior guard Stephanie McDonagh was tabbed as the league’s defensive player of the year for the second straight season. McDonagh averaged 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game for the Lady Argos, who cling to national tournament hopes. She also averaged 17.7 points per contest.
McDonagh’s teammate Parker Esary earned the league’s freshman of the year after posting averages of 14 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Carroll College forward Taylor Salonen joined Montana Tech’s Kaylee Zard in being named sixth man of the year.
The complete list of all-conference accolades can be found below.
2017-18 Frontier Conference women’s basketball
Season awards
Player of the year: Brianna King, Montana Western
Coach of the year: Rachelle Sayers, Carroll College
Defensive player of the year: Stephanie McDonagh, University of Providence
Newcomer of the year: Brianna King, Montana Western
Sixth man of the year: Taylor Salonen, Carroll College; Kaylee Zard, Montana Tech
Freshman of the year: Parker Esary, University of Providence
First-team all-conference
Hannah Dean, Carroll College
Shay Potter, Montana Tech
Brianna King, Montana Western
Mikayla Jones, Rocky Mountain College
Parker Esary, University of Providence
Stephanie McDonagh, University of Providence
Second-team all-conference
Bailey Pasta, Carroll College
Michaela Dowdy, Carroll College
Hailey Turner, Lewis-Clark State College
Britt Cooper, Montana Western
Hailee Farstveet, Rocky Mountain College
Honorable mention
Peyton Souvenir, Lewis-Clark State College
Brittney Tackett, Lewis-Clark State College
Brandy Lambourne, MSU-Northern
Shiloh McCormick, MSU-Northern
Monica Landdeck, Montana Tech
Cierra Lamey, Montana Western
Markaela Francis, Rocky Mountain College
Brooke Jones, Rocky Mountain College
Emilee Maldonado, University of Providence
