Basketball | 3/2/2022 11:31:00 PM

FRISCO, Texas (March 2, 2022) – Making history has become synonymous with Texas Woman's basketball in the 2022 season.
 
The above statement resonated true on Wednesday night at the 2022 Lone Star Conference banquet.
 
For the first time in program history, a Pioneers head coach was named the Lone Star Conference Noel Johnson Coach of the Year. TWU Head Coach Beth Jillson, in her 15th season with the Pioneers, coached a team that was picked to finish 11th in the regular season to a second-place seed in the LSC Championships.
 
This season Jillson lead the Pioneers to a 19-7 regular season and a 12-3 record in LSC action. On January 6, Jillson recorded her 200th career win and continues to add to her resume.
 
"It is truly an honor to receive this award," Jillson said. "Our league has so many deserving coaches. I am so grateful to work with the best staff and players who make this award possible."
 
The LSC Coach of the Year Award was renamed in honor of former Midwestern State University head coach Noel Johnson, following her passing from ovarian cancer in June 2020. Johnson, the winningest coach in Mustangs history, coached at MSU for twelve years and led the Mustangs to three NCAA Tournament berths.
 
Jillson said winning this award was special, because of the memory of Coach Johnson, who she said was a pillar for women's basketball.
 
"Noel was a dear friend to me and had an immense impact in my life and all those she came in contact with," Jillson said. "Her courage, dedication and fight continue to inspire me."
 
Following the Coach of the Year award, the conference announced the Freshman of the Year Award, which was given to Ashley Ingram. Ingram and Jillson were able to embrace and share in their recognition on stage together.
 
Ingram, a freshman from Bridgeport, Texas, currently leads the Pioneers and is seventh in the LSC in points per game with 14.6. She is 14th in the league in rebounds per game (6.9) and third in the LSC in field goal percentage, shooting 50.6% from the floor.
 
In her freshman campaign, Ingram has recorded four career double-doubles and currently is on a 15-game streak of scoring 10 or more points.
 
On Wednesday night, Ingram became the fifth Pioneer basketball player in program history to be named the Freshman of the Year.
 
"Ashley dominates the post in every game," Jillson said. "As a freshman, she plays with confidence, never backing down from a challenge. She fights every possession and every game to put us in a position to win. I am so proud of the player and person Ashley is."
 
Ingram was also named to the All-Freshman Team and First Team All-Conference.
 
The Pioneers were also represented in three more categories at the Lone Star banquet on Wednesday night.
 
Sadie Moyer, a junior from Broken Arrow, Okla., was named to the Second Team All-Conference. This marks the second All-Conference award in Moyer's career.
 
Over her the season, Moyer has started every game for the Pioneers. She currently averages 13.1 points per game, which ranks second for TWU and 13th in the LSC. Moyer also ranks second in the LSC in free throw percentage, shooting 86.7% from the line.
 
"Sadie is such a dynamic and versatile player," Jillson said. "She is really a triple threat – she can shoot the three, the mid-range and attack off the dribble. Sadie works so hard in the offseason, and it shows in the way she plays."
 
Moyer was also named to the All-Academic team. She is majoring in Kinesiology and currently holds a 3.804 GPA.
 
The final recognition for the Pioneers of the night was Brielle Woods, who received All-Conference Honorable Mention.
 
Woods, a junior from DeSoto, TX, currently averages 8.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game, while also recording 42 assists and 49 steals. This season, Woods has also been named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week twice.
 
"Brielle does so much for us in every game that does not show up on the box score," Jillson said. "She pressures our opponents' best players and causes disruption on the defensive end. She also consistently sets up her teammates for success on the offensive end, while being not being afraid to take opportunities down the stretch. Brielle leads the team by raising the bar with her tenacity."
 
With the regular season officially closed with the banquet ceremony, the Pioneers look ahead to their first postseason game on Friday, March 4 against UT-Tyler at the Comerica Center in Frisco, TX. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m.