Basketball | 3/1/2023 11:32:00 PM

FRISCO, Texas (March 1, 2023) – The historical season continues for the Texas Woman's basketball team.
 
In celebration of the regular season and to kick-off championship week in Frisco, the Lone Star Conference hosted the 2022-23 awards banquet on Wednesday night and announced the conference award recipients.  
 
TWU, who finished the regular season 19-3 in the LSC, owned the best record in the conference. Tonight, they added not one, but two trophies to the case – the Lone Star Conference Regular Season Champions trophy and the East Division Champions trophy.
 
Due to different conference organization over the years, this marks the first year the Pioneers have claimed a divisional and regular season championship. The last time TWU won the Lone Star Conference was in 2011, when they won the conference tournament (no overall regular season champion was named that year.)
 
After the presentation of the trophies, the celebration continued for the Pioneers.
 
Coach Beth Jillson was named the LSC Noel Johnson Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. Jillson becomes the only TWU head coach in program history to win the award, now not once, but twice.
 
Watch the team congratulate Coach Jillson on her honor here: https://youtu.be/PrHti9ssU7g.
 
In her 16th year with the team, Coach Jillson led the Pioneers to back-to-back historic seasons. She guided the team to the best start in program history, the most wins in a season, the highest rankings in program history and the program's first LSC regular season title. Just a year ago ahead of the 2021-22 season, the Pioneers were picked to finish 11th in the conference.
 
This season, the Pioneers are 24-4, also marking their fewest losses in program history.
 
Coach Jillson said she celebrates the award as a testament to the hard work of her entire staff and the team.
 
"I am humbled to receive this award," Coach Jillson said. "This season, we faced adversity and became stronger through it all. We would not be where we are today without the incredible staff I have alongside me and the athletes who bring their all to this team. I am so grateful to have coaches with me who strive to bring their best to work every day and who selflessly give so our athletes can be in the best position to succeed."
 
Last season, 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 reminds her of the courage and strength of Noel Johnson.
 
"Hearing Noel's name announced alongside the award tonight always reminds me of the amazing woman and coach Noel was," Coach Jillson said. "Noel embodied what it meant to be a great coach. I am thankful for her impact on me and so many others, and I am honored to receive this award in her honor."
 
Following the Coach of the Year announcement, the All-Conference awards were announced.
 
The Pioneers had two student-athletes named to the First Team: Ashley Ingram and Sadie Moyer.
 
Ingram, a sophomore forward from Bridgeport, Texas, earned First Team honors for the second time in her career. Ingram averages 14.2 points per game, which leads TWU and ranks seventh in the conference. This season, Ingram entered the TWU All-Time Block List at No. 10 with 50 blocks in her career, 20 of which have happened this season. In the regular season, she recorded four double-doubles and shot an efficient 52.4% from the field on 225 attempts.
 
Moyer, a senior guard from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, earned First Team honors for the first time in her career, but it marked her third straight season earning All-LSC honors. Moyer averaged 13.8 points per game in the regular season, which ranked ninth in the conference. She also ranked second in free throw percentage, shooting an average of 85.6%. This season, Moyer became the 11th player in program history to score 1,000 points. She also hit her career-high of 34 points this season against Texas A&M – International.
 
Keslyn King received LSC Honorable Mention honors, marking the first conference honors of her career. King scored a career-high 22 points this season against Angelo State. She averages 7.5 points per game on 42.4% from the floor. King's impact goes beyond the stat sheet, which is a testament to her award.
 
Making the All-Freshman team was Jada Celsur.
 
Celsur, a guard from Martins Mill, most recently hit the shot to seal the conference title for the Pioneers. Her resume throughout the season boasts an impressive first year stat line.
 
She scored a career-high 19 points in the Pioneers win over Texas A&M International on Feb. 9, and recorded five games with 10 or more points. She appeared in all 28 games for the Pioneers, averaging 23 minutes per contest, and made an impact on both sides of the ball.
 
Finally, for her success on the court and in the classroom, Ingram was named to the All-Academic team for the first time in her career.

According to the LSC, "to be eligible for academic honors, student-athletes must have played in at least 50 percent of team's contests, reached sophomore athletic and academic, completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution, and have a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average based on the 4.0 system for their entire collegiate career."
 
Ingram is majoring in Kinesiology with a Pre-Occupational Therapy focus and excels in her studies, holding a 3.850 grade point average.
 
"I am so proud of our team," Coach Jillson said. "Ashley has proven she is a dominant post player in this conference, and she is committed to excellence in the classroom. Her dedication to being excellent on and off the court is inspiring. Sadie continues to lead us in multiple ways. With her ability to shoot consistently, grab the rebound and make decisive playmaking, she is an dangerous threat on the floor. Keslyn has stepped up for us in big ways night-in and night-out. She is a proven winner. As a freshman, Jada has played confidently this entire season. She continues to shine in the moment. Above all, I am proud of each and every one of our athletes for their commitment to be their best, the hard work they bring and their dedication. I am honored to coach each of them and I look forward to this next journey of postseason."