Basketball | 3/6/2024 10:59:00 PM

FRISCO, Texas (March 6, 2024) – The Lone Star Conference honors rolled in for the No. 1 seed Texas Woman's basketball team on Thursday night ahead of the 2024 LSC Championships.
 
On Thursday night, the Pioneers celebrated their 2024 LSC Regular Season Championship and East Division Title with the presentation of the LSC trophies at the 2024 LSC postseason banquet.
 
Following the presentation of the overall trophies, the conference presented the overall yearly awards.
 
Ashley Ingram was chosen as the 2023-24 LSC Player of the Year. Ingram becomes the first Player of the Year in TWU program history.

During her junior season, Ingram dominated on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. She closed the regular season ranked second in points in the LSC, averaging 18.3 points per game and second in field goal percentage, averaging 60.9% from the field per game. She also currently ranks third in free throw percentage (81.8) and sixth in assists (3.6 per game). Ingram also ranks ninth in NCAA Division II in double doubles this season with 15. Through the entire regular season, Ingram ranked in the top three in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage, at times even ranking No. 1 overall. She currently ranks third.
 
In her junior season, Ingram became the 12th Pioneer to eclipse the 1,000 point mark. Currently, she ranks fourth on the TWU All-Time Scoring list with 1,372 career points (550 so far this season). She also moved into fourth on the TWU All-Time Rebounds list with 655 on her career (259 this season). She also ranks eighth on the TWU All-Time Assists list with 212 career assists (108 on the season). She ranks fifth on the TWU All-Times block list with 72 in her career (19 on the season).
 
She had 12 games with 20 or more points, including scoring a career high 32 points this season. She also dished out a career high eight assists this season and grabbed a career high six steals. Ingram has attempted the third most free throws in Division II and averages 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranks third in the LSC.
 
This marked Ingram's first regular season Player of the Year honor, adding to her 2021-22 Freshman of the Year Award and 2022-23 Preseason Player of the Year Award.
 
Along with her Player of the Year honor, Ingram was also named to First Team All-LSC, marking her third First Team All-LSC honor of her career. While a star on the court, Ingram is also a star in the classroom. She is currently majoring in Kinesiology – Pre-Occupational Therapy and holds a 3.874 grade point average. For her work in the classroom, Ingram was selected as a member of the LSC All-Academic Team. It marked the second LSC All-Academic Award for Ingram.

"Ashley is a true leader for our team and solidified herself as the best player in the LSC this season, which I am so proud of her for being honored for tonight," TWU Head Coach Beth Jillson said. "I have the privilege of being front row to how hard she works each and every day to be her absolute best, and she does it with such joy and passion, which motivates her teammates and everyone around her to be their best. While I have the privilege of seeing her work every day, it is awesome to see her recognized by the coaches in our league for her skill, leadership and overall success on the court this season. I am grateful for Ashley and so proud of her."
 
Joining Ingram with an overall yearly award was the Pioneers' Head Coach Beth Jillson, who was named the LSC Noel Johnson Co-Coach of the Year. Jillson remains the only TWU Head Coach to receive the award and made history again by earning the award for a third straight season.

This season, Jillson once again led the Pioneers to the No. 1 overall seed in the LSC Championship – guiding TWU to back-to-back Regular Season and East Division Titles. The Pioneers closed the regular season 20-2 in LSC play and 26-4 overall – just one win away from breaking the record for most wins in a season. The Pioneers also recorded five Top 25 wins in the regular season. Additionally, the Pioneers rank 14th overall in NCAA Division II in field goal percentage, averaging 45.5% from the field.
 
Under Jillson's leadership, the Pioneers have held steady in the national rankings, most recently ranking ninth overall on the WBCA National Poll. Additionally, TWU also ranks No. 1 in the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings.
 
Jillson was named Co-Coach of the Year and was joined by UT Permian Basin's Head Coach Rae Boothe, who guided the Falcons this season to their first LSC Championships appearance in program history.
 
"I am humbled to be recognized alongside Rae as the Co-Coach of the Year," Jillson said. "This season, we have learned, worked, grown and succeeded together. I am so grateful for my staff and my athletes who show up every day and challenge themselves and each other to bring their best. This award is a true testament to the amazing team I have around me. Earning this award with the namesake of Noel Johnson continues to remind of Noel's incredible impact on women's basketball. I am truly honored to win this award in her honor."
 
In 2021-22, 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.
 
Three Pioneers joined Ingram in earning All-LSC Awards. Scout Huffman and Leila Patel were named to the All-LSC Second Team.
 
Huffman currently ranks third for TWU in points per game, averaging 10.3 points per game. In her senior season, Huffman has recorded her most points in a season (308), most steals in a season (18) and highest field goal percentage in a season (53.6%). She currently ranks fourth in the LSC in field goal percentage. This season, Huffman also recorded 15 games with 10 or more points. She set three career marks this season, scoring 26 points, grabbing four steals and dishing out four assists. This marked Huffman's first All-LSC honor of her career.
 
Patel, who also earned the first All-LSC honor of her career, currently averages 14 points per game, which ranks second on the Pioneers. She has scored over 20 points six times this season and has set and broken her career mark in points six times, with her current career high being 27 points. She has started in every game for the Pioneers. She currently averages 41.7% from the field. Furthermore, She has 117 rebounds on the season and set a career high mark in rebounds in a game with seven. Additionally, she has played the most minutes on the team and ranks fifth in minutes in the Lone Star Conference. 
 
In her sophomore season with the Pioneers, Jada Celsur received All-LSC Honorable Mention honors. Celsur, who was named to the All-LSC Freshman Team last season, received her second All-LSC award of her career. 
 
This season with the Pioneers, Celsur excelled as the starting point guard – starting every game for TWU. She averaged 9.2 points per game. She has 59 total steals on the season and 95 total assists. In steals, she averages two per game, which ranks eighth in the LSC. Additionally, Celsur ranks eighth in the LSC in assists per game with 3.2 per game. She holds the highest free throw percentage for the Pioneers on 64 attempts, shooting 82.8% from the charity stripe.
 
"Scout, Leila and Jada have been instrumental leaders on our team this season," Jillson said. "Their success on the court shows in their stats this season, but, most of all, they pride themselves on being great teammates and they raise up everyone around them. I am so proud of them for receiving these honors tonight. I am truly grateful to coach amazing and talented young women."
 
The Pioneers will play in the first round of the LSC Championships on Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m. against UAFS.