Covenant's Joann Smith Earns USA South Honors

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Covenant women's basketball senior Joanna Smith was voted to the All-USA South West Division second team, while sophomore Rachel Thomas was the Scots' representative on the All-Sportsmanship team, as the conference released its season awards on Thursday.

All awards are voted on by the women's basketball coach at each institution. The divisional team voting is completed only by those coaches in the particular division.

The first team all-conference and individual award voting is completed by all coaches.

It is the third time that Smith has earned All-USA South accolades, and the second time she has garnered second team all-division honors. The senior from Chattanooga, Tenn. (Chattanooga Christian), concluded her collegiate career by averaging a career-high 13.0 points per game to go with 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game this season. Smith ranked fourth in the USA South in field goal percentage at 53.1 percent, also a career-high. She recorded five double-doubles on the year and scored in double figures 18 times, including a season-high 24 points on two occasions.

Smith was tabbed as the USA South Player of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 19.5 points, shooting over 68 percent from the field, with 15.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the previous week.

Smith crossed over the 1,000-career point plateau against Webster on Dec. 8 and ends her career with 1,246 points, 14th all-time in Covenant history, and her 876 rebounds are fourth-most for a career in the program's history. She also registered 28 career double-doubles, which is fourth all-time.

Thomas, a sophomore from Ringgold, Ga., receives her first USA South All-Sportsmanship nod. Battling injuries this season, Thomas did not appear in a game, but was a vital member of the program.

Piedmont's Amari Price was named USA South Player of the Year, while Mary Baldwin's Leah Calhoun was the Rookie of the Year. Mary Baldwin head coach Ross James earned Coach of the Year honors.

Covenant (10-16, 7-9 USA South) ended its season with a loss to Huntingdon in the first round of the USA South Tournament on Wednesday night. The Scots tied for fifth in the USA South West Division.