Posted: Mar 07, 2024

Cedar Valley Collects Five First Team All-DAC, Coach of Year Honors

LANCASTER, Texas – Dallas College Cedar Valley women's basketball's Carmela Hayden was voted the Dallas Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player, and the Suns were represented by eight players on the All-DAC first and second teams.

Deja Thomas was chosen as the DAC Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Latasha Keith was named DAC Coach of the Year.

Hayden was joined by teammates Mia Thomas, Deja Thomas, Precious Jackson-Sanders and Ciana Fudzie as First Team All-DAC selections. Nekayla Williams, Vivian Nwabufo and Tori Ransom were named to the Second Team.

A 5-foot-6 sophomore guard from Dallas, Hayden averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She shot 44.4 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three-point range and 67 percent from the free throw line. Hayden scored a career-high 33 points, hitting eight of 12 three-point field goals in a win over Dallas College Mountain View Feb. 15. She was named DAC Player of the Week twice.

A 5-3 sophomore point guard from Dallas, Deja Thomas averaged 5.4 steals, while scoring 12.5 points, dishing out six assists and grabbing 3.5 rebounds. She ranks second in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III in assists, and third in steals. Thomas had a season-high 11 steals in a win at San Antonio College Nov. 11. She shot 45.9 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from long distance and 65.2 percent from the free throw line. She scored a season-high 26 points on 10 of 14 shooting, including 5 of 7 from 3-point land, in a win over Arlington Baptist University Junior Varsity Dec. 7. She received one DAC Player of the Week award.

A 5-4 sophomore guard from Houston, Mia Thomas averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists. She shot 47.6 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from the 3-point arc and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. Thomas scored a career-high 26 points in two games, making nine field goals in both. She hit six of 10 triples in a win at Jacksonville College Feb. 24 to end the regular season. Thomas was named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Week Feb. 26, and was chosen as the DAC Player of the Week twice.

A 6-0 freshman forward from Houston, Jackson-Sanders averaged 11.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and just under one block, while shooting 58.1 percent from the field, which ranks fifth in the nation, and 68.3 percent from the free throw line. She scored a season-high 26 points, knocking down 12 of 13 field goals, in a win at Dallas College Richland Dec. 2. Jackson-Sanders was named the DAC Player of the Week once.

A 6-0 sophomore forward from Richardson, Texas, Fudzie averaged 5.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and two blocks per game. She shot 54.2 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Fudzie had a season-high 11 points at Richland in the final DAC regular season game, and grabbed a season-best 14 boards at Mountain View Jan. 25.

A 6-0 sophomore forward from Richardson, Williams averaged five points and 6.5 rebounds. She shot 60.5 percent from the free throw line. She scored a season-high 13 points in the win at San Antonio College, going 6 of 8 from the floor.

A 6-0 freshman forward from Arlington, Texas, Nwabufo averaged 3.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and just under a steal per game, while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor. She had a season-high 12 points and 11 rebounds in a win at East Texas Baptist University Jan. 23. Nwabufo was selected as the DAC Player of the Week once.

A 5-7 sophomore guard from Tyler, Texas, Ransom averaged 2.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and just under an assist per game. She had a season-high 14 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor, in a win over Richland Feb. 20 to clinch the DAC title.

Keith was named the DAC Coach of the Year for the third time in her five years with Cedar Valley. She's guided the Suns to a program-best 17 wins, capturing the DAC and NJCAA Division III Central District championships this season.

Cedar Valley (17-5) will meet Monroe College – Bronx (18-16) in the opening round of the NJCAA Division III National Tournament Wednesday in Rochester, Minnesota.

ALL-DALLAS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – Carmela Hayden, Dallas College Cedar Valley

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Paris Beard, Dallas College Richland

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Deja Thomas, Dallas College Cedar Valley

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Germari Harris, Dallas College Mountain View

COACH OF THE YEAR – Latasha Keith, Dallas College Cedar Valley

FIRST TEAM ALL-DAC

Carmela Hayden, So., G, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Paris Beard, Fr., G, Dallas College Richland

Germari Harris, So., G, Dallas College Mountain View

Deja Thomas, So., G, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Mia Thomas, So., G, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Precious Jackson-Sanders, Fr., F, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Logan Ross, So., F, Dallas College Richland

Ciana Fudzie, So., F, Dallas College Cedar Valley

SECOND TEAM ALL-DAC

Nekayla Williams, So., F, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Vivian Nwabufo, Fr., F, Dallas College Cedar Valley

Tori Ransom, So., G, Dallas College Cedar Valley

LyTaisha Jefferson, Fr., G, Dallas College Mountain View

Saniya Black, Fr., G, Dallas College Mountain View

Myka Beltran, Fr., G, Dallas College Richland

ALL-REGION V