BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In advance of the 2021 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament, Alabama A&M women's basketball has earned a pair of selections on the 2020-21 All-SWAC Teams as announced by the league on Tuesday, March 9.
Headlining those honors was a second straight First-Team selection for junior forward
Dariauna Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) while senior guard
Deshawna Harper (Indianapolis, Ind.) notched her second consecutive Second-Team recognition.
DARIAUNA LEWIS – FIRST-TEAM
Lewis started all 16 games while posting averages of 17.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.0 assists and is averaging nearly a steal per game. On the season she is also shooting .608 from the field (115-of-189).
In 2020-21 she has been named a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week an impressive four times, the league's Impact Player once and a BOXTOROW National Player of the Week one time.
She has recorded 13 double-doubles, including nine straight at one point, to go with 11 games of at least 12 rebounds and a 24-point, 19 board effort at Southern (2/24). Lewis has also added a pair of 17 board games, one that went with a season-high 25 points at Alcorn State (2/22) and recorded four games with four blocks.
In terms of SWAC statistical rankings she leads the league in rebounding and field goal percentage and is second in points and third in blocks per game.
DESHAWNA HARPER – SECOND-TEAM
Harper has been a driving force as Alabama A&M has put together a 10-6 overall record and 8-5 mark in SWAC play.
In starting all 16 games she has averaged 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting .361 from three-point range (43-of-119). A complement to the inside presence of Lewis, Harper has recorded 11 games with at least three three-pointers to go with 14 contests in double-figure scoring.
Of those, four have hit at least the 20-point mark, including 23 with six assists and five steals against Prairie View A&M (2/27) and 22 points with six threes (6-of-12) against Mississippi Valley State (2/6). Harper has also dropped two 20-point games, the first in the season opener vs. No. 11 (Mid-Major) Troy (11/28) and the other against Texas Southern (3/1).
Lewis, Harper and the Bulldogs are next in action as they head to Birmingham, Alabama for the 2021 SWAC Tournament beginning on Thursday, March 11. They will face No. 4 seed Grambling at 5:30 p.m.
2020-21 All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Teams
First-Team
Ameshya Williams, Jackson State
Dariauna Lewis, Alabama A&M
Dayzsha Rogan, Jackson State
Shmya Ward, Alabama State
Ayana Emmanuel, Alabama State
Second-Team
Ataiya Bridges, Texas Southern
Khadijah Brown, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Genovea Johnson, Southern
Deshawna Harper, Alabama A&M
Jayla Crawford, Alabama State
Player of the Year
Dayzsha Rogan, Jackson State
Defensive Player of the Year
Ameysha Williams, Jackson State
Newcomer of the Year
Khadijah Brown, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Freshman of the Year
Farrah Pearson, Alabama State
Coach of the Year
Freda Freeman-Jackson, Alabama State
