AUSTIN, Texas – Alabama A&M senior Dariauna Lewis (Omaha, Neb.) has once again been recognized as one of the 16 best student-athletes in the nation in her sport, repeating as a CoSIDA Women's Basketball Academic All-America honoree, this time as a Second-Team selection, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Wednesday, March 16.
 
Lewis began the Bulldog's national academic resurgence with her Third-Team selection a year ago, marking the first for A&M Athletics in 29 years and ushering in the first of four Academic All-America selections and seven Academic All-District honorees since May 2021.
 
One of the toughest of these honors to earn due to the extremely small nature of the team, she is also the only member of either the men's or women's Academic All-America Teams to hail from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). It marks the second straight year that she has achieved that distinction, making her the only Division I basketball player to do so.
 
She is also on a short list among her fellow Bulldogs as she becomes only the second repeat CoSIDA Academic All-America in Alabama A&M history. The only other is back-to-back First-Team selection Tracy Kendall who did so at quarterback in 1989-90 and 1990-91.
 
Lewis also remains the only woman to garner the honor with football's Marcus Cushine and men's tennis' Fermin Ruiz Crespo collecting Second- and Third-Team recognitions last year. The only other, and first in program history, was Tim McCannelly who earned Second-Team in 1979-80 for the football program.
 
Beyond those distinctions, her selection makes Alabama A&M one of just seven non-Power 5 schools to have a player among those 16 individuals, among which she is one of eight multi-time honorees. It is a star-studded group, headlined by a First-Team that includes Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, who repeated as Academic All-America of the Year.
 
She is joined by Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Lexie Hull (Stanford), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State) and Sam Thomas while Lewis is accompanied on the Second-Team by Conley Chinn (Belmont), Vivian Gray (Texas Tech), Caitlyn Harper (California Baptist), Lacie Hull (Stanford) and Myah Selland (South Dakota State).
 
The names of the schools get no less illustrious with the Third-Team being comprised of Sam Breen (Massachusetts), Veronica Burton (Northwestern), Mary Crompton (Illinois State), Makenna Marisa (Penn State) and Erin Whalen (Dayton).
 
LEWIS' 2021-22 CREDENTIALS
Lewis appeared in all 29 games, starting 28 and delivered averages of 15.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.1 assists and notched nearly a steal per game. On the season she also shot .500 from the field (167-of-334) and .724 (105-of-145) from the charity stripe.
 
The 2021-22 campaign would be an impressive one for her from start to finish as she earned four Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) weekly awards, two of the Player of the Week variety and a pair of Impact Player of the Week honors.
 
That led to her becoming the first player in program history to collect three All-SWAC honors as she was named to the Second-Team following the close of the regular season.
 
On the year she recorded 18 double-doubles, including five straight at one point, to go with 12 games of at least 12 rebounds and a 26 point, 18 board effort at Texas Southern (1/22). Lewis also produced 13 points and 19 boards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2/14) and 20 points and 17 rebounds (10 offensive) vs. Alcorn State (1/8).
 
She would save her best for last, however, as she put up a season-high 32 points with 10 caroms, two blocks, a pair of steals and an assist in A&M's SWAC Quarterfinal against Grambling (3/9).
 
In terms of national rankings, Lewis' name dots that landscape as she currently ranks No. 9 in defensive rebounds per game (8.1), 13^th in double-doubles, 14^th in rebounds per game, 16^th in total rebounds (329) and 28^th in blocks per game. When it comes to SWAC statistical rankings she leads the league in rebounds and rebounds per game, is second in blocks and third in field goal percentage.
 
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's Basketball Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's Basketball Teams
FIRST-TEAM
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (Jr., 3.74, Mass Communications)
Caitlin Clark, Iowa (So., 3.53, Pre-Business)
Lexie Hull, Stanford (Sr., 3.90, Mgmt, Science and Engineering UG/Mgmt, Science and Engineering Gr.)
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State (Gr., 3.89/4.0, Couple and Family Therapy)
Sam Thomas, Arizona (Gr., 4.0/4,0, Educational Leadership)
 
SECOND-TEAM
Conley Chinn, Belmont (Sr., 4.0, Psychology)
Vivan Gray, Texas Tech (Gr., 3.77/3.75, MBA Gr.)
Caitlyn Harper, California Baptist (Sr., 4.0, Accounting)
Lacie Hull, Stanford (Sr., 3.89, Product Design UG/Mgmt, Science and Engineering Gr.)
Dariauna Lewis, Alabama A&M (Sr., 3.84, Biology)
Myah Selland, South Dakota State (Jr, 3.97, Exercise Science/Community & Public Health)
 
THIRD-TEAM
Sam Breen, Massachusetts (Gr., 3.74/3.90, Learning, Media & Technology Gr.)
Veronica Burton, Northwestern (Sr., 3.78, Learning & Organizational Change)
Mary Crompton, Illinois State (Gr., 4.0/4.0, Biology UG/Biology Gr.)
Makenna Marisa, Penn State (Jr., 3.75, Education)
Erin Whalen, Dayton (Gr., 3.87/3.88, Communication Gr.)
 
Alabama A&M History of Academic All-America Selections (7 Selections/5 Individuals)
2021-22 – Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball) – Second-Team
2020-21 – Fermin Ruiz Crespo (At-Large/Men's Tennis) – Third-Team
2020-21 - Marcus Cushine (Football) - Second-Team
2020-21 – Dariauna Lewis (Women's Basketball) – Third-Team
1990-91 – Tracy Kendall (Football) – First-Team
1989-90 – Tracy Kendall (Football) – First-Team
1979-80 – Tim McCannelly (Football) – Second-Team