Ralph Named RSC 1st Team All-Conference, Lambdin Earns Second Team Honors
NEW ALBANY, Ind. - Emmy Ralph was named a River States Conference First Team All-Conference selection and Lauren Lambdin earned second team honors as the league's basketball honors were announced on Monday. Five Grenadiers were named RSC Scholar-Athletes as well.
Ralph, a junior guard from Louisville, ranked No. 2 in the league with 21.8 points per game and was fifth in assists at 3.8 per game. She also ranked No. 7 in three-point FG pct at 38.6.
Lambdin, a senior guard from Taylorsville, Ky., was No. 8 in the league in scoring at 16.3 ppg. She was No. 8 in blocks per game with 1.0 per game and was No. 11 in assists per game at 3.1
The 2022-23 All-River States Conference Women's Basketball Teams & Awards have been announced after voting from the league's 13 head coaches. University of Rio Grande (Ohio) star senior Ella Skeens led the accoloades as the RSC Women's Basketball Player of the Year. It is the second year in a row that the guard from Chillicothe, Ohio, was named conference player of the year.
The All-RSC Women's Basketball First & Second Teams as well as the Honorable Mention Team all have 10 players named. Also awarded was the RSC Women's Basketball Champions of Character Team and the All-RSC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Skeens leads the RSC in scoring at 24.0 points per game, which is third in all of the NAIA. She is shooting 53 percent from the field, 82 percent from the foul line and also grabs 8.0 rebounds per game, the latter of which is seventh in the RSC. She has the No. 12-ranked RedStorm (27-3) in the RSC Championship finals at home Tuesday, Feb. 28 versus Midway (Ky.) (23-7).
Rio Grande head coach David Smalley, in his 31st year, was named RSC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. He has led the RedStorm to an automatic berth in the NAIA National Championship as RSC regular-season champions and RSC East Division champs along with the NAIA Top 25 ranking all season.
WVU Tech junior guard Faith Silva was selected RSC Women's Basketball Newcomer of the Year. She was sixth in the conference averaging 18.2 ppg, and she leads the entire NAIA with 115 made 3-point field goals this year. Silva was the top vote-getter among new players to the conference this year.
Rio Grande and Midway (Ky.) led the conference with two players each on the All-RSC First Team. Joining Skeens on the first team was teammate Kaylee Darnell, who is ninth in the conference at 16.3 ppg. Midway's pair of first-team selections are Dezeree White at 18.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 48% field goals along with Semaj Adams with 10.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg. That duo has led the Eagles to an NAIA national tournament berth and conference finals appearance.
Rio Grande and Oakland City (Ind.) University tied for the conference lead with four selections to the first, second and honorable mention teams. Oakland City and WVU Tech led the second team with two choices each. The Golden Bears were one of four schools with three selections each overall.
The RSC Women's Basketball Champions of Character Team had one player from each school nominated by their head coach for best respresenting the NAIA's five character values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
The RSC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team had all players with a 3.25 GPA or higher who competed in women's basketball and have at least two semesters at their current school prior to this basketball season. Midway and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College tied for the conference lead with nine each on the scholar team.
Brynna Blackburn, Alex Maher, Leah Miller, Karly Sweeney and Emmy Ralph were all recognized as RSC Scholar-Athletes for the Grenadiers.
For the complete listing of awards, see below:
2022-23 ALL-RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAMS & AWARDS
RSC Player of the Year -- Ella Skeens, Sr., G, Rio Grande (Ohio)
RSC Newcomer of the Year -- Faith Silva, Jr., G, WVU Tech
RSC Coach of the Year -- David Smalley, Rio Grande (Ohio)
ALL-RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School |
| Ella Skeens | G | Sr. | University of Rio Grande |
| Dezeree White | G | Sr. | Midway University |
| Emmy Ralph | G | Jr. | Indiana University Southeast |
| Kaylee Darnell | G | So. | University of Rio Grande |
| Hannah Kash | G | Sr. | Alice Lloyd College |
| Addie Brown | G | Sr. | Indiana University East |
| Emilee Hope | G | Jr. | Oakland City University |
| Faith N. Silva | G | Jr. | West Virginia University Institute of Technology |
| Taylor Rinn | F | Sr. | Point Park University |
| Semaj Adams | F | Fr. | Midway University |
ALL-RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School |
| Taylor Dillard | G | Sr. | Oakland City University |
| Rachel Bolyard | G | Sr. | Ohio Christian University |
| Lauren Lambdin | G | Sr. | Indiana University Southeast |
| Alva Hedrich | C | Fr. | West Virginia University Institute of Technology |
| Kennedy Griffin | G | Sr. | Indiana University East |
| Brooklynn Jones | G | So. | Saint Mary of the Woods College |
| Azyiah Williams | G | So. | University of Rio Grande |
| Jalaya Dowell | C | Jr. | Oakland City University |
| Valiyah Yazzie | G | Jr. | West Virginia University Institute of Technology |
| Katie Jo Moore | G | So. | Alice Lloyd College |
ALL-RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HONORABLE MENTION TEAM
| Name | Pos. | Cl. | School |
| Anna Kiser | F | Jr. | Indiana University Kokomo |
| Avalee Jeffers | F | Sr. | Saint Mary of the Woods College |
| Bailee Brainard | C | Sr. | Alice Lloyd College |
| Ashley DeWeese | G | Fr. | Ohio Christian University |
| Emma Pavelek | G | So. | Point Park University |
| Megan Ost | C | Sr. | Carlow University |
| Ari Bleda | G | Jr. | Point Park University |
| Lexi Woods | F | Jr. | University of Rio Grande |
| Davina Smith | G/F | Fr. | Indiana University East |
| Davinique Campbell | F | Jr. | Oakland City University |
RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
| School | Name |
| Alice Lloyd College | Bailee Brainard |
| Brescia University | Paige Vanzant |
| Carlow University | Rylie Blair |
| Indiana University East | Taylor Browning |
| Indiana University Kokomo | Anna Kiser |
| Indiana University Southeast | Lauren Lambdin |
| Midway University | Emma Gutman |
| Oakland City University | Aysha Lindsey |
| Ohio Christian University | Darcy Mitchell |
| Point Park University | Tanner Hoffer |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Savvanah Frye |
| University of Rio Grande | Grace Forrest |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Leonor Ferreira |
RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM
| School | Name |
| Alice Lloyd College | Jasmine Eley |
| Alice Lloyd College | Katie Jo Moore |
| Alice Lloyd College | Madison Thompson |
| Alice Lloyd College | Madison Ward |
| Alice Lloyd College | Makayla May |
| Alice Lloyd College | Riley Schreck |
| Alice Lloyd College | Tori Hampton |
| Brescia University | Elisabeth Joines |
| Brescia University | Lindsey Peyton |
| Brescia University | Paige Vanzant |
| Carlow University | Brianna Evans |
| Carlow University | Emma Aubrey |
| Carlow University | Megan Ost |
| Carlow University | Rylie Blair |
| Carlow University | Shaelyn Clark |
| Carlow University | Sydney Carr |
| Indiana University East | Addie Brown |
| Indiana University East | Kennedy Griffin |
| Indiana University East | Marissa Quiroz |
| Indiana University East | Taylor Browning |
| Indiana University East | Tia Tolbert |
| Indiana University Kokomo | Anna Kiser |
| Indiana University Kokomo | Karly Kirkpatrick |
| Indiana University Kokomo | Kristen Ridner |
| Indiana University Southeast | Alex Maher |
| Indiana University Southeast | Brynna Blackburn |
| Indiana University Southeast | Emmy Ralph |
| Indiana University Southeast | Karly Sweeney |
| Indiana University Southeast | Leah Miller |
| Midway University | Aleigha Mucker |
| Midway University | Breanna Woodward |
| Midway University | Emma Gutman |
| Midway University | Jalyn Jackson |
| Midway University | Kassidy Daugherty |
| Midway University | Michaela Price |
| Midway University | Mi'lan Miller |
| Midway University | Nahia Urturi-Ortiz |
| Midway University | Rebecca Watkins |
| Oakland City University | Amaya Thomas |
| Oakland City University | Davinique Campbell |
| Oakland City University | Jalaya Dowell |
| Oakland City University | Marissa Austin |
| Oakland City University | Tabitha Klem |
| Oakland City University | Taylor Dillard |
| Ohio Christian University | Darcy Mitchell |
| Ohio Christian University | Emma Koons |
| Ohio Christian University | Emmie Brenly |
| Ohio Christian University | Haley Cox |
| Ohio Christian University | Lily Martin |
| Ohio Christian University | Rachel Bolyard |
| Point Park University | Emma Pavelek |
| Point Park University | Israel Strickland |
| Point Park University | Lora Davis |
| Point Park University | Sierra Seneta |
| Point Park University | Tanner Hoffer |
| Point Park University | Tatiyana Graham |
| Point Park University | Taylor Rinn |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Abby Worley |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Allyson Hardiek |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Avalee Jeffers |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Brooklynn Jones |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Destiny Thomas |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Kathryn Perry |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Madison White |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Savvanah Frye |
| Saint Mary of the Woods College | Sydney Ingram |
| University of Rio Grande | Lexi Woods |
| University of Rio Grande | Reagan Willingham |
| University of Rio Grande | Courtney Pifher |
| University of Rio Grande | Grace Forrest |
| University of Rio Grande | Harlei Antritt |
| University of Rio Grande | Kaylee Darnell |
| University of Rio Grande | Mickale Bates |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Alyssa Taylor |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Elysia Perez |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Emilee Whitt |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Emily Hutchinson |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Leonor Ferreira |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Savanna Bailey |