(Aliso Viejo, CA) The Great Southwest Athletic Conference has announced its all-conference team for women’s basketball and scholar athletes for the winter season and the Park University Gilbert women’s basketball team has three players honored for all-conference kudos and four players on the scholar athlete team. The men’s basketball team has two players on the scholar athlete team.
For the women’s basketball team, Alynna Palacios was named the GSAC Defensive Player of the Year, while Savannah Huerta and Kayla Schroeder were named to the all-conference team.
Palacios was a nightmare for opposing offenses this year as she led the conference and was second in the nation in steals per game (3.9) She set the school record for steals with 92 despite playing four fewer games than the previous record holder.
The Honolulu, Hawaii native had seven games with six or more steals and had a triple double at the start of the season against Nelson with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 steals which tied the school record for steals. She was named GSAC Defensive Player of the Week three times. She averaged 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game to go along with almost four steals per game.
Huerta, who transferred to Park Gilbert for her senior campaign set the school record for three-point baskets in a season with 92 and led the country in three-point FG made per game (3.9). Huerta had nine games with 20 or more points this season and led the conference in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game.
The Covington, Wash., native also set the school record for three-point field goals in a game with nine and had 14 games with four or more three-point baskets.
Schroeder, an all-America last season, did not put up the number she did last year, but had so much more help around her this season she did not need to. Instead, she still averaged 15.3 points per game which was fourth best in the conference and upped her assist totals (3.2 per game) with more attention being paid to her. She is fourth in the conference in steals per game (2.1). She is also 10th in the country in three-point FG made per game 3.1.
Schroeder, from Neenah, Wisc. is Park Gilbert’s all-time leading scorer with 1,608 points for her career.
Academically, Schroeder also adorns Park Gilbert’s GSAC Scholar Athlete team with a 4.0 GPA along with teammates, Larken Hoar (4.0), Hemani Kalia (3.5) and Andraya Dimas (3.76).
On the men’s side, Caleb Ivy (4.0) and Aidan Moreno (3.55) also were tabbed for the GSAC Scholar Athlete Team.
Palacios, Huerta, Schroeder and the Park Gilbert women’s basketball team return to the floor on Friday, Feb. 28 to take on The Master’s University in the semifinals of the GSAC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Santa Clarita, Calif. The game will start at 7 p.m. Arizona time.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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