WICHITA, Kan. – Friends University forward Taylor Jackson wraps up her regular season career on top, winning her second consecutive KCAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year award, the conference office announced today (Feb. 25). Junior guard Lauryn McIver was also a unanimous all-conference first-team selection, while Jackson earned second-team honors and junior forward Abigail Barr was an honorable-mention performer.
A top interior defender from day one, Jackson has collected 17 career KCAC Defensive Player of the Week awards and is the Falcons' all-time modern-era leader with 352 career blocks and rebounds (1,332). Also a member of the KCAC All-Defensive team, Jackson is tops in the league in both rebounds (12.3 rpg) and blocks (2.3 bpg) this season.
A native of Houston, Texas, Jackson is also second on the Falcons this season with 14.4 ppg.
"Taylor's second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year recognition was well deserved," said Friends women's basketball head coach Dean Jaderston. "She changes the game like no other player in the conference. It's not only the blocks and rebounds, but it's also the number of times players don't even drive into the lane or don't even attempt shots because she's protecting the basket. She has also improved her offensive game every year and has been a consistent double-double threat every night."
McIver has been the engine behind the Falcons' offense this season, pacing the team in both points (16.0 ppg) and assists (3.0 apg). A Phoenix, Ariz. native, McIver's point total is also good for fifth in the KCAC.
Barr's arrival this season provided the Falcons with a potent 1-2 combo inside offensively and defensively, as the Freeport, Ill. native is scoring 12.0 ppg and is second on the Falcons with 7.1 rebounds per game while ranking second in the league in field-goal percentage (56.3).
"I'm also pleased the coaches in the KCAC recognized Lauryn and Abigail," said Jaderston. "Lauryn has emerged as one of the premier scorers in the conference and is one of the most difficult players to guard inside and outside. And Abigail has been a steady force at the power forward position, taking a lot of pressure off Taylor to score inside. Together, they make for a balanced scoring attack that is hard to stop."
The Falcons are currently readying to play at fourth-seeded Bethel College in the quarterfinal round of the KCAC postseason tournament Thursday night (Feb. 27) in North Newton, Kan.
