LSU Eunice’s Jaime Gonzales and Ava Jones earned high honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The LSWA unveiled its women’s basketball All-Louisiana Team on Monday. Gonzales was honored as Coach of the Year while former Carencro High star Jones was selected to the first-team. The Bengals duo become the first junior college recipients of the respective awards in the LSWA All-Louisiana team’s history.
Voting was conducted by sports information directors and selected media members from across the state
“Anytime you can say you’re considered the top of anything in the state – it is a tremendous honor,” LSU Eunice head coach Jaime Gonzales said. “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication the team put into having an extraordinary season that I think we are all very proud of.”
Jones is joined on the LSWA All-Louisiana First Team with Co-Players of the Year Ayana Mitchell of LSU and DeAuja Thompson of LSU Shreveport, LSU Alexandria’s Kelsey Thaxtonn and Tulane’s Krystal Freeman.
Gonzales led LSU Eunice to a 21-7 record and captured the school’s third straight Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference (LCCAC) regular season title. The Bengals won their first Region 23 game in program history, their first postseason win since 2009.
Jones meanwhile was named LCCAC Player of the Year, named to the NJCAA Region 23 team after averaging a team-best 17.5 points per game.
The LSWA All-Louisiana second team is comprised of Loyola-New Orleans guard Kaila Anthony, UL forward and former Ville Platte High star Ty’Reona Doucet, UNO guard Rehema Franklin, LSU duo Khayla Pointer and Faustine Aifuwa.
The LSWA All-Louisiana third team consists of Louisiana Tech guard Amber Dixon, McNeese State forward Damilola Balogun, Louisiana College’s ZyUnn Cormier, Grambling State guard Justice Coleman and Bossier Parish Community College center Alexandria Pollard.
A total of seven players from around the state earned honorable mention accolades, including Northwestern State’s Kira Bonner, Tulane’s Arsula Clark, LSU Alexandria’s Ciera Daniels, UL Monroe’s Gara Beth Self, Southeastern Louisiana’s Celica Sterling, LSU Alexandria’s Kendriana Washington and UNO’s Asia Woods.
LSU’s Awa Trasi was named Newcomer of the Year and Louisiana College’s ZyUnn Cormier was named Freshman of the Year.