Missouri State’s Tyonna Snow and Kenzie Williams earned all-Missouri Valley Conference First Team honors Wednesday (March 9), it was announced by the league office. Williams is a first-team pick for the second consecutive season, and Snow adds another all-defensive selection to her resume as the second player in MSU history to earn that distinction three times. The awards also mark the third all-MVC team for each player, as Snow was an honorable mention choice each of the last two seasons and Williams joined her on the 2014 squad.
Snow leads the Lady Bears in nearly every statistical category, averaging 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor. She is the only player nationally averaging at least 15 points, six rebounds and three steals per game this season, and recently claimed Missouri State’s career steals record and the national lead among active Division I players with her 343 career thefts.
In MVC games, the senior guard increased her productivity to average 18.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 steals, 2.9 assists and 1.4 blocks to go with a .504 shooting percentage, scoring at least 10 points in all 18 Valley contests. She also led the league in free throw makes (101) and attempts (144), including a 21-for-29 effort against Loyola on Feb. 12 to set 2015-16 NCAA single-game highs and MSU records in each category. She finished with 41 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and four blocks in that game.
A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Snow currently ranks 10th in MSU history with 1,537 career points, second in free throw attempts (731), third in free throw makes (473), first in steals (343), seventh in blocks (69), 18th in rebounds (585) and 20th in assists (254). She also ranks among Missouri State’s single-season leaders this year in terms of points (20th – 496), steals (3rd – 100), free throws (9th – 146), and blocks (9th – 36).
Williams averages 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game for MSU this season, and ranks among the MVC’s top 10 in scoring, assists, steals, 3-pointers, 3-point percentage and free throw percentage. The senior guard from Mt. Vernon, Mo., has scored at least 10 points in 22 games while topping the 20-point plateau on five occasions to go with a team-high 53 3-pointers. Williams has 86 double-figure scoring efforts and nineteen 20-point games to her credit in her career.
A two-time MVC Player of the Week selection this season and five-time winner in her career, Williams currently ranks eighth in school history with 1,587 points, and is one of three players in MSU history (along with Snow) with 1,000 career points, 500 rebounds, 200 steals, 200 assists and 50 blocked shots. She also ranks among Missouri State’s career leaders in 3-pointers (6th – 174), free throws (10th – 337), steals (10th – 204), blocks (14th – 51), assists (16th – 309) and rebounds (22nd – 547).
Missouri State is 21-9 overall and tied for second in the final MVC standings with a 14-4 record. The third-seeded Lady Bears open conference tournament play against No. 6 Indiana State at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill.
First Team
Caitlin Ingle, Drake
Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Cartaesha Macklin, Southern Illinois
Taylor Manuel, Loyola
Rishonda Napier, Southern Illinois
Dyana Pierre, Southern Illinois
Tyonna Snow, Missouri State
Amber Sorenson, UNI
Madison Weekly, UNI
Lizzy Wendell, Drake
Kenzie Williams, Missouri State
Honorable Mention
Rangie Bessard, Wichita State
Cierra Ceazer, Indiana State
Sara Dickey, Evansville
Jen Keitel, UNI
Sara Rhine, Drake
All-Freshman Team
Sammie Bachrodt, Drake
Shakeela Fowler, Illinois State
Grace Goodhart, Loyola
Sara Rhine, Drake
Dakota Vann, Loyola
All-Defensive Team
Taylor Johnson, Loyola
Sharnae Lamar, UNI
Taylor Manuel, Loyola
Dyana Pierre, Southern Illinois
Tamya Sims, Bradley
Tyonna Snow, Missouri State
