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Morgan Pullins
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Morgan Pullins is the third player in the program to be named Heartland Player of the Year and first since the 2007-'08 season. (File Photo)

Women's Basketball RattlerAthletics.com

Pullins headlines All-Conference honorees as Player of the Year

By Robin Johnson | St. Mary's Athletics Communications 

SAN ANTONIO — On the brink of the Heartland Conference postseason tournament, St. Mary's Women's Basketball received some momentum going into the competition with star player Morgan Pullins being named the Heartland Conference Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team while Dezirae Elias and Kiara Etheridge were both named All-Conference Honorable Mention, the league announced today.
 
The Rattlers, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, face No. 3 seed Texas-Permian Basin at 5 p.m. Friday at host institution and No.1 seed UA Fort Smith in Fort Smith, Ark.
 
Pullins' (Sr., Franklin, Mich.) Heartland Conference Player of the Year honor is the program's third such honor and first since the 2007-2008 season and caps off Pullins' career fittingly as she was named the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year in her first season.
 
Pullins' Player of the Year honor was well deserved and backed by some incredible stats this season including averaging 20.2 points and 12.1 rebounds per game en route to becoming St. Mary's all-time leading rebounder and is currently nine points short of becoming No. 2 all-time scorer.
 
This season, Pullins claimed the USBWA National Player of the Week award, six Heartland Conference Player of the Week awards and was named the MVP of two tournaments and ended the regular season fourth in the nation in double-doubles with 19.
 
Pullins' All-Conference First Team selection is the first on her career, adding to her three All-Conference Second Team selections her three previous seasons.
 
Earning their first All-Conference selections on their careers were Elias (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) and Etheridge (So., San Antonio) who were both named Honorable Mention.
 
Elias, known for her fierce defense, ended the regular season ranked No. 4 in the nation in steals per game at 3.62 and set the St. Mary's all-time single-season steals record with 94.
 
This season, Elias was also named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week for the first time in her career and ended the regular season averaging 13.3 points and 4.4 assists per game.
 
The junior had 11 steals against Angelo State, the second-most of any player in the country this season, and hit a career-high 27 points with six 3-pointers against UTPB.
 
Etheridge also had an impressive season, earning a spot on the TexAnn Tip-off Classic All-Tournament Team and ended the regular season averaging a career-high 12.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
 
Etheridge broke double-digits in 11 consecutive games this season and put up a career-high 26 points against Texas-Permian Basin. 
 
Known for her aggressiveness in driving the line, Etheridge averaged the most minutes played on the season at 32.7 and shot 40.8 percent from the field, scoring in double figures in 19 of the 26-game season.
 
The Rattlers play UTPB in the opening round of the Heartland Conference postseason tournament at 5 p.m. Friday in Fort Smith, Ark. 

 
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Players Mentioned

Dezirae Elias

#3 Dezirae Elias

G
5' 3"
Junior
Kiara Etheridge

#13 Kiara Etheridge

G/F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Morgan Pullins

#24 Morgan Pullins

F
6' 0"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Dezirae Elias

#3 Dezirae Elias

5' 3"
Junior
G
Kiara Etheridge

#13 Kiara Etheridge

5' 11"
Sophomore
G/F
Morgan Pullins

#24 Morgan Pullins

6' 0"
Senior
F

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