HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – On Wednesday, University of South Alabama women's basketball senior guard Mary Nixon was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team, marking the first postseason all-conference honors for the Pensacola, Fla., native.  The three-team, 15-player all-conference squads and individual player award winners were selected by coaches and media members from around the league as announced by the conference office.

Nixon was also named third-team all-Sun Belt during the preseason.  Her selection on Wednesday marks the 11th-straight season USA has had at least one all-conference player.  She is the 15th selection and 10th player to earn the league honor under head coach Rick Pietri.

Despite battling through a pair of concussions and injuries to both her knees, Nixon has had a solid senior campaign.  Entering the conference tourney, Nixon ranks among the conference leaders in scoring with 11.2 points per outing - tied for 17th - and three-point shooting - fourth at 36.8.  She is also hitting 41.6 percent of her attempts from the floor.  Over the last 10 games of the regular season, she has recorded double figures eight times.  Last week, Nixon was instrumental in helping lead USA to a 65-59 road victory at Western Kentucky, recording 17 points and hitting all six of her free-throws.  She is shooting 70.3 percent at the stripe.

Nixon got off to an outstanding start in the season-opener as she posted a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting at Houston Baptist.  She has recorded double figures in 14 games - nine in conference play – and led USA in that category 11 times.  Of the 10 other SBC games in which she didn’t score double figures, she was within two points or less six times.  She nearly recorded her first career double-double when she had 16 points and nine rebounds vs. Arkansas State.  Nixon also had 16 points in the second meeting versus the Red Wolves.  

USA – the seventh-seed – will open up play in the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championships on Friday when the Lady Jags face Troy – the 10th seed – at 2 p.m. on the Convention Center Court.  The Jaguars and the Trojans should be familiar with each other as the two clubs closed out the regular season in Troy on Saturday with USA picking up a 71-70 victory.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

FIRST TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Jerica Coley (FIU, Junior, Guard)
Kortni Jones (Middle Tennessee, Senior, Guard)
Ebony Rowe (Middle Tennessee, Junior, Forward)
Chastity Gooch (WKU, Sophomore, Forward)
Alexis Govan (WKU, Sophomore, Guard)
 
SECOND TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Taylor Ford (UALR, Junior, Guard)
Jane Morrill (Arkansas State, Junior, Forward)
Chenise Miller (Florida Atlantic, RS-Junior, Forward)
Icelyn Elie (Middle Tennessee, Senior, Forward)
Joanna Harden (Troy, Junior, Guard)
 
THIRD TEAM ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Marita Davydova (FIU, Junior, Center)
Ashleigh Simmons (Louisiana-Monroe, Junior, Forward)
Loryn Goodwin (North Texas, Freshman, Guard)
Alexis Hyder (North Texas, Freshman, Forward)
Mary Nixon (South Alabama, Senior, Guard)
 
SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerica Coley (FIU, Junior, Guard)
 
SUN BELT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chastity Gooch (WKU, Sophomore, Forward)

SUN BELT FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Loryn Goodwin (North Texas, Freshman, Guard)
 
SUN BELT COACH OF THE YEAR
Michelle Clark-Heard, WKU

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