SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – University of South Alabama women's basketball senior Antoinette Lewis is included among the 20 watch list candidates for the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basket-ball Coaches Association on Friday.
The honor comes just over a week after she was named preseason first-team all-Sun Belt Conference and the league's Preseason Player of the Year.
Named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its fourth year recognizes the top centers in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basket-ball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
The winner of the 2021 Lisa Leslie Center Award will be presented at on Friday, April 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five.
Lewis recorded 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest a year ago to go along with 61 blocks, 44 steals and 35 assists to be se-lected second-team all-conference. The Memphis, Tenn., native led the Sun Belt with 16 double-doubles, was second in the league in rebounds and blocked shots per game, and ended the season third in the SBC after connecting on 52.1 percent from the field. Lewis posted 24 games with a double-figure scoring total and had 10-plus rebounds on 21 occasions, leading South on the glass 25 times.
In addition to finishing the season in the top 20 in the country in double-doubles, Lewis was among the top 45 nationally in re-bounds and blocked shots per contest and the top 50 in field-goal percentage.
In three years as a Jag, she has totaled 1,264 points, 860 rebounds, 168 blocks, 108 steals and 103 assists.
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In early February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to just 10. In early March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
Lewis and the Jaguars will begin the season at home against Mobile on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at noon (CST).
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to the South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give
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