GCAC honors Nuggets' Gathright, Mayfield, Hopkins

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Whitney Gathright was named first-team Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in women's basketball for the third consecutive season Wednesday, and teammates Donyeah Mayfield and Trana Hopkins made the second team.
    
The Gold Nuggets (19-11) will meet city rival Dillard (9-16) at noon Friday at SUNO's The Castle in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament. Semifinals and finals for women and men will be played this weekend at XU's Convocation Center.
    
Gathright, a 5-foot-4 senior guard from New Orleans and a John Curtis Christian School graduate, is the ninth Gold Nugget to earn all-district or all-conference three-or-more times. She is averaging 13.8 points per game and leads the GCAC in free-throw percentage (.798) and in aggregate assists (130) and steals (65). Her 158 free throws and 198 attempts are XU season records.
 
Mayfield, a 5-11 senior forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, is averaging 11 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds. She is the only Gold Nugget to reach 25 made 3-pointers and 30 blocked shots in the same season. Mayfield has made 26 3s and blocked 31 shots.
    
Hopkins, a 5-6 senior guard from Marietta, Ga., and a former Marietta High School and Chattahoochee Valley Community College standout, averages 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals. This is her fourth award in two days; Hopkins on Tuesday was named GCAC, Louisiana and NAIA Division I Player of the Week.
    
Xavier was not represented on the inaugural GCAC All-Defensive team, but senior guard Emoni Harvey (Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian School) received honorable mention.
    
The GCAC's seven head coaches voted on the honors. Major awards, such as Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, will be announced Thursday evening at a tournament banquet at Xavier's University Center.

2015-16 All-GCAC Women's Basketball First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.
Shakeen Benton	Talladega	G	Sr.
Kyeshia Dawkins	Edward Waters	G	Jr.
Whitney Gathright	Xavier	G	Sr.
Rayvin Miller	SUNO	G/F	Sr.
Tajanee Wells	Talladega	G/F	Jr.
Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.
Montoria Atkinson	Tougaloo	F	So.
Micah Brooks	SUNO	G	Jr.
Juquecia Chaney	Philander Smith	G	Sr.
Alena Evans	Dillard	F	Sr.
Trana Hopkins	Xavier	G	Sr.
Brittany Leonard	Philander Smith	G	Sr.
Donyeah Mayfield	Xavier	F	Sr.
Honorable Mention
Shaelynn Moore, Dillard (G, Fr.); Jermisha Collins, Edward Waters (G, Fr.); Valerie Hill, Edward Waters (F, Jr.); Tamara Heard, Philander Smith (G, Sr.); Casey Chenevert, Tougaloo (G, Fr.); Arnissayur Robinson, Tougaloo (G, Jr.)

2015-16 GCAC All-Defensive Team
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.
Kadajah Allen	Edward Waters	F	Jr.
Montoria Atkinson	Tougaloo	F	So.
Micah Brooks	SUNO	G	Jr.
Alena Evans	Dillard	F	Sr.
Rayvin Miller	SUNO	G/F	Sr.
Honorable Mention
Bianca Thornton, Edward Waters (G, Jr.); Juquecia Chaney, Philander Smith (G, Sr.); Tamara Heard, Philander Smith (G, Sr.); Ashari Shakir, SUNO (F, Fr.); Shakeena Benton, Talladega (G, Sr.); Tatyana Calhoun, Talladega (G, Jr.); Thomesha Smith, Talladega (F, Sr.); Sashanique Youngblood, Talladega (G, Jr.); Arnissayur Robinson, Tougaloo (G, Jr.); Emoni Harvey, Xavier (G, Sr.) Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold