ORU's Luper, Bigham Named To All-Southland Team

Oral Roberts women's basketball players Kevi Luper, Jaci Bigham, Taylor Cooper, and Sarah Shelton were honored by the Southland Conference in post-season awards.

Senior guard Luper was named First Team All-Southland Conference, while fellow senior Bigham was named to the All-Southland Conference Second Team. Luper was also honored with a spot on the Southland Conference's All-Defensive Team.

Additionally, freshman Cooper and redshirt junior Shelton received All-Southland Conference Honorable Mention honors.

Luper, a native of Adair, is a four-time First Team All-Conference selection. The three-time Summit League Player of the Year averaged 19.3 points per game as a senior, second-best in the SLC, and she led the league with 2.6 steals per game. Luper established herself as the finest all-around player in a new conference as a senior, finishing in the league's top-ten in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage and blocked shots.

Later on Monday, College Sports Madness honored Luper as the Southland Conference Player of the Year.

Luper, a two-time Summit League Defensive Player of the Year, also earned a spot on the SLC All-Defensive Team after finishing the season as the only player in the league's top-five in steals and blocked shots.

Bigham, a three-time All-Conference pick, averaged 12.3 points per game in her final collegiate season and led the Southland Conference in assists, at 6.9 per game. She broke ORU's career assist record on February 9 in a victory over Stephen F. Austin, and she finished second in the conference with 2.4 steals per game. Bigham also finished the regular season in the Southland's top-five in three-point field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and minutes played.

Bigham also earned an All-Southland Second Team nod from College Sports Madness.

Cooper earned the Honorable Mention distinction after scoring 10.2 points per game as a rookie, second-best among Southland Conference freshmen. She also finished the regular season ranked third in the league in three-point field goals per game and fourth in three-point field goal percentage. The Shawnee native was the only SLC freshman to average double-figures on a team that finished in the league's upper half.

Shelton averaged 9.1 points per game in her first season as a member of ORU's active roster, and she upped that production to 10.8 points per game in conference play. An efficient scorer, Shelton led the conference in field goal percentage, at 66.5%, and she also ranks ninth in blocked shots. The Fort Worth, Texas native finished the season with five double-doubles, all in Southland play.

ORU's All-Southland quartet led the Golden Eagles (16-12, 13-5 SLC) to a share of the Southland Conference title in their first season as SLC members, and they will go into next week's SLC Tournament as the league's top seed.

The Golden Eagles open SLC Tournament play in Katy, Texas on Friday, March 15 at 11 am against an opponent to be determined.

2013 All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams

First Team

Megan Herbert, Central Arkansas

Kalis Loyd, Lamar

Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts

Sequeena Thomas, Sam Houston State

Britni Martin, Sam Houston State

Second Team

Ashlyn Baggett, McNeese State

Jaci Bigham, Oral Roberts

Caitlyn Baggett, McNeese State

Porsha Roberts, Stephen F. Austin

Alisha Allen, Nicholls State

Third Team

KK Babin, Nicholls State

Courtney Duever, Central Arkansas

Aja Gibson, Southeastern Louisiana

Janelle Perez, Northwestern State

Brandi Simmons, Southeastern Louisiana

Honorable Mention: Gia Ayers, Lamar; Taylor Cooper, Oral Roberts; Cecilia Okoye, McNeese State; Chanice Smith, Sam Houston State; Sarah Shelton, Oral Roberts.

2013 Southland Conference Women's All-Defensive Team

Sequeena Thomas, Sam Houston State

Kalis Loyd, Lamar

Porsha Roberts, Stephen F. Austin

Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts

Carenn Baylor, Lamar

Player of the Year: Megan Herbert, Central Arkansas

Newcomer of the Year: Cecilia Okoye, McNeese State

Freshman of the Year: Janelle Perez, Northwestern State

Defensive Player of the Year: Sequeena Thomas, Sam Houston State

Coach of the Year: Brenda Welch-Nichols, Sam Houston State