Two Maine natives playing for in-state schools earned NCAA Division III All-American honors and another was named to the All-Region team.
University of Southern Maine senior guard Jaycie Christopher from Skowhegan and Bates College senior center Elsa Daulerio from Harpswell were chosen Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division III All-Americans. Husson University sophomore forward Saige Evans from Greenbush and Old Town High School was selected to the D3hoops.com second team for Region 1.
Christopher and Daulerio each led their respective teams to NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen berths. USM wound up 27-3 and Bates was 26-4.
Christopher, who transferred to USM after spending three seasons at the University of Maine, had already earned Player of the Year honors for Region 2 from D3Hoops.com, the New England Women’s Basketball Association and the Little East conference.
The 5-foot-11 Christopher led the Huskies in scoring (18.9 points per game), rebounding (9 rpg) and assists (3.5 apg) as well as assist/turnover ratio (2.21), field goal shooting percentage (55.2), 3-point percentage (45.2) and in free throw percentage (88.1) among players who took at least eight free throws.
She was third among players from 413 Division I schools in 3-point shooting percentage, 11th in free throw percentage, 13th in assist/turnover ratio and 15th in field goal percentage.
Her 12 double-doubles tied her for 38th.
She is the sixth USM women’s basketball player to earn first team All-America honors and the first since Ashley Marble in 2006-07.
Her 45.2 percent 3-point shooting performance is third-best all-time in program history, her 18.9 ppg ties her for fifth with Joanna Brown, her 568 total points are sixth-most and her 55.2 percent shooting from the floor is ninth.
The 6-foot-3 Daulerio led the Bobcats in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (6.9 rpg) and blocked shots (2.57) and was second in assists (2.1 apg) and field goal shooting percentage (44.8).
Her 2.57 blocked shots per game are the 14th most in the country and a big reason the Bobcats allowed just 53.3 points per game, which is 35th lowest.
Daulerio played at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham.
The 5-foot-11 Evans led the Eagles in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), field goal percentage (44.9) along with double-doubles with 17 and blocked shots with 18.
She was second in steals (1.5 spg) and third in free throw shooting percentage at 78 percent.
She is the fifth player in Husson history to be named to the D3hoops.com All Region 1 team.
She became the first sophomore in school history to be named the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year.
She was tied for first in the conference in scoring and was second in rebounding.
Evans was tied for 14th in the nation in double-doubles with her 17 and 37th in offensive rebounds per game at 4.1.
