INDIANAPOLIS – Kahlaijah Dean earned Horizon League First Team honors as voted on the by league's 12 head coaches and announced by the league office on Tuesday. This marks the third consecutive year Dean has garnered All-League honors after being named Sixth Player of the Year and All-League Third Team last season and named to the All-Freshman Team during the 2018-19 season.
Dean, a junior from Bakersfield, Cailf., leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg – 4th HL), rebounds (5.7 – 11th HL), assists (4.5 – 3rd HL) and steals (1.9 – 4th HL). She also ranks second on the team in blocks (11) after posting a career-high three vs Purdue Fort Wayne (1/22) and eighth in the league in field goal percentage (39.6%).
She became the 29th player in program history to reach 1000 career points as she scored 20 points in the fourth quarter en route to pouring in a new career-high 34 points (over half of Oakland's 64 points) on 10-of-24 (41.7%) shooting from the field, 4-for-9 (44.4%) from 3-point range and 10-of-11 (90.9%) from the free throw line while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds with three assists at Milwaukee (2/13).
Earlier this season Dean nearly averaged a triple-double at 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game and 2.5 blocks defensively helping Oakland to a weekend sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne for the team's third and fourth consecutive league win. In game one, Dean posted her first double-double of the season scoring a game-high 14 points with a career-high 12 rebounds, six assists and career-best three blocks in Oakland's 58-49 win. In the series finale, Dean recorded her second consecutive double-double with a game-high 21 points shooting 6-for-12 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line while dishing a career-high 12 assists with seven rebounds and two blocks in the Golden Grizzlies' 73-61 victory.
Dean by the numbers:
• Total Points (399) - 1st HL, 23rd Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Points per game (17.3) - 4th Horizon League (1st Oakland)
• Total assists (103) - 1st HL, 17th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Assists per game (4.5) - 3rd HL (1st Oakland)
• Total free throws made (102) - 1st HL, 15th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Free throw % (76.1) - 6th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total free throw attempts (134) – 1st HL, 16th Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Total Steals (44) – 1st HL, 48th Nationally
• Steals (1.9) - 4th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total field goals made (131) - 2nd HL, 51st Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Total field goal attempts (331) - 1st HL, 21st Nationally (1st Oakland)
• Field goal % (39.6) - 8th HL (1st Oakland)
• Rebounds (5.7) - 11th HL (1st Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goals made (35) - 4th HL (2nd Oakland)
• 3-PT field goals per game (1.5) - 11th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Total 3-PT field goals attempts (122) - 2th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Blocks per game (0.5) - 17th HL (2nd Oakland)
• Assist/turnover ratio (1.3) - 5th HL (1st Oakland)
• Most 20-point games (8) - 2nd HL (1st Oakland)
• Scored in double figures 20 times
• Career-high and league second-best 34 points at Milwaukee (2/13)
• Career-high and league best 12 assists vs PFW (1/23)
• Career-high 12 rebounds vs PFW (1/22)
Oakland finished the regular season at 12-11 (12-8 HL) earning the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 seed and defending champion IUPUI in 2021 #HLWBB Championship Quarterfinal action at the O'rena on Tuesday, March 2 at 3 p.m.
Player of the Year: Macee Williams, IUPUI
Coach of the Year: Katrina Merriweather, Wright State
Freshman of the Year: Nneka Obiazor, Youngstown State
Defensive Player of the Year: Mariah White, Cleveland State
Sixth Player of the Year: Destiny Leo, Cleveland State
All-League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Mariah White, Cleveland State, Senior, Guard
Macee Williams, IUPUI, Senior, Center
Megan Walstad, Milwaukee, Redshirt Sophomore, Forward
Kahlaijah Dean, Oakland, Junior, Guard
Angel Baker, Wright State, Junior, Guard
All-League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Caitlyn Hibner, Green Bay, Senior, Forward
Rachel McLimore, IUPUI, Junior, Guard
Brandi Bisping, Milwaukee, Senior, Forward
Lindsey Duvall, Northern Kentucky, Junior, Guard
Mary Dunn, Youngstown State, Redshirt Senior, Forward
All-League Third Team (alphabetical by school)
Kaela Webb, Detroit Mercy, Junior, Guard
Ivy Turner, Northern Kentucky, Sophomore, Guard
Tyler Frierson, Wright State, Senior, Center
Nneka Obiazor, Youngstown State, Freshman, Forward
Chelsea Olson, Youngstown State, Senior, Guard
All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school)
Destiny Leo, Cleveland State, Guard
Sol Castro, RMU, Forward
Jaida McCloud, UIC, Guard/Forward
Emani Jefferson, Wright State, Guard
Nneka Obiazor, Youngstown State, Forward
All-Defensive Team (alphabetical by school)
Mariah White, Cleveland State, Senior, Guard
Rachel McLimore, IUPUI, Junior, Guard
Megan Walstad, Milwaukee, Redshirt Sophomore, Forward
Grayson Rose, Northern Kentucky, Senior, Forward/Center
Tyler Frierson, Wright State, Senior, Center
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