JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Anovia Sheals and Jim'Miyah Branton earned Atlantic Sun Conference postseason honors while Jeanine Brandsma, JaNiah Newell, and Sheals all were named Academic All-ASUN selections, the league announced Monday.
Sheals, a Second Team All-ASUN selection, made 28 game appearances for the Govs, starting in 24 games and averaging 29.2 minutes per game. The sophomore has shot 41.8 percent from the field and 75.4 percent from the free-throw line this season, making 92-of-122 attempts. Sheals also averages 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Sheals has scored in double figures in 23 games, six of which were 20-point performances.
She has had four 23-point games on the year, including back-to-back 23-point performances against West Georgia and at Central Arkansas, Feb. 14 and Feb. 18. Sheals started off the season with seven double figure scoring games in a row and has had two double-doubles with a 10 point, 13-rebound performance at Kansas City, Nov. 29, and a 23-point, 10-rebound game at Central Arkansas, Feb. 18. Her season high of six assists came against Bellarmine, Feb. 21, as she had a season high of three steals on five occasions.
The Daytona Beach, Florida native has a 3.571 GPA and is pursuing a degree in marketing.
A three-time ASUN Freshman of the Week selection, Jim'Miyah Branton has made 23 starts in 28 games played in her freshman campaign, averaging 30.3 minutes per game. Branton averages 10.3 points per game and has shot 53.2 percent from the field this season. She has a 70.3 free-throw percentage and a 33.3 three-point percentage.
The Miami, Florida native averaged 3.9 rebounds per game and has led the team with 3.9 assists per game, which ranks third in the ASUN. Her 1110 assists and 1.18 assist/turnover ratio rank third and fifth in the conference, respectively.
The freshman has seen double figure scoring in 11 games, highlighted by a 20-point performance against Sewanee, Nov. 3. Branton saw a streak of seven consecutive games in double figures from Jan. 22-Feb. 7. She grabbed a career high 10 rebounds against FGCU, Jan.8. Branton had led the Govs majority of the season in assists, with a career high of 8 twice at EKU, Feb. 7, and at UCA, Feb. 18. Branton has had a high of two blocks twice at Chattanooga, Nov. 20, and at Jacksonville, Jan. 1 and has had 39 steals on the season with a high of 5 against North Florida, Jan. 29.
On the all-academic team, Brandsma has a 3.685 GPA and is pursuing a degree in Exercise Science. Brandsma has played in 13 games for the Govs this season, averaging 5.9 minutes per game. She had a high of 4 points and 6 rebounds against Sewanee, Nov. 3. She went 4-for-5 from the free throw line and had 2 blocks and 1 steal.
From Danville, Illinois, JaNiah Newell has a 3.750 GPA and is pursuing a degree in Health and Human Performance. Newell has played in all 28 games for the Govs, making four starts and averaging 20.6 minutes per game. The graduate student has a 35.0 field goal percentage and a 35.0 three-point percentage, making 36 on the season. Newell averages 7.0 points per game, with 10 double-figure scoring performances. She had a career high of 15 twice, against Berry, Dec. 28, and against Queens, Feb. 12.
The Govs are back in action tomorrow at 11 a.m. (CT) in the first round of the ASUN Tournament against Lipscomb.
