MELBOURNE, Fla. – Barry senior forward Kiara Palmer was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference First-Team on Thursday. She is just the fourth First-Team selection for the Bucs in the last 10 years¹.

Palmer led the league in field goal shooting (55.2), blocked shots (2.9) and rebounding (10.7) and was fourth in scoring (16.4). She also led the conference and was 10^th in the nation in double-doubles with 16.

Florida Southern College, Sunshine State Conference regular-season champion, boasts five All-SSC awards including Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. In all, 16 women's basketball student-athletes earn All-SSC recognition following the 2017-18 season.

Anja Fuchs-Robetin of Florida Southern is named SSC Player of the Year. The junior from Vienna, Austria helped lead the Moccasins to a 22-4 overall record in 2017-18 by averaging 18.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Fuchs-Robetin, a 6-1 forward, is Top-3 in SSC scoring (467), rebounds (250), field goal percentage (.537), free throw percentage (.825), blocks (34), and minutes played per game (34.0). She becomes the sixth Moccasin to be named Player of the Year and the first since 2012².

All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams

Florida Southern's Betsy Harris has been recognized by her peers as Coach of the Year for the second time in her career³. Harris piloted the Moccasins to the program's 13th SSC regular season championship following a 17-3 record in league play⁴. Under Harris, the Florida Southern Moccasins led the league in scoring margin (14.4), points per game (74.3), and turnover margin (7.45)⁵.

Kacie Juday of Eckerd College is named Defensive Player of the Year following a season in which she guided a Tritons defense that allowed just 59.3 points per game and caused 16.0 turnovers a game.  The 5-9 senior guard led Eckerd in rebounds (228), minutes per game (31.7), and steals (46). The Tipton, Indiana native is the first Triton to receive the award.

Nicole Tucker becomes Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's first basketball student-athlete to win an SSC individual award. Tucker, a 5-9 guard from Marshall, Michigan, is awarded Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year accolades by conference coaches. Tucker started all 27 games for the Eagles and led her team in minutes per game (30.4) and rebounds per game (6.1), while also finishing second in field-goal percentage (.481) and third in points per game (10.7).

Fuchs-Robetin, Juday, Palmer, Camille Giardina (Florida Southern), and Tara Fields (Embry-Riddle) make up the All-SSC First Team. Juday and Giardina both repeat as First Team members from last year. Camille earned a spot on the Newcomer Team and was Freshman of the Year in 2015-16. Fuchs-Robetin moves to the First Team after Second Team accolades last season, while Palmer improved to First Team from the Newcomer Team last season. Jensen Blassage (Florida Southern) and Karma Jeremie (University of Tampa) are awarded Second Team honors for the second time in their careers. Alison Hughes (Nova Southeastern University) and Staja Tyghter (Tampa) both earn Second Team and Newcomer Team honors. Laura Ellenberger (Embry-Riddle) was named Second Team for the first time. Palm Beach Atlantic's Hannah Grim was named honorable mention.

Player of the Year = Anja Fuchs-Robetin, Florida Southern
Defensive Player of the Year = Kacie Juday, Eckerd
Newcomer of the Year = Nicole Tucker, Embry-Riddle
Freshman of the Year = Nicole Tucker, Embry-Riddle
Coach of the Year = Betsy Harris, Florida Southern

¹ Amra Elezovic (2016), Tyler Hardy (2014), Mariesa Greene (2010)
²Michaela Hawley (2012), Emma Cannon (2011), Lucresia West (2004 & 2005), Tarra Blackwell (1998), Kelly Charron (1995)
³Harris' first Coach of the Year award came in 2015-16
⁴FSC is now tied with Rollins College for the most regular season titles in SSC women's basketball history
⁵Conference only numbers