For the second time in program history, IPFW had a player selected to the Summit League First Team on Thursday. However, Mastodon junior guard Amanda Hyde took the honor to a new level and was also named as the league's Player of the Year.
Also being recognized was Mastodon junior Erin Murphy, who was an honorable mention selection.
“I knew a couple of years ago what we had in Amanda,” Mastodon coach Chris Paul said. “I'm just really happy that others have taken notice of the type of year that she had.”
Hyde led the conference in scoring by averaging 18.7 points per game. She reached a double figure scoring total in 25 of IPFW's 28 games which included scoring 20 or more points 12 times.
The Findlay, Ohio-native scored a career-high 43 points in a 78-65 win over Southern Illinois this year, which tied for second all-time in Summit League history, and it also tied the IPFW school record for most points in a single game.
“She worked really hard all summer long,” Paul said. “Her release is a lot quicker and she worked on her mid-range game.”
Earlier this season, Hyde was selected as the Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 3 and Dec. 31.
Hyde most recently earned College Sports Madness Summit League Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors on Feb. 18 by averaging 18 points per game in wins over Kansas City and South Dakota.
She averaged 36.2 minutes of playing time per game, which placed her fourth overall in the Summit League. She ended the regular season in the top 10 of many statistical categories including seventh in field goal percentage (44.7), sixth in 3-point percentage (37.0) and second in free throw percentage (87.2).
Aside from scoring, Hyde also ranked eighth in assists (3.1), sixth in steals (1.8), and 17th in the league in rebounds (4.8).
She is nationally ranked in four categories. She enters the weekend 18th in free throw percentage, 34th in scoring, 100th in field goal percentage, and 207th in assist to turnover ratio.
She can shoot 3's, but if you guard her, then her first step is quick,” Paul said.
“She is big enough and strong enough to get to the basket and finish. Amanda's a handful.”
Murphy averaged 12.3 points per game and entered the starting lineup at the beginning of the Summit League season and kept that role for the last 15 games of the year.
She scored in double figures in 14 of IPFW's 16 Summit League contests and was a consistent scorer by recording double figures in 19 of IPFW's 28 games. Her season-high scoring total was 22 points at Kansas City on Jan. 19. She scored 21 points vs. Western Illinois earlier in the year and poured in 20 points vs. South Dakota State.
Murphy finished the regular season in a tie for 11th in the Summit League by averaging 12.3 points per game. She was also listed 10th in field goal percentage and ninth in free throw percentage (77.9).
IPFW will open the Summit League Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m. (EDT) against Western Illinois. Both the Mastodons (an 80-49 win) and Leathernecks (a 73-54 IPFW loss) have blow-out wins over each other.
“It'll be a good game,” Paul said. “For the first time since we've been going out (to Sioux Falls), I feel like the tournament is really wide open.”
Summit League honors
All-League First Team
Ashley Eide, South Dakota State
Paige Frauendorfer, Omaha
Amanda Hyde, Fort Wayne
Kerah Nelson, IUPUI
Eilise O'Connor, Kansas City
Megan Waytashek, South Dakota State
All-League Second Team
Katie Birkel, North Dakota State
Dani DeGagne, North Dakota State
DeAirra Goss, IUPUI
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois
Tempestt Wilson, South Dakota
All-League Honorable Mention
Carolyn Blair-Mobley, Omaha
Erin Murphy, Fort Wayne
Jamie Nash, Omaha
Elena Popkey, Oakland
Nicole Seekamp, South Dakota
All-Newcomer Team
Carolyn Blair-Mobley, Omaha
DeAirra Goss, IUPUI
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois
Elena Popkey, Oakland
Nicole Seekamp, South Dakota
Player of the Year
Amanda Hyde, Fort Wayne
Defensive Player of the Year
Dee-Dee Bellamy, IUPUI
Sixth Woman of the Year
Katie Lingle, South Dakota State
Newcomer of the Year
Ashley Luke, Western Illinois
Coach of the Year
Austin Parkinson, IUPUI
