Dori Nagy, LaShayla Wright-Ponder Join Tom Jessee as Major SSC Award Winners

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The University of Tampa, Sunshine State Conference regular-season champion, boasts seven All-SSC awards, including Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. In all, 14 women's basketball student-athletes earn All-SSC recognition following the 2019-20 season.

Dori Nagy of Tampa is awarded SSC Player of the Year honors. The junior from Pécs, Hungary, led the Spartans to a 23-4 regular-season record by averaging 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Nagy, a 6-2 forward, ranks first in SSC rebounds per game, third in points per game, sixth in field goal percentage (.530), and eighth in minutes played per game (34.1). She becomes the fourth Spartan to be named Player of the Year, first since 2002-03¹.

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

Tampa's Tom Jessee is voted Coach of the Year by his peers for the fourth time². Jessee guided the Spartans to the program's sixth SSC regular-season championship following a league record 19 wins in conference play. UT's .950 conference winning percentage is the best the league has seen since 2005-06³. Under Jessee, Tampa led the league in scoring margin (12.8), points allowed per game (54.4), field goal percentage (.503), and defensive field goal percentage (.363)⁴.

Alani Gallagher earns Defensive Player of the Year accolades, marking the first time a Saint Leo University student-athlete has won the award. The junior forward from Vestal, New York, averaged 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals, and 32.4 minutes per game for the Lions.

Fellow Lion Amanda Ulrich becomes the second in school history to win Freshman of the Year honors in women's basketball5. The guard from Secaucus, New Jersey, finished second in SSC points per game (16.7), third in minutes per game(35.0), eighth in steals per game(1.5), and 10th in assists per game (2.9).

LaShayla Wright-Ponder from Tampa takes Newcomer of the Year honors after averaging 14.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. The junior forward from Bloomington, Minnesota, also led the conference in field goal percentage (.595). She is the third athlete from Tampa to win the award, second consecutive⁶.

Joining Nagy and Wright-Ponder on the First Team is Julia Jenike from Florida Southern College, Jordan Tully of Nova Southeastern University, and Octavia Loll from Eckerd College. Nagy and Loll were both selected to the Newcomer Team last season, with Nagy being named Newcomer of the Year. Nikki Tucker of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the only athlete to repeat as First or Second Team All-SSC from 2018-19. Tucker was crowned Newcomer and Freshman of the Year in 2016-17. ERAU's Sarah Jones earned honorable mention honors this season following Freshman of the Year accolades last season.

Sophomore Melijah Sullivan represented the Spartans as a member of the second-team. In 27 games, the guard from Bartow, Fla., averages 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds. 

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Player of the Year: Dori Nagy, Tampa

Defensive Player of the Year: Alani Gallagher, Saint Leo

Newcomer of the Year: LaShayla Wright-Ponder, Tampa

Freshman of the Year: Amanda Ulrich, Saint Leo

Coach of the Year: Tom Jessee, Tampa

2019-20 ALL-SSC Women's Basketball Honors

* = 2018-19 All-SSC Second Team            ^ = 2018-19 Newcomer of the Year   ~ = 2018-19 All-SSC Freshman of the Year
† = 2018-19 All-SSC Newcomer Team     ‡ = 2017-18 All-SSC Newcomer Team     # = 2017-18 All-SSC Newcomer of the Year

# = 2017-18 All-SSC Freshman of the Year

¹ Jessie McDowell (2002-03), April Lindsey (1995-96), Crystal Ashley (1993-94)

² Jessee was also named Coach of the Year in 2002-03, 2009-10, and 2013-14

³ Rollins went 16-0 in 2005-06

⁴ Overall numbers including the first round of the 2020 SSC tournament

⁵ Daphne Washington (1989-90)

⁶ Dori Nagy (2018-19), Ellen Nurmi (2013-14)