TWIN FALLS, Idaho (February 27, 2020) – All season long, the Utah State University-Eastern women’s basketball team has fought to dethrone a longtime Scenic West Athletic Conference power.
The Eagles went back-and-forth with Salt Lake Community College all year long, trying to take SLCC off the pedestal it has long occupied. Instead, USU Eastern and Salt Lake finished tied for the top spot in the league with a record of 9-3 and the Eagles were rewarded for their success in the All-Region awards.
USU Eastern coach Chelsey Warburton was recognized Thursday as the Region 18 Coach-of-the-Year, with Margarett Otuafi earning Region 18 Player-of-the-Year honors. The top individual honors for the league were shared alongside Salt Lake’s Awa Sidibe and Southern Idaho’s Petra Farkas. All three players represent the top three seeds in this weekend’s Region 18 tournament in Twin Falls.
USU Eastern, Salt Lake and Southern Idaho all were tied with five overall selections to the All-Region 18 teams. USU Eastern placed Otuafi and Morgan Toluono on the All-Region 18 First-Team, while SLCC was represented by Sidibe and Ashley Scoggin. Farkas and Karmelah Dean represented Southern Idaho on the list.
Snow College led the way on the All-Region 18 Second-Team, placing Sydney Pilling and Rachel Roberts on the list. Southern Idaho also had a pair of honorees – Taylia Stimpson and Allie Thayne. Salt Lake’s Leichan Williams and USU Eastern’s Emmery Wagstaff rounded out the list.
Colorado Northwestern had two players lead the way on the Honorable Mention list, with Danielle Russo and Courtney Freeman both earning recognition. Salt Lake’s Hazel Fui and Fatoumata Jallow were recognized, along with USU Eastern’s Kacelyn Toomer and Harley Carlisle. Snow’s Regan Yamauchi and Southern Idaho’s Macie Knapp completed the list.
The Region 18 semifinals will be played Friday at the College of Southern Idaho, with the Region 18 title game scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Scenic West Athletic Conference
Women’s Basketball All- Region Awards
Coach of the Year - Chelsey Warburton USUE
Player of the Year – Margarett Otuafi USUE
Awa Sidibe SLCC
Petra Farkas CSI
All Region 1st Team
1 - Margarett Otuafi USUE
2 – Awa Sidibe SLCC
3 – Petra Farkas CSI
4 – Ashley Scoggin SLCC
5 – Morgan Toluono USUE
6 – Karmelah Dean CSI
All Region 2nd Team
1 – Sydney Pilling SNOW
2 – Leichan Williams SLCC
3 – Taylia Stimpson CSI
4 – Rachel Roberts Snow
5 – Emmery Wagstaff USUE
6 – Allie Thayne CSI
Honorable Mention
1 – Dani Russo CNCC 6 – Fatoumata Jallow SLCC
2 – Hazel Fui SLCC 7 – Harley Carlisle USUE
3 – Kacelyn Toomer USUE 8 – Courtney Freeman CNCC
4 – Regan Yamauchi SNOW
5 – Macie Knapp CSI