Mitchell earns First Team OVC nod for Southeast Missouri State women's basketball

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball senior guard Bri Mitchell was named to the 2016-17 All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team on Tuesday.

Mitchell is fourth in the OVC with 17.5 points per league game, and she leads the Redhawks with 15.4 ppg overall. She had seven 20-point games this season and wrapped up the regular season on a 10-game streak of scoring double digits. She is also third in the conference with 5.0 assists per game.

A native of Germantown, Tennessee, Mitchell joined the 1,000-point club earlier this season is is 10th all-time in points scored at SEMO, with 1,170. She's fifth with 338 career assists.

"I'm proud of Bri's growth and development on and off the floor during her time at Southeast," Southeast coach Rekha Patterson said in a news release. "I'm happy that she is being recognized for the work she has done to help build this program."

Mitchell was a second-team selection a year ago and earned a preseason first-team nod entering the 2016-17 season.

Austin Peay's Tearra Banks was named the OVC's Player of the Year and UT Martin's Kendall Spray was tabbed as the league's Freshman of the Year. Belmont post player Sally McCade was the Defensive Player of the Year for a second year in a row, and Bears coach Cameron Newbauer was honored as Coach of the Year.

Southeast, the eighth seed in the OVC Tournament, will open the event today against top-seeded Belmont. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.s

2016-17 All-Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Teams

(as voted on by the league's head basketball coaches and sports information directors)

First Team

Tearra Banks, Austin Peay

Ke'Shunan James, Murray State*

Darby Maggard, Belmont*

Kylee Smith, Belmont*

Grace Lennox, Eastern Illinois

Brianna McQueen, Morehead State%

Yaktavia Hickson, Tennessee Tech

Sally McCabe, Belmont*

Jalen O'Bannon, Eastern Kentucky*

Bri Mitchell, Southeast Missouri%

Second Team

Donshel Beck, SIUE

Miranda Crockett, Morehead State

Ashton Feldhaus, UT Martin

Kendall Spray, UT Martin

Myah Taylor, UT Martin

All-Newcomer Team

Ashton Feldhaus, UT Martin

Kendall Spray, UT Martin

Shavontae Naylor, Eastern Kentucky

Lacey Buchanon, Jacksonville State

Nakiah Bell, SIUE

OVC Player of the Year

Tearra Banks, Austin Peay

OVC Freshman of the Year

Kendall Spray, UT Martin

OVC Defensive Player of the Year

Sally McCabe, Belmont

OVC Coach of the Year

Cameron Newbauer, Belmont

* - 2015-16 First Team All-OVC

% - 2015-16 Second Team All-OVC