Carl Sandburg College women’s basketball sophomore Kennedy Jackson (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) was voted the Arrowhead Conference’s Most Valuable Player, highlighted three Chargers who earned spots on the all-conference team.
Sophomore guard Hailey Lovetinsky (Overland Park, Kan./Spring Hill) joined Jackson on the first team, and freshman guard Destiny Allen (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) was a second-team selection.
Conference coaches voted Jackson, a 5-foot-10 forward, as the league’s MVP after she averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in eight conference games. A second-team All-Arrowhead pick as a freshman, Jackson connected on 52 percent of her shots (45 of 87) and averaged 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists against conference opponents. She’s the first Charger to be named Arrowhead MVP since Maddy Lowe in 2017. Jackson recorded two double-doubles in conference matchups. She tied career highs with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the Chargers’ win over Illinois Valley on Feb. 13.
Lovetinsky averaged 14.1 points, four rebounds and two steals in conference games while shooting 44 percent from the field, including a 46 percent mark from 3-point range (25 of 55). The sharpshooter hit at least one trey in every conference game, highlighted by a career-best 24 points while going 6 of 9 from downtown in Sandburg’s win Jan. 21 at Illinois Valley.
Allen averaged just 5.2 points overall for the season but pushed that mark to 7.1 points in Arrowhead contests. She shot 55 percent from the floor (21 of 38) and averaged 2.1 assists per contest in the conference. The first-year point guard scored a season-best 12 points while going 5 for 5 in Sandburg’s win Jan. 16 against Illinois Valley.
2020 ALL-ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
First Team
Kennedy Jackson (MVP, Sandburg, sophomore), Megan Teal (Black Hawk, freshman), Morgan Baker (Kishwaukee, sophomore), Hailey Lovetinsky (Sandburg, sophomore), Gabby Englehaupt (Illinois Valley, freshman).
Second Team
Sydney Hannam (Black Hawk, freshman), Shian Gallbreth (Sauk Valley, sophomore), Cesca Vardman (Kishwaukee, sophomore), Margie Villaruz (Black Hawk, sophomore), Jessica Stice (Black Hawk, freshman), Destiny Allen (Sandburg, freshman).
Coach of the Year
Logan Frye (Black Hawk)
Final Arrowhead Conference women’s basketball standings
Black Hawk 7-1
Sandburg 6-2
Sauk Valley 5-3
Illinois Valley 2-6
Kishwaukee 0-8
***Report Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***