Posted: Mar 02, 2020

Wilson Earns GNAC All-Conference First Team; Franklin Named To GNAC All-Sportsmanship

PAXTON, MA - The Anna Maria College women's basketball team saw two student-athletes earn Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) honors for their efforts on the season as announced by the league office Monday afternoon. Junior forward, Amber Wilson (New York, NY) earned a spot on the GNAC All-Conference First team and sophomore guard, Dawnisha Franklin (Amite, LA) was the team representative for the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Amber Wilson | GNAC All-Conference First Team

On the offensive end, Wilson had a career year for the squad setting new career highs for points per game (20.3) and field goal percentage (40.2). For the season, Wilson was a scoring machine after she had four games when she scored 30 or more points, and 20 or more points in 11 games. Wilson's scoring this year was also one of the best in program history as she holds the fourth spot for the highest points per game in a season. You can also find her name in the record books again for her career day against Norwich (February 4, 2020) when she posted a career-high 36 points which is good for the third in most points scored in a game. In the GNAC, Wilson is second in points per game and in all of NCAA Division III, she is ranked in the top 20 (16th).

Not only did Wilson contribute offensively, but she also had many career-highs on the defensive end in rebounds per game (8.6), assists per game (3.3), steals per game (2.2), and blocks per game (3.1). Wilson had three games this season where she had six blocks which is fourth-best in a single game for program history. Also, her 3.1 blocks per game are good for the GNAC lead, and a tie for 14th in NCAA Division III. She also led the team in double-doubles with eight and brought down a career-best 16 rebounds against Rivier earlier this season (January 15, 2020).

Dawnisha Franklin | GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team

In her first year with the AMCATS, Franklin was a bright spot for the team this year. She played in 17 of the AMCATS 25 games and had a career-best, six points in a loss to Smith College (December 29, 2019) on two made three's. Not only was Franklin a favorite of her teammates, but also women's basketball head coach, Kevin Bigelow. "Dawny is the consummate teammate," said Bigelow. "She is the first person to be up cheering for her teammates and the first one to lend them a helping hand when they need it. She genuinely has the best interest in mind for her teammates, our program, and the game of basketball."

ABOUT THE GNAC

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.