Jenkins, Padgett and Longmire collect All-AAC honors

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (February 23, 2022) – Milligan University's women's basketball team's frontcourt of Jaycie Jenkins and Halie Padgett were named All-Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) First Team, and freshman Lauren Longmire was an AAC All-Freshman honoree, the league office announced on Wednesday night.

The Buffs reeled in five total All-AAC awards as Jenkins and Longmire also earned spots on the AAC All-Defensive Team.

Jenkins repeated as an All-AAC First Team selection in her sophomore season. She averaged 21.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game and was a four-time AAC Player of the Week. She ranks fifth in the nation in scoring and leads the AAC in points per game. She's the conference's third-leading rebounder and was second in free throw makes and offensive rebounds (78). Jenkins ranks 10th in the AAC in three-point shooting percentage (34.8 percent) and blocked shots (21).

Jenkins posted 12 double-doubles, 15 20-point games and four 30-point outings this winter. She collected Academic All-District® First Team honors from CoSIDA last week. Jenkins notched her 1,000th career point as a Buff in her 51st career game.

Padgett turned in a productive and efficient senior season to earn an All-AAC First Team nod. She averaged 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in 2021-22. She ranks fourth nationally with a 63.7 percent field goal percentage and shot 68.2 percent in AAC play.

Padgett was the 13th-leading scorer in the AAC and was second in field goal percentage, fourth in blocked shots and seventh in rebounding. She scored a career high 33 points at CIU, had seven 20-point performances and recorded seven double-doubles.

Longmire was one of the top freshmen in the conference as she averaged 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. She started the final 22 games of the season and led Milligan and ranked seventh in the AAC with 86 assists.

Longmire and Jenkins both earned nods to the AAC All-Defensive Teams for the first time in each player's career.

Milligan squares off with seventh-seeded Truett McConnell in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport.