Kodiaks Athletics

LC-Kodiaks-Jocelyn-Neilson.jpg A sensational season for a hometown product has resulted in a key piece of ACAC hardware. Jocelyn Neilson, an LCI alumna, has been named ACAC women’s basketball south division rookie of the year.

Neilson was also one of five Kodiaks basketball players named to ACAC all-star teams at the conference awards banquets this evening in Fort McMurray and Lloydminster. Neilson was named a south division second team all-star, while teammate Juhee Anderson earned first team all-star honours. On the men’s side, Michael Clemons was named a south division first team all-star, while both Lincoln Anderson and Orin Porter Jr. earned second team honours. 

Neilson stepped right into her first ACAC season, finishing second on the Kodiaks in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game. She also finished fourth in the entire ACAC in shooting percentage at 54.1 per cent. A point guard on the court and a General Studies student off of it, Neilson twice scored 20 or more points in a game this season, and shot at least 50 per cent in 11 of 18 conference games. She is the first Kodiaks player to win rookie of the year since Sunder West in 2014-15.

“Jocelyn is one of the hardest working and most consistent student-athletes on our team,” says Kodiaks head coach Deanna Dotts. “We challenged her early on to be an aggressive scorer and rebounder and she rose to the challenge. As a first-year student-athlete, she has shown tremendous poise and determination on the court as well as an enthusiasm for the game of basketball. The best thing about Jocelyn is the type of teammate she is and the example she sets in showing what it truly means to sacrifice for a common goal.”

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Juhee Anderson (fourth year, Exercise Science, Cardston) played her first season with the Kodiaks after transferring from MacEwan University. She led the Kodiaks in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game, which tied her for sixth in the ACAC. She was also eighth in the conference in assists (69) and 10th in three point shooting percentage (34.1 per cent).

Michael Clemons (fifth year, Exercise Science, El Paso, Texas) finished his ACAC career with his name firmly planted in the conference record book. Clemons retires as the all-time leader in both assists (868) and steals (238). This season, he finished first in the conference in assists (245) and second in steals (50), while also averaging 12.1 points per game. He played two seasons with the Kodiaks after transferring from Grande Prairie Regional College.

Lincoln Anderson (second year, General Studies, Cardston) returned to his southern Alberta roots after one season at Mount Royal University. He led the Kodiaks in scoring with 20.6 points per game, which was good for fourth in the ACAC. He also led the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.7 per game.

Orin Porter Jr. (third year, Academic Upgrading, Incline Village, Nev.) made an immediate impression in his first season with the Kodiaks. He finished second on the team and sixth in the conference in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game. He was also second in the conference in blocks (25) and was fourth in shooting percentage (52.7 per cent).

The Kodiaks women’s team begins the ACAC playoffs on Thursday night with a quarterfinal against tournament host Keyano College in Fort McMurray. Games can be streamed live on ACAC-TV, while results will be available through the ACAC’s website. Learn more about the Kodiaks at gokodiaks.ca and follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.