All-Southeastern Conference basketball honors have been earned by Pinecrest’s junior double-double duo of Felicia Painter and Janea Williams.

The Patriot players and coaches wrapped up an 11-13 season (4-6 SEC) with a banquet recently to announce league and team awards. Junior Keegan Lynch and freshman Jasmine Chalmers were honorable mention all-conference selections.

Laura Bird of Purnell Swett and Jonissa Monley of Scotland High were named co-conference players of the year by vote of the coaches. The Scots’ David Johnson was selected coach of the year.

In the team award category, junior Dessence Waddell was voted Patriot defensive player of the year and Williams received the offensive player of the year award. The sparkplug award went to Lynch and Painter received the Patriot award.

For the players and coaches the season was one that turned on a number of tough losses, especially two late-season ones to Lumberton where the Patriots held double-digit leads.

“I think for everybody this season was a little frustrating because we were right there,” second-year coach Mike Loutzenheiser said. “We felt we were right on the cusp of getting some wins. If you look back at our 13 losses at least half of those were winnable.

“We know we’re a pretty good basketball team. We just couldn’t finish. The nice thing is every single player on the team is back. We have a lot to look forward to.”

According to the Patriot coach, Painter and Williams were unanimous choices by the league’s coaches. Both earned all-league honors for the second time. Chalmers missed being selected for the 10-player team by just a few votes.

Painter, a 6-foot forward, put together eight double-doubles while compiling a scoring average of 10.7 points per game and grabbing 10.4 rebounds per outing. In a December game against North Moore she scored a career high 29 points to go with 13 rebounds. She finished the campaign with three double-doubles in a row.

Painter connected on 48 percent of her shots from the field and 82 percent from the charity stripe.

“Felicia is just a workhorse,” Loutzenheiser said. “Every day she’s the first one in the gym and the last to leave. She is going to leave it on the floor all the time and she was a leader in the locker room. She probably has the purest shot on the team. “

The 6-3 Williams, who dunked the ball in practice, averaged 11.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. She had double-doubles in each of the last four games for a total of 10 on the season. In back-to-back games in December, she came within one block of a triple-double. In a 42-31 loss to Southern Lee on Dec. 10, Williams grabbed 24 rebounds.

“Janea is blessed with all kinds of talent and skill,” Loutzenheiser said. “The more she matures and continues to grow into that, the more deadly she becomes as a basketball player.”

Lynch led the team in assists (3.2), was second in steals (1.9) and had the second most three-point baskets (14). Chalmers was third in scoring (7.0), second in assists (1.9). She led the team in steals (2.3) and three-pointers (17).

The Patriots will be looking for some help next season from the junior varsity team coached by Janie Hodges that was 18-6 overall, and finished in a three-way tie for first place in the league with a record of 8-2.

Loutzenheiser says the Patriot players are in contention for both individual NCHSAA scholar/athlete (3.5 GPA requirement) and team awards (3.1 GPA).

“The one thing I’m most proud about our basketball team is they’re great in the classroom, great on the court and great in the community.”