OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Athletic Department is proud to unveil the MACU Women's Basketball Team of the Decade on Tuesday.
It is the third installment of the All-Decade Team for the MACU women's basketball program, which started with a five-person team in the 1990s before being expanded to 10 for the honored squad from the 2010s.
After carefully evaluating each player's personal, statistical and team accomplishments, the MACU athletic administration tasked with compiling the list selected 10 standouts to the All-Decade Team, with the inclusion of a "Player of the Decade."
For a player to be eligible for the Team of the Decade list, he or she must have graduated from Mid-America Christian with at least a Bachelor's Degree between 2010-2019 and competed for at least one season between the 2009-10 and 2018-19 academic years. Any student-athletes that competed during the last decade that graduated in 2020 or later will be eligible for the 2019-2029 Team of the Decade list.
Listed below are the 10 student-athletes that were selected to the All-Decade Team, as well as five honorable mention players who were strongly considered or did not entirely meet the required criteria.
MACU Team of the Decade | Women's Basketball
Kourtni Williams (PLAYER OF THE DECADE)
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2011-13 (two seasons)
Mid-America Christian's first NAIA All-American, Kourtni Williams has also been selected as MACU's Player of the Decade. On top of receiving NAIA All-American Honorable Mention honors, Williams was also the program's first multiple NCCAA All-American recipient, earning Honorable Mention accolades in 2012 followed up by Second Team honors in 2013. After just two seasons with the program, Williams concluded the decade as the program's seventh-leading scorer (832 points) as her 14.6 point-per-game scoring average ranks as the fourth-highest in the NAIA era. The Fayetteville, Arkansas product was also one of the program's best rebounders since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2007, as her 421 boards is the seventh-most in the NAIA era while her 7.4 rpg average ranks as the third-best in that time frame. In her senior season, Williams averaged a career-best 17.7 ppg to lead a stacked Sooner Athletic Conference that featured three other NAIA All-Americans and three current NCAA Division II affiliated programs. Her 498 points scored that season was the seventh-most at MACU during the NAIA era while her 8.2 rebounds per game average ranks as the fourth-best clip in a single season. In that same season, Williams converted 145 free throws, which still ranks as the single season NAIA record in the MACU books, placing five ahead of Courtney Sorrels' 2007-08 mark. Williams broke double-figures in 28 of the 29 games she competed in during her senior campaign with the lone exception being the SAC Semifinal match against top-seeded Oklahoma City when she suffered an early injury that prevented her from playing the rest of the game. In nine of those 28 games, Williams notched double-doubles, which included a 28-point, 15-rebound performance in a 71-64 comeback victory over St. Gregory's (Okla.) on Jan. 17, 2013. On top of winning multiple All-American accolades, Williams was the first MACU player to reach an All-SAC Second Team level, achieving the feat twice in her career while also excelling in the classroom by earning Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.
"What an honor and privilege it is to be included in such a talented and deserving group of women," said Williams. "I am forever grateful for my time as a student-athlete at MACU. A special thank you to my coaches, Roman Owen and Marcus Moeller, for challenging me daily with their never-ending support. I would also like to thank my teammates and the MACU faculty and staff. Thank you, Mid-America Christian University for being a blessing to me and so many others."
"It was an honor to coach Kourtni," said former MACU Head Coach Roman Owen. "It is rare in both those days and even more today to find players that have toughness and great skill. She was the total package for us. I am proud of what she accomplished on and off the floor. I am even more proud of the young lady that she has become impacting our society and world."
Ashlee Ferguson
Position: Guard
Years Competed: 2013-15 (two seasons)
A 5-6 guard from the Colony, Texas, Ashlee Ferguson helped lead the Mid-America Christian women's basketball team to its first two winning seasons since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference. In her two campaigns with the program, Ferguson was selected as a two-time NCCAA All-American and NAIA All-American, which included becoming the program's first ever NCCAA Division I First Team All-American in 2014-15. Finishing just two points shy of the 1000-point club, Ferguson has scored the third-most points of any player during the NAIA era while her 182 made three-pointers still ranks as the team's highest mark in that time frame. At the end of the decade, Ferguson's 533 points scored during the 2013-14 season ranks as the sixth-most and her 98 made threes that year is the second-most in a single season within the NAIA era. Ferguson also holds multiple single game records, which includes three of the top four scoring games and is the only player to record multiple 40-plus point games in the NAIA era. On Feb. 12, 2015, Ferguson helped spark a second half comeback at John Brown (Ark.) by eclipsing her own NAIA era program record with 42 points to lead MACU to a 76-63 victory. The year prior, Ferguson set the record by becoming the first MACU player to reach 40-point plateau in a 90-75 victory at St. Gregory's on Feb. 22, 2014. In that win, Ferguson knocked down a career-best nine three-pointers, which still holds as the program's single game individual record. Not only was Ferguson the program's first ever First Team All-Sooner Athletic Conference player, but she accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons.
Kelli Tolar
Position: Guard
Years Competed: 2015-16 (one season)
Even though Kelli Tolar spent just one season with the MACU women's basketball team, the NCAA Division I transfer from Illinois State put together an immaculate year for the Evangels. Tolar was tabbed as an NCCAA First Team All-American while also receiving NAIA All-American Honorable Mention accolades. In scoring 534 points, the 5-8 guard from San Antonio, Texas surpassed Ashlee Ferguson for the program's NAIA era single season scoring record at the time and still currently ranks fifth in the record book. Her 19.8 ppg scoring average also still ranks as the second-best in the NAIA era record book and was only recently surpassed as the top mark by Alexis Shannon in 2020. Tolar made 88 three-point buckets during the campaign, which was the second-most in one year at the time and still currently ranks as the third-best mark in a single season. To this date, Tolar holds three of the top 10 single game scoring records, including the record mark of 43 set in a 79-70 double overtime victory at Science & Arts on Jan. 26, 2016. The performance against the Drovers helped Tolar garner the program's first ever NAIA Player of the Week honor. In just her second game with the Evangels, Tolar set the program's fifth-best single game scoring mark with a 37-point performance in a 95-88 win at Sterling (Kan.) on Nov. 7, 2015. At the end of the regular season, Tolar was tabbed as the program's second ever SAC First Team honoree while also being selected as an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete.
Shaylan Coleman
Position: Guard
Years Competed: 2018-19 (one season)
Despite spending just one season with the MACU women's basketball program, Shaylan Coleman made her presence felt by helping lead the Evangels to their second ever NCCAA Division I National Championship. An NCCAA Third Team All-American and All-SAC Second Team honoree, the guard from Dallas, Texas played a pivotal role on the championship squad as she was named the NCCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In MACU's 91-76 win over Grace (Ind.) in the NCCAA Semifinal, the 5-8 guard from Dallas, Texas scored a career-high 27 points to go with eight assists and six steals to guide MACU to its second straight national championship game. The Oklahoma Baptist transfer was stellar once again in the final, scoring a team-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven steals to propel the Evangels to back-to-back NCCAA National Championship wins with the 87-84 victory over Brewton-Parker (Ga.). Coleman closed out the year with 490 points, the 10th-most in a single season in the NAIA era while her 143 assists rank as the second-highest mark. Coleman was also stellar on the defensive end as her 69-steal mark is tied for the fifth-most in the single season. On Feb. 7, 2019, Coleman became the first MACU women's basketball player to record a triple-double since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference, closing out with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the 108-58 victory over Central Christian.
Nicole Wittman
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2010-12 (two seasons)
An NCCAA All-American and an All-SAC Third Team honoree, Nicole Wittman was one of the best all-around offense and defensive players to play in the low post for the Evangels during the NAIA era. By scoring 662 points in her two seasons with MACU, she ended the decade as the program's 10th leading scorer while notching the sixth-highest shooting clip in the last 13 years at 42.2 percent. On the defensive side, her 39 career blocks are the fifth-most by a MACU player during the NAIA era while her 5.4 rpg average ranks seventh in the record books. The Pass Christian, Mississippi product's best year came during her junior campaign, when she closed out the 2010-11 season with 428 points (13 ppg), ripped down 182 rebounds (5.5 rpg) and blocked 29 shots, the third-most in a single season since joining the SAC in 2007. In a hard-fought overtime loss to No. 20 Southern Nazarene, Wittman scored a career-high 29 points, ripped down a career-best 14 rebounds and tied a career-high three blocked shots. Wittman played a key role in MACU's second NCCAA Central Region Championship since moving up to the Division I level. Despite suffering a hard-fought 73-70 loss to Bethel (Ind.) in the opening round game, Wittman helped lead the Evangels to a fifth-place finish at the NCCAA National Championships by picking up back-to-back wins by a 72-58 score over Trinity International (Ill.) and a 69-63 victory over Grace (Ind.) in the fifth-place game.
Karina Trindade
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2008-10 (two seasons)
Mid-America Christian's first two-time All-Sooner Athletic Conference honoree, Karina Trindade helped lead the Evangels to its first ever NCCAA Central Region Championship and appearance in the NCCAA National Championships at the Division I level during the 2008-09 season. During her two years in a MACU uniform, the 5-11 forward scored 773 points, averaging 11.2 ppg, which still ranks as the sixth-best scoring average during the NAIA era while her 41.8 percent shooting clip ranks seventh and her 40.9 three-point percentage is second in the MACU record books. On top of being an elite scorer in the low post, Trindade is also one of the best rebounders to ever dawn a MACU uniform. Her 572 career rebounds rank second in the MACU NAIA era record books while 8.3 rpg average holds the top mark. Trindade was also an efficient passer for the Evangels, as her 163 career assists sit as the eighth-most in the NAIA era at the end of the decade. On top of being an elite offensive player, Trindade was just as strong on the defensive end. Her 158 career steals still hold up as the second-best spot in the NAIA record books, sitting only behind Melissa Aguilar's 175. During the 2008-09 season, Trindade finished the campaign with 304 rebounds to become the only player during the NAIA era to record a 300-rebound season. She followed it up with a 285-rebound campaign in 2009-10 to set the third-highest single season mark. The Brazilian native also holds the two highest single season steals marks for MACU, recording a program record 78 during the 2008-09 campaign before topping it her senior season with 80. In the NCCAA Central Region Championship matchup against Colorado Christian on Mar. 7, 2009, Trindade paved the way for the Evangels by scoring a season-high 21 points and ripping down 14 rebounds to lead the Evangels to victory. At the national championships, Trindade helped lead MACU to a 71-55 first round win over Nyack (N.Y.) in the first round and helped the team bounce back with a 60-50 victory over Emmanuel (Ga.) in the consolation game to earn third place at nationals. The following season, Trindade guided the Evangels back to the NCCAA Central Region Championship game when she scored 14 points and ripped down a then-program record 19 rebounds in a 92-87 win over Central Baptist (Ark.) in the semifinal round.
D'Shala Culberson
Position: Guard/Forward
Years Competed: 2014-17 (three seasons)
One of the best rebounders in program history, D'Shala Culberson helped guide the Mid-America Christian women's basketball team to its first 20-win season during the NAIA era in 2016-17. The 5-9 guard/forward was a key piece of MACU's first NCCAA Central Region Championship team since the 2010-2011 campaign. The Duncan, Okla. native wrapped up her stellar three-year career as the program's third-leading rebounder (561), shot blocker (51) and shooter (48.3 percent) while also ranking 10th in MACU's NAIA era record book for assists (135) and steals (91). During the 2015-16 season, Culberson ripped down 236 rebounds as her 9.1 rpg is the second-highest single season average while her 28 blocks that year was the fourth-most during the NAIA era. During that season, Culberson recorded three of the top four single game rebounding records. In a 98-90 double overtime win against John Brown on Jan. 7, 2016, the Southwestern Oklahoma transfer eclipsed Karina Trindade's record with 20 boards to go with 17 points, her second-highest scoring output of the season. A month later, Culberson found the record books once again when she ripped down 19 rebounds and scored a career-best 25 points in an 87-56 victory over St. Gregory's (Okla.) on Feb. 6. She followed it up with another double-double on Feb. 11 against Science & Arts, ripping down 18 boards to go with 10 points. The following season, Culberson led MACU in its 75-68 SAC Quarterfinal win over Texas Wesleyan on Feb. 28, scoring 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to go with four assists in the victory. Two weeks later, Culberson scored 13 points and ripped down a team-leading seven rebounds to guide MACU to an 85-76 victory over Southwestern Christian in the NCCAA Central Region Championship game. Culberson was one of MACU's unquestioned leaders both on the court and in the classroom, garnering All-SAC Honorable Mention accolades in 2016 while collecting a pair of NCCAA Scholar-Athlete and NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards.
Melissa Aguilar
Position: Guard
Years Competed: 2007-11 (four seasons)
A four-year starter for the MACU women's basketball team, Melissa Aguilar was one of the spearheads for the program entering the Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA. To this date, Aguilar is still the Evangels' NAIA era career record holder for both assists (351) and steals (175). The 5-3 guard from Odessa, Texas competed in more games than any other Evangel during the NAIA era, seeing action in 136 games over the course of her career. During her freshman season, Aguilar tallied a career-best 106 assists, which ranks as the eighth-most in a single season since joining the SAC. She dished out a career-best eight assists against McPherson (Kan.) on Nov. 16, 2007 while matching it again in MACU's 92-87 win over Central Baptist (Ark.) in the NCCAA Central Region Semifinal on Mar. 1, 2010. Earlier in the season, Aguilar recorded the program's NAIA record for the most steals in a game by tallying seven in an 88-75 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Jan. 14. The following season, Aguilar recorded a career-best 56 steals for the ninth-best mark in the NAIA era record book. Aguilar was a key component in MACU's first ever NCCAA Division I Central Region title in 2009 while helping get the Evangels back to the NCCAA National Championships with a Central Region Championship win in 2011, becoming one of the first MACU players to be on at least two regional championship teams at the Division I level.
Brittany Johnson
Position: Forward
Years Competed: 2009-11 (two seasons)
One of the best defensive forwards in the last 10 years for the MACU women's basketball team, Brittany Johnson to this day still holds the program's NAIA era record for career blocked shots with 58 in just two seasons. A 5-11 forward from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Johnson was also the eighth-most prolific scorer since the team joined the SAC by notching 9.8 ppg for a total of 634 points, while her 52.1 career shooting percentage to this day is still atop the MACU leaderboard. During the 2009-10 season, the USC-Upstate transfer was the team's second-leading scorer d a career-best 381 points (11.5 ppg) while her 34 blocks that season ranks as the second-most in a year within the NAIA era. Her five blocks set against Southern Nazarene on Feb. 18, 2010 set the program's single game record until it was eclipsed by Alexia Kelley in 2014 and still currently ranks as the third-best mark. Johnson recorded two of the best single season shooting marks in the NAIA era as her 53.1 percent clip in 2009-10 and 50.7 percent mark in 2010-11 still rank second and third in the record books. During MACU's NCCAA Central Region Championship run in 2011, Johnson caught fire against the Lady Eagles, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with 10 rebounds to propel the Evangels to an 80-63 victory in the title tilt. Johnson stayed hot at the national meet. After the Evangels dropped a heartbreaker to Bethel (Ind.) in the opening round, Johnson scored a season-high 22 points on 10-of-13 from the floor to lead MACU to a 72-58 win over Trinity International (Ill.), guiding the Evangels to an appearance in the fifth-place game. Once again, Johnson eclipsed double-figures with 15 points and seven rebounds to lead MACU to a 69-63 win over Grace (Ind.) to garner NCCAA All-Tournament Team nods.
Parris Price
Position: Guard
Years Competed: 2011-13 (two seasons)
A two-time All-SAC Third Team honoree, Parris Price brought a high-level of energy for the Evangels on both ends of the floor. At the conclusion of her two-year career with the program, the 5-3 guard from Dallas, Texas scored 738 points to set the team's fifth-best career scoring average in program history at 12.8 ppg. Price also holds the sixth-best career assist (183) and steals (99) marks while her 210 free throw conversions at a 75.3 percent clip ranks as the fifth-best marks in the NAIA era. During the 2012-13 season, Price recorded 69 steals to sit in a tie for fifth with Shaylan Coleman for the most thefts in a single season while her 2.46 steals per game average is the program's highest mark. In MACU's 69-64 win over Science & Arts in the SAC Tournament play-in game on Feb. 27, 2013, Price scored a career-high 32 points while ripping down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Honorable Mention
(Were strongly considered through the nomination process)
Alexia Kelley (2014-15)
April Hale (2007-11)
Lauren McKinney (2013-14)
Chelseah Savage (2017-18)
Kelsie Dutton (2012-14)
