Women's Basketball | 3/14/2017 12:00:00 PM

D2CCA All-Region Release

Romeoville, Ill. - The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) announced on Tuesday (March 14) that Lewis University's Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Jessica Kelliher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North) have both been selected to the 2017 D2CCA Women's Basketball All-Midwest Region First Team. They are both eligible for All-America accolades.

Lewis has had at least one All-Region First Team selection in each of the past four seasons. Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) earned the honors in 2014, 2015 and 2016, while Johnson was honored in 2015.

A three-time All-GLVC First Team selection, Johnson is Lewis' all-time leading scorer (2,059 points) and is currently the fifth-leading scorer among active NCAA Division II players. The redshirt senior guard led the Great Lakes Valley Conference in free throw percentage (.879), was second in three-pointers made (79) and is third in scoring (17.8 ppg.).  Those 79 trifectas are the second-most in school-history for a single season.

Johnson, who missed two seasons due to injury, scored in double-figures in 29 out of 32 games, including 14 games of 20+ points or more and a season-high 31 points against Saginaw Valley State (Dec. 30).

"Jamie's story is such a special one," Lewis head women's basketball coach Kristen Gillespie said. "Her perseverance and work ethic is second to none.

"I am so thrilled that she received this honor," Gillespie continued. "It is quite fitting for her to end her career being named to All-Region First Team."

Kelliher, the 2017 GLVC Player of the Year, was a D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team selection as a freshman. A four-time GLVC Player of the Week, Kelliher led the conference in both scoring (19.7 ppg) and scored in double-figures in 31 out of 32 games, including 15 games of 20+ points and three games of 30+ points. The sophomore forward set a school-record with 18 baskets on 18-for-19 shooting to finish with 38 points against Maryville (Jan. 14).

The Waukesha, Wis., native also set a school-record with a field goal percentage of 65.2% (258-for-396), which was also the best in NCAA Division II. Kelliher has the best career field goal percentage (62.8%) of any active Division II player and the second-highest career scoring average (19.0 ppg.).

"I am so proud of Jess," Gillespie said. "(She) faced a variety of defenses all year long and was still able to perform at an elite level.

"The scary thing is she is just starting to scratch the surface of her potential."

Lewis finished the 2016-17 campaign with a record of 23-9 and advanced to its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament.