D3hoops.com named Oglethorpe women's basketball head coach Alex Richey its South Region Coach of the Year and placed Stormy Petrel junior center Savannah LeGate on its All-South Region second team Tuesday. It marked the first regional award of Richey's career and the second career all-region honor for LeGate.
Richey directed his team to the second SAA tournament and regular season championships of his tenure, and the third of each in program history, grabbing his second SAA Coach of the Year award in the process. They advanced to the sectional round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship for the third time in program history and the first time in the Richey era, defeating Randolph-Macon 71-63 in the tournament's second round. That victory turned out to be the final game of the season for the Petrels. Richey also led his squad to a 29-1 overall record, accruing the most wins and best winning percentage of any team in program history, and wins in each of their final 27 games. They went undefeated in a total of 17 regular-and-post-season games against SAA opponents.
LeGate earned her second career All-South Region honor from D3hoops.com after nabbing first-team honors and winning the region's Rookie of the Year award in 2018. She garnered All-SAA first-team honors in early March, marking the third all-conference distinction of her career. She earned SAA Tournament MVP honors, doubling up with back-to-back performances of 24 points and at least 12 rebounds over the final two rounds of the event. She continued that run into the NCAA tournament, recording double doubles in each of the Petrels' two games. She served as the top offensive rebounder in the region, finishing 20th in the nation in the category with 4.7 per game. She also finished third regionally in double doubles (14), fourth in total rebounds (279), sixth in rebounds per game (9.3) and ninth in field goal percentage (49.1).
Richey becomes the first Oglethorpe head coach to earn the region's top honor since Ron Sattele in 2009. LeGate's achievement marks the third time a member of the squad has made a D3hoops.com All-Region team in as many years.
