Masters leads ACAC basketball awards haul

CALGARY, ALTA., (March 1, 2023) - Marcus Masters put together an impressive season, and it did not go unnoticed.

Masters was named the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) South Division Player of the Year as well as a First Team All-Conference selection at the Men's Basketball Championship Awards Banquet hosted by Ambrose University at the Red and White Club Wednesday night.

The third-year guard from Kitchener, Ont., led the Trojans in scoring - averaging just under 25 points per game, good enough to finish second in the ACAC. His 72 three-pointers made led the league by a considerable margin. His excellent play helped SAIT to a second place finish in the South Division (14-7) despite starting the season with a 1-4 record.

"He led the country in scoring for most of the year, but more importantly, pulled us through when we really needed him early in the season," said Marty Birky, head coach of the SAIT Trojans. "He's a man of few words, choosing to let his game do all the talking needed. . . it's been amazing to coach him and watch the year that he's had."

Masters becomes the first Trojan to win the award since John Smith did so back in 2018-19.

Conner was named an All-Conference selection for the fifth consecutive season - the first coming in 2017-18 when he was named Second Team en route to helping his Trojans win the second of five straight ACAC titles. The next three years saw the guard from Lacey, Wash., earn First Team consideration before bookending his career with another Second Team nod this season.

He averaged just under 16 points per game this season with the highlight coming in his very last ACAC regular season game when he reached exactly 1,500 points for his ACAC career - becoming one of the league's all-time leading scorers.

A strong season led to SAIT Trojans women's basketball player Brook Baker to her first All-Conference nod, earning a Second Team selection after finishing second in the league in scoring (17.2 ppg) and 11th in rebounds per game (6.6). Her 361 points this season is the most by a Trojan since Chanell Lockhart scored 366 in the 2014-15 season.

After being shutout in 2018-19 and 2019-20, Baker and Ava Kearl (2020-21) have given SAIT back-to-back years in which they have made the league's All-Conference South Division teams.