Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University junior guard Laura Montiel has been named the South Atlantic Conference women's basketball Defensive Player of the Year, league officials announced Tuesday afternoon when the regular season award winners were announced. Kyleigh Bacon is a second team All-SAC honoree, with Laney Beale earning third team accolades. Chi'Nya Isaac has earned a spot on the All-SAC Freshman Team.

Montiel leads the SAC in steals and steals per game, ranking in the top 40 nationally in both. The junior has piled up 76 steals this season, good for 2.71 per contest. She has notched at least one steal in 24 of 28 contests this season, with four or more steals nine times. Montiel had five steals against Francis Marion, while piling up seven against Mount Olive. She also had five against Carson-Newman, while collecting back-to-back five-steal efforts against Catawba and Mars Hill. That was followed by a six-steal effort against Newberry. Montiel is also averaging 9.6 points per game this season, good for second on the team, shooting 49 percent from the field and 90 percent at the free throw line, adding 3.7 rebounds per game to go along with 76 assists.

Bacon is an All-SAC honoree for the first time in her career. She leads the 'Dogs with 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range. Bacon is also shooting 73 percent at the free throw line, adding 44 steals and 32 assists. She has scored in double figures 16 times, while notching four double-doubles on the season. Bacon had 18 points and nine board sin the season opener, while piling up 23 points and eight rebounds at Hawaii Hilo. She had 20 points and six boards against LMU, while collecting back-to-back double-doubles against Lenoir-Rhyne and Carson-Newman. She had 21 points, eight boards and five steals against Belmont Abbey, while going for 12 points and 13 rebounds against Mars Hill. Bacon poured in 23 points at Tusculum, adding seven boards, while posting 21 points and eight rebounds against Newberry.

Beale is an All-SAC selection for the second straight year. The senior has handed out a team-best 101 assists, averaging 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game to go along with 47 steals. Beale is shooting 42 percent from the field and 75 percent at the free throw line. She ranks second in the SAC in assists this season. Beale has scored in double figures 14 times this season. She had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds against Belmont Abbey, while posting 16 points, eight assists and five boards against Emory & Henry. Beale just missed her second career triple-double against Anderson, going for 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. She had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists against Catawba, while also scoring 17 points at Mars Hill.

Isaac has appeared in all 28 games during her freshman season, making 11 starts. She is averaging 5.4 points per game, adding 46 rebounds, 32 assists and 24 steals. Isaac is shooting 33 percent from the field while knocking down a team-best 26 threes on 35 percent shooting. She is shooting 88 percent at the free throw line. Isaac followed a 10-point performance against LR with 11 points and six rebounds against Carson-Newman. She had 11 points against UVA Wise, while notching nine points, four boards, four assists and three steals against Tusculum. Isaac had 14 points, four assists and three rebounds against LMU. Isaac had 13 points in the win at Carson-Newman, while going for 12 points, six rebounds and three steals at Mars Hill.

Wingate is the number six seed in this week's SAC Tournament. The Bulldogs will face third-seeded Coker in the opening round Thursday at 2:30 p.m.