Junior guard Tijan Saine Jr. was named to the men’s First Team after averaging 17.2 points, 4.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in his Division I debut with Weber State.

The Western Washington transfer, one of the top recruits from Division II last summer, led the Big Sky in scoring in conference play at 20.8 points per game. He shot 35.8% from the 3-point line and 91.7% on free throws while averaging 34.9 minutes in conference games.

His status as the league’s leading scorer did not earn Saine the award for newcomer of the year. That went to Eastern Washington guard Isaiah Moses, a sixth-year senior who transferred to Cheney from UC Riverside. All postseason awards are voted by the league’s coaches.

Saine became the 26th player in WSU history to score 500 or more points in one season. His 89.5% season clip from the free-throw line is currently the third-best rate for a single season in WSU history.

Fifth-year senior Terri Miller Jr. secured the Big Sky’s MVP honors and a unanimous First Team selection in helping lead Portland State to a regular-season title. Miller averaged 18.9 points per game for the Vikings.

Miller and Moses led the pack of conference superlatives in individual awards. Idaho’s Jackson Rasmussen was named freshman of the year, Portland State’s Tre-Vaughn Minott as defensive player of the year, Idaho’s Isaiah Brickner as top reserve, and Portland State’s Jase Coburn as coach of the year.

Joining Saine and Miller on the First Team: Quinn Denker (Northern Colorado), Jed Miller (Montana State), Money Williams (Montana), Moses, and Jaylin Henderson (Portland State). Both Millers, Denker, Moses and Williams were all unanimous selections.

On the Second Team: Brock Wisne (Northern Colorado), Alton Hamilton IV and Kiree Huie (Eastern Washington), Prophet Johnson (Sacramento State), Tre-Vaughn Minott (Portland State), and Patrick McMahon (Montana State).

Weber State junior Viljami Vartiainen, a runaway as the league’s best 3-point shooter at 46.2% in conference play, was named an honorable mention. Joining Vartiainen on that list: Kolton Mitchell (Idaho), Christian King (Montana State) and Te’Jon Sawyer (Montana).

Minott, another sixth-year senior, won defensive MVP honors. Joining Minott on the all-defense team: Zach Bloch (Northern Colorado), Evan Otten (Idaho State), Jeremiah Davis (Montana State) and Johnson (Sacramento State).

WOMEN’S AWARDS

An honorable mention nod to senior forward Antoniette Emma-Nnopu was Weber State’s lone award in Friday’s women’s all-conference announcement.

Emma-Nnopu averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this season while shooting 52% from the field, a shooting clip that was best in the Big Sky.

Montana State sophomore Taylee Chirrick was named the league’s MVP while also becoming a two-time defensive player of the year, averaging 17.8 points and 4.3 steals per game.

First-place Idaho took three individual awards: Kyra Gardner as newcomer of the year, Debora dos Santos as top reserve, and Arthur Moreira as coach of the year. Northern Arizona’s Naomi White won freshman of the year; she led the country in freshman scoring at 20.7 points per game.

Chirrick, White and Gardner led the First Team. Joining them: Hope Hassmann (Idaho), Addison Harrison (Montana State), and Kacey Spink and Tasia Jordan (Idaho State).

On the Second Team: dos Santos, Benthe Versteeg (Sacramento State), Kourtney Grossman and Ella Gallatin (Eastern Washington), Avery Waddington (Montana) and Tatum West (Northern Colorado).

Joining Emma-Nnopu on the honorable mentions list: Neenah George (Northern Colorado), Rubi Gray (Sacramento State), Kyleigh Brown (Portland State) and Heather Baymon (Northern Colorado).