Arkansas Tech University’s Fatima Adams was named NCAA Division II Central Region women’s basketball player of the year on Monday, March 14.
Adams, a 5-foot-9 senior forward, averaged 22.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during the 2015-16 season. She became the first Golden Suns player since Lanell Dawson in 1988-89 and 1989-90 to average more than 20 points per game in back-to-back seasons. Adams scored 671 points in 2015-16, the sixth-highest individual single-season total in Arkansas Tech women’s basketball history.
A product of Bryan, Texas, Adams scored 1,300 points during her two-year career with the Golden Suns. She ranks 16th in school history in career scoring. During her senior season, Adams recorded 12 double-doubles, 18 games of 20 or more points and five games of 30 or more points.
Adams established her career high with 43 points against Southern Arkansas University in the 2016 Great American Conference Tournament semifinals. It was the highest single-game total by a Golden Sun since Dawson scored 45 points against Oklahoma City University on Nov. 25, 1989. Adams joined Dawson, Donna Brunson and Jenny Vining as the only Arkansas Tech women’s players to ever score 40 or more points in a game.
Among all NCAA Division II women’s basketball players during the 2015-16 season, Adams ranks second in scoring, third in field goals made (252) and ninth in field goal percentage (.586).
Adams was previously named 2015-16 GAC player of the year, 2015-16 All-GAC first team and 2016 GAC Tournament most valuable player.
Her play over the past two seasons helped the Golden Suns win 50 games, capture two regular season GAC championships, earn one GAC Tournament championship and make two appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
